OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, Abravanel Hall, Thursday.

For someone whose song "Physical" was banned at three Utah radio stations back in the '80s, Olivia Newton-John sure had a lot of support in Abravanel Hall Thursday night.

The Australian Grammy Award-winning singer received a warm welcome when she stepped on stage for "Have You Ever Been Mellow."

It was a night of nostalgia for most of the audience members who filled the sold-out hall. The songs Newton-John sang spanned her 40-year career.

The singer even threw in Burt Bacharach's "Anyone Who Had a Heart," the song she sang during an Australian talent contest when she was 15-years-old. That song won her a trip to England, where her musical career officially started.

Incidentally, that song will appear on her new album, "Indigo," which will be released some time this year.

Her seven-piece band, which included two backup singers, played well, albeit a little softly to accommodate the acoustics in the concert hall.

But the lack of volume didn't offend the audience, which was comprised mostly of people older than 40. It made the concert that much more enjoyable for them because they could hear the lyrics through the mix.

Newton-John's voice was still clear, even on the high notes. She demonstrated her vocal strength on newer songs, such as "Don't Cut Me Down" and the empowering Brazilian groove of "Not Gonna Give Into It," a song she wrote during her battle with breast cancer.

She reached way back into her early country days and pulled out the six-part gospel-esque harmony on "Let Me Be There," the lonely single "Please, Mister Please" and the catchy "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)."

In a nice little twist, the band then played an acoustic Latin jazz version of "Physical," the song that was taken off the Utah stations' playlists.

"I love Utah," Newton-John said earlier in the evening. "This has been the only place where my songs have been banned. Back then they were raunchy."

What made her performance of "Physical" more ironic Thursday night was the fact that Utah Gov. Olene Walker, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah and President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were in the audience enjoying the concert.

Other "Xanadu" songs included "Magic" and "Suddenly." She also dipped into favorite works from the movie "Grease." "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" had the audience singing along. And another movie song, "Twist of Fate," from the movie "Two of a Kind," was sung during a medley that also included "Heart Attack" and "Make a Move on Me."

Olivia Newton-John captured the hearts of the audience without caterwauling like Christina Aguilera or showing her midriff like Britney Spears. Those two could learn a thing or two from the pro.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com