STEVENSON: Beyonce shines at Rogers Centre, kicks off North American tour

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Beyonce

Rogers Centre

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Saturday night

RATING:**** (out of four)

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Who runs the (concert) world?

Beyonce — aka Queen Bey — it seems.

The 41-year-old R&B superstar graced Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Saturday night for the first of two back-to-back shows in the city and the North American start of her Renaissance World Tour — her first solo trek in seven years.

In response, the BeyHive — known as her devoted fans — put a lot of effort into their sparkly concert-going outfits and made for a sea of silver sequins in a nod to Beyonce’s latest look on her 2022 album, Renaissance.

She reciprocated — and then some — making no fewer than eight costume changes over the course of 2 1/2 hours.

Her personas ranged from reclining in an oversized clamshell in a cheeky nude bodysuit with black hands placed over her chest and nether regions to Queen Bey/Bee in a futuristic Thierry Mugler-designed black-and-yellow queen bee getup.

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There was also Barbie Beyonce in a bright pink outfit and army Beyonce in military-inspired sequined camoflauge.

From the moment she emerged from beneath her massive stage singing Dangerously in Love, Beyonce looked perfectly polished in a silver-chained bodysuit, with her angelic voice excelling despite the large space and hidden fans blowing her long blond hair.

“I love you,” were the first words out of her mouth, and she certainly didn’t seem to be taking the huge number of fans who had assembled for granted.

“Hello! How y’all doing? I’m so glad to be here,” she said, seguing into a much longer speech about how grateful she was to be in the stadium setting.

Her show also graciously paid tribute to those who came before her, including Tina Turner — “Mother Madonna” as she called her — with a snippet of River Deep, Mountain High. Her backup singers tackled Diana Ross’ Love Hangover during a Beyonce costume change, and a snippet of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love came toward the show’s ending.

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Beyonce may have sat on top of a piano for the song, 1+1, but she didn’t really stop moving for the duration of the night with a massive band — hidden behind a circular cutout of her on a large LED screen — and an army of talented dancers who moved impressively on the stage as well as on the catwalk with her.

Song highlights included Cuff It, Energy (the first song to get Beyonce and her dancers on the catwalk), Break My Soul, Formation, Run The World (Girls), Black Parade, Savage, Before I Let Go, Love On Top, Crazy In Love, Heated (with her working a fan and encouraging concert-goers to do so as well), and America Has A Problem.

At one point, Beyonce rode in what appeared to be a tank on the catwalk during Black Parade, and ended the show on top of a silver mirrored horse — like the one on the cover of Renaissance — that she rode  from the main stage to the end of the catwalk during Summer Renaissance.

It was a lot but somehow she made it work spectacularly and was scheduled to do it all over again on Sunday night at Rogers Centre.

Lasting slightly longer is the Beyonce Renaissance Flagship show, which is being staged on the third floor of Holt Renfrew’s Bloor St., location between July 5-11, featuring concert merchandise and clothes from her collaboration with designer Bailman.

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