I Am… World Tour [Chicago Concert Review + Photos]

Singer, movie star, multimillionaire, Jay-Z’s wife. Everybody knows her. Or do they?

When she’s acting in films, she’s billed as Beyonce Knowles. On her chart-topping CDs, the surname isn’t necessary, so she’s just Beyonce. Her latest album finds her channeling an alter ego. The two-CD set “I Am…Sasha Fierce” has one disc of songs that reflect Beyonce’s personality, along with a second disc of music that supposedly is closer to the feisty, aggressive persona she calls Sasha Fierce.

Casting directors who are curious about Beyonce’s acting versatility could watch her films (including “Cadillac Records” and “Obsessed”), or they could catch her current tour, which visited the United Center on Friday night.

During a strong rendition of the ballad “Broken-Hearted Girl,” Beyonce sang, “I don’t wanna play that part.” Her acting skills were put to fine use throughout the evening as she played a number of roles. These characterizations were often augmented by elaborate video segments and dazzling costume changes.

She was a club diva with cat-eye makeup during a bouncing version of “Get Me Bodied” and a gorgeous bride with a long veil during the lush “Ave Maria.” For a couple of moments, she even got a bit masculine, parodying a stereotypical dude’s body language during the opening portion of “If I Were a Boy” and putting on a New York Yankees cap and briefly lip-synching Jay-Z’s part during the start of a potent “Upgrade U.”

Beyonce, 27, played this same venue in 2007, but on Friday night the production was even more eye-popping than before. This time, she soared. Literally. Following in the flying footsteps of Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and Garth Brooks, the singer was transported through the air from the main stage to a smaller stage positioned in the middle of the floor for part of the show. As if seeing the singer 75 feet above the ground weren’t amazing enough, Beyonce did several trapeze-like somersaults along the way. Jaws dropped. Cameras flashed. Wow.

For this concert, Beyonce was backed by a 13-piece, all-female band, and she was frequently joined onstage by nine-member dance troupe. The choreography was terrific, with Beyonce displaying a level of athleticism rarely matched by her peers. She seemed to be singing along to backing vocal tracks during some portions of the show. So while some of her singing may have been pre-recorded, there’s no way to fake those graceful dance maneuvers.

The video elements were cutting-edge and technically impressive throughout the two-hour show. Particularly memorable was the production for “Smash into You,” which featured Beyonce in a white swimsuit and hooded cape, standing atop stairs while a gigantic video screen projected images of rolling surf behind her.

A musical highlight was “At Last,” the Etta James hit that Beyonce sang as part of her portrayal of the blues great in the 2008 film “Cadillac Records.” This tune was accompanied by a video montage that included shots of President Obama, drawing a huge cheer from the audience. Beyonce sang “At Last” as the president and Michelle Obama slow-danced at the televised Neighborhood Inaugural Ball on Jan. 20 — and Beyonce’s video accompaniment on Friday night contained a snippet of that memorable, historic performance.

Her rendition of “Radio” included home videos of Beyonce singing and dancing as a child of about five years old. “That’s when I began writing songs,” she told the crowd, and it was one of the few moments when the singer seemed to relax a bit and momentarily just be herself.

All the show’s components added up to an evening of powerhouse entertainment, even if the performer chose to play a series of roles rather than reveal much about her inner world.