(OUTview NW) RE-view: Olivia Newton-John at Snoqualmie was simply a magical 'Twist of Fate'!

(Snoqualmie)

by MK Scott

Olivia Newton-John is an icon and is clearly a pioneer as a crossover artist and I realized just how much like Taylor Swift she was when I learned of Olivia's journey as a crossover artist from country to Pop in the mid-70's to being a cultural icon from Grease to Xanadu to, of course, the 'Physical' phenomenon in the '80s and once again re-inventing herself in the '90s and beyond.

In my interview published in the SGN August 19 she was ecstatic to be back in Seattle and that the Aug 25th concert would at Snoqualmie Casino's Outdoor amphitheater. The show started only 15 minutes late with no opening act. Olivia, wearing a black suit with a gorgeous white jacket brought back the 'Magic' and 'Xanadu.' Then 'Suddenly,' with one of her back-up singers, she took on the Cliff Richard part.


Then it was an '80s flashback with a medley of 'Make a Move on Me' / 'A Little More Love' / and 'Twist of Fate' from her 1983 film Two of a Kind.

Way before Keith Urban was an Aussie-bred, international country star, it was Olivia who was decades before him and she devoted a special section to her country roots with covers of 'Changes,' 'Take Me Home,' 'Country Roads,' 'Please Mr. Please,' 'Jolene,' and 'Let Me Be There.'

The audience really got up and danced to 'Physical' and then she got serious about her love for dolphins with the 'The Promise' and the environment with 'Don't Cut Me Down' and her battle with breast cancer with 'Not Gonna Give Into It.'

Then the Grease portion of the show was fun and nostalgic, her voice never wavered and at 67 the high notes were pitch perfect.

Starting with 'You're the One That I Want' and 'Hopelessly Devoted to You.' For 'Summer Nights,' the audience was divided into two groups - the men were the T-Birds and the women were the Pink Ladies.

Olivia left the stage and came back in a black and glittery evening gown for the finale of 'I Honestly Love You,' a #1 hit for her, written by Gay icon, Peter Allen, Judy Garland's former son-in-law.

The encore was just Olivia and her piano player keeping it in the 'family' with 'Over the Rainbow.'

The Lattanzi/Easterling/Dennis Family Photo!           (Snoqualmie)

The evening got even more 'Magic'-al when we attended the post-show Meet and Greet with Photo Ops; and after 2 years of trying to get my friend to introduce me to her famous husband, Matt Lattanzi (Olivia's Ex) was flattered when I told him that he was a fave of mine during his days on the Aussie Soap, 'Paradise Beach,' and as the star of the '80s teen comedy, My Tutor. Then our chat was cut short with a Lattanzi/Easterling family photo (John Easterling is Olivia's current husband), but being able to witness this was simply 'MAGIC.'