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By JOHN SOEDER CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER POP MUSIC CRITIC You can't swing a dead rock star without hitting a so-called diva these days. But few can sing like Whitney Houston, who performed last night at Blossom Music Center. This was only the sixth stop on her first world tour since 1994. Nonetheless, Houston had her act together. There was not so much as one wrinkle in her Dolce & Gabanna wardrobe that needed to be ironed out. The only disappointment was the turnout. The pavilion-only show drew 4,400 fans. Maybe all those empty seats were sending a message: Charging $110 a pop for prime tickets and $45 for "cheap" seats was a little steep. Following a crowd-baiting overture, Houston, 35, made a grand entrance atop a silver staircase. She wore a long pink coat over a black turtleneck, pink pants and gold boots. The concert got under way with three selections from Houston's hip-hop-flavored new album, "My Love Is Your Love." She smiled and gyrated as she belted out "Get It Back," "Heartbreak Hotel" and "If I Told You That." Blinding lights frequently flashed into the audience - or was that the glare from Houston's preternaturally white teeth? Towering over the rear of the stage was a circular metallic ornament that resembled a giant fan. Too bad it wasn't functional; Houston was sweating up a storm. Thankfully, she kept the prima donna posturing to a minimum, although she did refer to herself in the third person on a couple of occasions. "Whitney must take her time," she said during one long pause between numbers. The powerhouse singer was at her best when she extemporized. At the end of "I Learned from the Best," an otherwise lackluster Diane Warren ballad, Houston spewed vitriol across several octaves. Her entourage included four dancers, six musicians and four singers. Lending a hand on backing vocals was her older brother Gary, who sang lead on a pedestrian cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" while his sister dashed off for a costume change. Houston re-emerged sporting a red fur jacket and zebra-print jeans. A spunky rendition of "I'm Every Woman" brought the middle-aged crowd to its feet for a communal aerobics workout. Revamped versions of the '80s hits "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "How Will I Know" maintained the momentum. Houston went back to her gospel roots for a spirited version of "I Go to the Rock." Like many R&B singers, she got her start singing in a church choir. Houston was joined by her 6-year-old daughter Bobbie Kristina on the feel-good anthem "My Love Is Your Love." Inevitably, an over-the-top delivery of "I Will Always Love You" closed the regular set. Opening duties were handled by 112, an R&B vocal quartet groomed by Sean "Puffy" Combs. The slick foursome's choreography was tighter than its harmonies, although the seductive hit "Anywhere" generated a few sparks.
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