Broadway-style production showcases singer Christina Aguilera and her hits on her 'Back to Basics' tour

Pop diva Christina Aguilera will soon be wowing her fans in Thailand with her sophisticated vamp style. Designer Roberto Cavalli has made several exciting costumes for the former Destiny's Child singer, who will be performing at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani on June 28 during her Back to Basics world tour.

She will be singing in 10 costumes, including a sexy 1940s outfit inspired by actress Marlene Dietrich, and a daring uniform styled after what American pilots wore in the 1960s - with the addition of glittering pearls, gold and Swarovski crystals.

RS iDream, a new subsidiary of RS Promotion charged with marketing international talents from the world of showbiz, spent Bt35 million in bringing the 26-year-old diva plus a crew of 80 to Bangkok.

"We choose Christina as she is a talented young pop diva and has many fans here," says Boonperm Intanapasat, the show's promoter who brought Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Norah Jones here when he worked with Matching Entertainment.

"For Christina's production, there are props like a 14 metre by 5 metre LED, two five-metre by seven-metre projector screens and two three-metre by four-metre projects screens, special lighting which we could not find here, wall-drops and professional crews on lighting, sound, stage design and costumes," says RS iDream's managing director, who is a big fan of the pop princess.

Aguilera will put on a two-hour Broadway-style show, singing more than 20 hits including "Reflection" from the film "Mulan", "Lady Marmalade" from the film "Moulin Rouge", "Beautiful" as well as hit singles from her new album, "Back to Basics": "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman", the promoter notes.

The production features three distinct stage scenes, illuminated by more than 600 moving lights, and a state-of-the-art hydraulics system.

Aguilera will frequently change costumes to match the changing themes of the show. For one scene, the diva will be clad in a sexy cat-woman outfit while riding a pole-horse like in a circus show.

"Christina is an extraordinary artist with such immense talent and charisma. She is truly inspiring. I am also fascinated by the evolution of Christina's musical style as well as her personal style, which has becoming increasingly glamorous and sophisticated with amazing attention to details," says Cavalli, who has also designed stunning costumes for Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Beyonce.

Cavalli has designed different outfits designed to match the mood of the songs being sung. For example, for "Candyman", a song about an American pilot, Aguilera will be clad in a sexy navy-blue-and-white soldier's uniform.

In contrast, for the song "Ain't No Other Man", the diva will be appear in elegant and sweet white satin tuxedo, bordered with golden pearls.

For a circus scene, Aguilera will be dressed in tight shimmering gold jacket with tails detailed with red and black satin and Swarovski crystals.

Boonperm says that Aguilera's concert will be backed up by a Jack Sound professional sound system, which was used for Bangkok concerts for Oasis, Black Eyed Peas and Rain. Aguilera will come along with her sound engineer.

Aguilera gained her worldwide fame on the strength of four successful albums that featured several Billboard hits including "Reflection" from the film "Mulan" and "Genie in a Bottle".

The first single from "Back to Basics", "Ain't No Other Man", went to the top of the charts in 16 countries and won Aguilera her fifth Grammy Award, for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Her second single, "Hurt", also placed highly on charts in Europe and North America. The video for her latest single, "Candyman", portrays her in the style from a girl-band from the 1930s and '40s. Aguilera's fourth album, "Back to Basics", which is a double-disc nod to vintage jazz and pop, has gone platinum.

Aguilera's current tour includes a total of 80 shows in 19 counties.

"Although she dances non-stop onstage, Christina doesn't lip synch, and though nowadays showbiz makes use of technology, good shows require artists' discipline. For Christina, she always practised. This means she has kept the same high standards for all of the 80 shows she will appear in," says Boonperm, who was impressed with Aguilera when he saw her perform in London five years ago.

Judging from the style of the star and the many preparations required, Aguilera's "Back to Basics" show seems anything but basic.

Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics Tour Live in Bangkok takes place at 8pm on June 28 at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. Tickets are Bt1,000 to Bt6,500, available from Thaiticket

master. For more information call (02) 262 3456.

Phatarawadee Phataranawik