Pop : A Confusing Set From Reba McEntire at Forum

Pick your Reba: a hyper--emotional Judy Garland figure, constantly on the verge of tears . . . a Madonna with a twang . . . an intelligent, new-woman role model . . . a song-and-dance entertainer . . . a down-home farm girl.

They were all on hand at the Forum on Friday, where--perhaps in the belief that folks need more bang for their concert buck these days--veteran country star Reba McEntire mounted a lavish stage production full of shifting scenery, laser beams, movie clips, costume changes, a dance troupe, thunder and lightning--call it “Blurred Ambition.”

Anything missing? How about a chance to hear McEntire’s stunning voice on some choice contemporary country material? There were some stretches when her singing took command, but they weren’t the focus of this ungainly show, where conflicting impulses collided in sometimes ludicrous fashion.

In one memorable juxtaposition, McEntire eloquently explained her recent attraction to the kind of touching, emotionally powerful music she calls “healing songs.” But a few minutes after that sensitive monologue, she showed a scene from the movie “The Gambler IV” in which she mows down an army of Mexican bad guys with a machine gun. She later showcased another highlight of her film career, “Tremors,” in which she mows down a giant slimy thing.

McEntire’s music was as confused as her show, sometimes sinking into the compromised crossover gestures of synth ‘n’ sax generic adult-pop. Not that she needs to stick to predictable country guidelines--she tackled soul and blues with real authority.

But the real musical rewards were in the most basic, most “country” moments, when song and singer escaped the suffocating production--”Rumor Has It,” her early breakthrough “Whoever’s in New England,” “For My Broken Heart,” and especially the closing “Is There Life Out There.”