Although Pussycat Dolls is still one of the most famous and talented groups in the world today, they did not sell out the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds where their “A Clear Doll Domination: Pussycat Dolls Live in Manila” concert was held last night, June 11.

The Dolls may have been victims of hard times. The more expensive VIP and Gold sections were filled to the rafters, while the cheaper Silver and Bronze sections were only about half full; indicating that here, the rich remain upfront, the not-so-moneyed are still behind and the rest are somewhere out there listening to – but unable to see  - the show.   

Then again, even the famed girl group (or was it the producer?) apparently had to do some cost cutting. Whereas in other countries, Pussycat Dolls performed with a band and had, oh, just Lady Gaga for a front act, in Manila it was four girls with microphones and a minus-one.

But what a show the Dolls gave. Despite the absence of Pussycat Dolls Jessica Sutta, who is recuperating from a fractured rib she sustained from a previous performance, Ashley Roberts, Melody Thornton, Kimberly Wyatt and Nicole Scherzinger were able to “loosen up the buttons” of their Filipino fans.

The concert began with a VTR of the girls “dominating” the globe. Pussycat Dolls were shown on bikes riding past and transforming such exotic landmarks as the Taj Mahal in India, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and the Pyramids in Egypt with their music. A mix of the hooks of their hit songs played as the video presentation rolled.

The repertoire was thoughtfully sequenced and edited. Many of their hit songs were part of medleys and slotted between unreleased tracks from their latest album, “Doll Domination.” The musical arrangement of some of their mid-tempo songs (e.g. “I Hate This Part”) were sped up sometimes to a pulsating disco beat.

They also performed lounge song “Big Spender;” a throwback to the days when they were still performing at The Viper Room in Las Vegas. In singing their latest single, “Hush, Hush,” Nicole interspersed midway a snippet of the Gloria Gaynor-classic, “I Will Survive.”  

The most awaited song of the night was “Jai Ho (“You’re My Destiny”), the Pussycat Dolls' version of the song from the Oscar-winning movie, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

“Jai Ho” was part of Pussycat Dolls’ encores that night, along with their seminal hit, “Don’t Cha” and their most recent Billboard Hot 100 charter, “When I Grow Up.”

For novelty, Pussycat Dolls held a dance contest onstage, participated in by three pre-selected contestants. The winner of the contest was determined by the loudest applause from the crowd.

The girls’ voices were strong and sure. Nicole, especially, did not shy away from hitting high notes and doing R&B adlibs. She also varied her singing technique using her head tone and falsetto intermittently.

The theme of the show was women empowerment and proud to be Filipino.

“I wrote this song for the ladies out there tonight…the strong Filipino women….you don’t need a man to be happy,” Nicole said before launching into “I Don’t Need A Man” which she co-wrote.

“For people going through hard times…see, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” she said in introducing “I Hate This Part.”

Nicole said she looks forward to coming back to the Philippines “because I feel I belong (here). With all of my heart, ‘Mahal ko kayo!’”

As for the costumes, one of the highlights of the show was the abaya-like veil she wore in rendering “Halo;” an obvious reference to her Asian roots. She calls their fashion sense “sassy but classy.”

But what really stole the show was an emotional Nicole, wearing her heart on her sleeve.

“I am so proud to be Filipina…To all my dreamers out there, I want you to keep dreaming…Because right here, I am living proof that it can happen if you believe in God. I see so many future Pussycat Dolls out there….” she said.

Hear, hear.