"This is our first duet," Mariah Carey told the crowd.
In her first live concert since the pandemic, Mariah Carey brought her daughter Monroe on stage to do a duet together singing one of the traditional 19th-century Christmas carols, "Away In A Manger."
At Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Friday night, both mother and daughter glowed in sparkling white dresses and tiaras as they performed the song against a backdrop of Christmas trees, presents and toy soldiers.
"This is my baby girl, right here," Mariah Carey said in preface to Monroe's appearance.
“Eleven years ago, I received the greatest gift. You know something, I don't celebrate birthdays, but my birthday was the greatest gift I've ever received, when I gave birth to my twins Roc and Roe (Moroccan and Monroe), and once again I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Monroe ", he continued.
"This is our first duet," Mariah Carey announced to the audience, before asking her daughter if her dress was okay. "Okay, this is a beautiful, beautiful hymn called 'Away In A Manger.' We've been planning this for a while now,” she added, gently stroking her daughter's back.
Mariah Carey opened the song with her trademark high notes, before Monroe, not looking the least bit nervous, launched into the lyrics, softly and truly beautifully, to the roars of approval from the rapt audience of 13,000.
"My daughter, Miss Monroe," Mariah Carey proudly said at the end of the song.
This was the first of four concerts titled "Merry Christmas to All!" that Mariah Carey is going to give in Toronto (December 9 and 11) and two in New York's Madison Square Garden (December 13 and 16). On Saturday, the concert stage was dismantled for the ice hockey game between the Maple Leafs and Flames and will be set up again for Sunday night.
Mariah Carey has consistently characterized the concert as a dress rehearsal and rehearsal, but with her awesome band and dancers and festive set design, there were no nuggets in this one-hour-and-45-minute musical program.
She also appeared funny, lovable, self-deprecating, kind and warm and talked about the difficulties of lockdown, told a fan that she will keep the handmade pillow they gave her and had her image embroidered on it, praised her band and highlighted her vanity and brought to her make-up artist's tent to give her a makeover.
The concert featured mostly Christmas songs and ended with her all-time hit 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', for which Mariah Carey received a diamond plaque on stage.
