YOU’LL feel on top of the world when Toni Lee & Her 10 Piece Big Band return to the Regent in Christchurch on Tuesday with We’ve Only Just Begun, her sensational celebration of the unforgettable hits of Karen Carpenter and her brother, Richard.

One of the most fascinating but ultimately tragic stories in popular music history was the life of Karen Carpenter.

In fact tragic is not a big enough word to describe the terrible sadness and waste of her short life.

She died at the age of just 32 years. Karen was the voice of the multi-hit making group The Carpenters, who along with her brother Richard, scored an unprecedented 17 consecutive billboard US top ten hits.

The timeless quality of the Carpenters music makes it as relevant today as when they scored their first UK hit with Close to You in 1970.

Now a brand new touring show, We’ve Only Just Begun, finally and faithfully recreates all of those classic Carpenters hits in an evening that is billed as a “Celebration of the Life & Music of Karen Carpenter.”

Karen Carpenter had a unique voice, so unique in fact that it has proven almost impossible to duplicate its deep smoky emotional edge creating that uniqueness that is so hard to perfect. Now for the very first time in over 30 years the voice that melted a thousand romantic hearts lives again through Toni Lee in the touring two hour concert show, We’ve Only Just Begun, the Carpenters Greatest Love Songs.

Close Your Eyes and re-live the magic of one of the greatest female voices in pop music history as Toni Lee becomes Karen Carpenter and sings over 22 hits including Close To You, We’ve Only Just Begun, Yesterday Once More, Top of the World, and Please Mr Postman.