Frank Franklin II, Associated Press file photo Dionne Warwick came to Pittsburgh for a passionate performance. Click photo for larger image.

Five-time Grammy winner Dionne Warwick took the stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall Friday night. With grace and song, she reminded us why she was awarded all of that hardware in the first place.

From the opening note of the first song, "Close to You," she took the eager audience on a musical journey through her four decades of music. She introduced the set as a walk down memory lane, and the road was wide, long and filled with many gems along the way.

From "Don't Make Me Over" and "Walk on By," to "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Message to Michael," Warwick's stage presence and voice were in fine form. She is a rare musical star who knows where her strengths lie, using them to her full advantage. With brilliant musical director Kathleen Rubicco, Warwick delivered a tight set that was dynamically full, rich and satisfying.

There were some surprises: One was Warwick's son David Elliott, who joined her on "Say a Little Prayer." The song was reworked with a jazz flair by Pittsburgh's own George Benson and will appear on a forthcoming project of duets. The affection between the two was very sweet -- without being sappy -- and with his soaring vocals, Elliott proved that he is a first-rate singer.

After some Brazilian numbers from her "Aquarela Do Brasil" and some of her newer classics ("I'll Never Love This Way Again" and "That's What Friends Are For"), Warwick praised her touring musicians and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Speaking of the PSO, it opened the evening with a brief program with the Toledo Symphony's resident conductor Chelsea Tipton II at the helm. Tipton was a delightful choice for this Community Partners Concert. He charmed the crowd with his warm demeanor and introduced a feeling of good will befitting an event where all proceeds are donated to local charities.

Violinist Christina Castelli performed "Symphonie Espagnole for violin and orchestra, Opus 21" by Edouard Lalo. The sought-after soloist played the piece with much passion, attacking the difficult passages with confidence and fervor and wowing the crowd with her deft command of the instrument.

Tipton encouraged audience participation during Leonard Bern-stein's "Overture to West Side Story" and they enthusiastically obliged. The PSO, Warwick, Castelli and Tipton created a musical montage that was a perfect fit for this charitable event.