Carrie Underwood Might Be Little, But Her Show Is Not

Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Douglas Boultinghouse

'Don't You Worry About Me' - Carrie Underwood performs her latest single "Mama's Song" while playing a revolving piano in front of a slideshow of pictures of her childhood, ending the song with a picture from her recent wedding to Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher. Underwood's "Play On Tour" stopped at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock Oct. 12.

   The “sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect, all-American” Carrie Underwood brought her critically acclaimed “Play On Tour” to Arkansas Tuesday night.

   Underwood fans packed the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock Oct. 12 to see what surprises the blonde star would bring.

   With Underwood were two opening acts: one entertaining and one entertainingly awkward.  The show began with a trio of brothers known as Sons of Sylvia. Vocally, the band impressed the audience. Performance-wise though, it became odd with the lead singer’s movements on stage that seemed a little too much for a country show.

   Thankfully, country crooner Billy Currington followed the trio and revived the show. Currington performed his hits “People Are Crazy,” “Good Directions,” “Must Be Doing Something Right” and more.

   After Currington’s set, what seemed like the longest stage set-up took place. However, once the show began, it all made perfect sense. To put on a production this massive, a lot of work must go into it.

Play On

   The arena turned dark and the stage lights burst into full brightness. The right side, then the left and back before music began. As the music played, a spinning circle of lights dropped from the ceiling. As the circle hit the stage, it began to rise, revealing Underwood rising from the stage floor on a red couch.

   “You better take it from me / that boy is like a disease,” she began as she kicked the night off with “Cowboy Casanova.”

   Her set lasted an estimated 90 minutes and included several performances of songs taken from her three albums, but throughout the night, she wowed the crowd with a handful of well-themed performances.

   For the tender ballad “Just a Dream,” where a young bride mourns the loss of her husband who died fighting in the war, Underwood walked on the stage as a swing and trees appeared. She placed herself in the swing and performed the song while swinging in the air. Moments of intensity came when she would lean back while belting massive high notes.

   Though she later joked about a fear of heights, her fear did not get the best of her as she soared through the arena in a flying blue truck. During a band solo, Underwood left the stage and hopped in the back of a blue pick-up truck. The truck pulled out from the left side of the stage and made its way to the back of the arena in the air as Underwood danced in the back singing a cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

   When she reached the back of the arena, the truck stopped and she told the audience she had the best seats in the house as she could see every face in the crowd. She then performed her song “This Time” as she rode, or flew, back to the stage to launch into an interactive sing-a-long version of her smash “Undo It.”

Bringing It Home

   Underwood paired two performances together, each incredibly interesting. For the song “Change,” she rose from the stage behind a black, dress-shaped wall. The lights were dark, but as she began singing, the lights projected on her dress with bursts of color and flying doves. The further she got into the inspirational ballad, the more lights lit up behind her.

   She followed the performance, by walking away from the dress/wall to the side of the stage. This was perhaps the only fault of the show. It would have been much cooler had she of found a way not to make it obvious the black dress was not actually her dress. Regardless, the effect still amazed and made the performance magical.

   While on the side of the stage, she told the audience how much being a member of the Grand Ole Opry meant to her and how she wanted to take a piece of home with her on the road. While saying this, the lights adjusted on the stage to reveal the Opry behind her. Her microphone was even the signature Opry mic stand.

   As she performed her version of Randy Travis’ hit “I Told You So,” Travis appeared on the screen behind her singing along. The performance turned into a surprising digital duet as the crowd cheered.

   All of the production aside, the shining moment of the show came when Underwood stood in the middle of the stage and began singing her first single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” As she sang the song, the platform she stood on began to rise, lifting her into the air as stars swirled behind her in lights. While high above the stage singing what seemed to be the last notes of the song, she threw her arms out and burst into the religious hymn “How Great Thou Art.”

   Some of the most powerful, spine-tingling and emotional notes ever witnessed filled the arena. As she stretched the closing line, “How Great Thou Art,” so intensely, the crowd gasped and erupted into applause, giving Underwood a well-deserved standing ovation.

   For the finale, she rose from the stage to perform her angst-filled signature track, “Before He Cheats” and left the stage after an energetic medley of her song “Songs Like This,” Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.”

   While Underwood made her exit, orange, pink and yellow streamers filled the air along with bits of silver confetti.

   Having seen Underwood perform before, I had never seen her perform a show on this scale. It still amazes me that such a strong and powerful voice could come out of such a small person. One thing’s for sure though, with vocals, charm and stage presence, Underwood can move an entire arena of people from laughter to tears like no other.

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