Kylie: Live in Sydney

In this 102-minute, 19-song set (the listed 137-minute running time includes extras), svelte Aussie siren Kylie Minogue heats up the stage in Sydney, Australia on the final show of her 2001 "On a Night Like This" tour. Featuring elaborate sets (ranging from a cruise ship to a spaceship), sporting numerous costume changes, and backed by a coterie of scantily-clad male and female dancers, Minogue's Madonna-lite repertoire, drawn from a 15-year musical career (she is far more popular in Europe than stateside), includes "I Should Be So Lucky," "What Do I Have to Do," "Light Years," and her current smash hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head." From the top coat and tails production on "Better the Devil You Know" to the stripper pole shenanigans on a cover of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," Minogue's quick change persona keeps the show moving at a brisk clip. Still, it's a pity that all this choreography is hitched to a slew of bland undistinguished pop hits (including the tellingly named "Your Disco Needs You")--that all sound as if they are two or three notes away from either the musical equivalent of incest or copyright infringement. Extras include nine "backstage" shorts (totaling about 18 minutes) highlighting cast and crew, as well as the music video of "Spinning Around." Not my cup of tea, musically speaking, but sure to be popular nonetheless, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)