To close Glamorama, Macy Gray sings "I Try" with help from models and dancers

Star Tribune photo by Tom Wallace

Macy Gray can sure put on a glam dress, but who put her on to close Macy's Glamorama Friday at the Orpheum? That made as much sense as Joe Mauer trying to bunt with two guys on base when the Twins desperately needed to score in a tie ballgame. "Beauty in the World" may have been a recent dance hit for Gray but it didn't even motivate the Glam-goers to stand up. "I Try," Gray's Grammy-winning hit from 1999, is a song of determination. But it's a low-key number, especially when accompanied only by acoustic guitar and two singers. Throw in two runways worth of models and a troupe of dancers (including kids) singing along in the background on the final chorus and – kaboom! – does that add up to a explosion of confetti-worthy moment? Well, Macy's and Macy tried. But it just didn't work. Especially after the spectacular Glamorama finale the year before with male underwear models parading in the rain to the Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men." Considering Gray's unelectrifying personality and performance, singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson seemed like a precious gift. Playing solo (accompanying himself on either electric piano or acoustic guitar), he joked about feeling underdressed and embarrassed to be working out in a gym with male models with six-pack abs. His warmth helped his two tunes – "OK, It's Alright with Me" and "Rock 'n' Roll" – resonate with the fashion fans even if they weren't familiar with these modest hits. As for the rest of the show dubbed "Fashion.Fantasy.Music.Magic," I'm not going to go all fashionista, but it wasn't as exciting visually, musically or theatrically as previous years. How many old Beatles, Stones, Aerosmith and Robert Palmer songs do we need to hear? Did we really need a live commercial for XBOX's Dance Central with trained dancers? Was Macy Gray really the most magical music performer Macy's could come up with?