"A lot of times it comes up that once women get together, it becomes very catty or jealous," said Keys, the singer, songwriter and pianist whose 2001 release "Songs In A Minor" was among the most successful debuts by any woman in history. "That's completely a stereotype. This tour proves that three strong women can come together and do something very successful, something that is unprecedented."

She is speaking of the Verizon Ladies First Tour 2004, an alliance of female contemporary R&B and hip-hop hitmakers that is indeed unprecedented. For a tour that opens tonight in Ft. Lauderdale and pulls into the New Orleans Arena for its second show on Sunday, Keys is joined by co-headliners Beyoncè Knowles and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, plus opening act Tamia.

Currently slated for 23 dates through April, Ladies First is the most ambitious, and potentially one of the most lucrative, roadshows of its kind. Co-promoted by the concert, sports and television production firm Alan Haymon Productions and live entertainment behemoth Clear Channel Entertainment and sponsored by Verizon, the tour will likely gross more than $500,000 per night.

If the tour meets -- exceeds -- such expectations, it will add another chapter to the brief history of successful, large-scale tours by women from the worlds of contemporary R&B and/or hip-hop. The 2000 "Up in Smoke" outing with Dr. Dre, Eminem and Snoop Dogg and last year's "Roc the Mic" trek with Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes both did solid business with elaborate productions, but women were conspicuously absent from the rosters. And while the likes of Janet Jackson, TLC and Beyoncé's group, Destiny's Child, have all headlined arenas, never before has one R&B/hip-hop package presented as many marquee women as Ladies First, or such a cross-section.

Beyoncè, 22, has supplanted Jennifer Lopez as the female pop icon of the moment. Her first solo album, "Dangerously In Love," has sold more than 3 million copies -- she'd already moved about 40 million albums and singles with Destiny's Child -- and dominated the recent Grammy Awards. Beyoncè walked away with five Grammys, including Best Contemporary R&B Album for "Dangerously In Love" and Best R&B Song for the disc's smash lead single, "Crazy In Love."

In 2002, Keys, 23, won five Grammys of her own with "Songs In A Minor" and its breakout single, "Fallin'." Her latest, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," sold 618,000 copies in its first week of release and has earned glowing reviews for its clever synthesis of R&B and hip-hop.

Elliott, 32, is perhaps the most powerful and popular woman in hip-hop, a triple threat as a producer, songwriter and rapper with a penchant for flashy, award-winning videos and lyrics that take a decidedly unflinching view of relations, sexual and otherwise.

Together, Keys, Beyoncè and Elliott make up a varied bill that still makes sense.

"To me, what's so exciting about this tour is the diversity of it," Keys said in a pre-tour conference call with journalists. "I love the fact that it's three very strong, individual women that are completely different from each other. Often times when people put tours together, it tends to be under the same umbrella of musical style. The thrill of the Ladies First tour is that each one stands on her own and will bring something completely different from the others."

Beyoncè echoed Keys' sentiments in a separate conference call.

"It's incredible that all of us write our own songs and produce our own music," Beyoncè said. "We're all very different, but at the same time we're all great performers and we're all true artists and very involved in our careers as young females. I'm a fan of their music."

Each act is backed by her own full band and production. Tamia, the Canadian-born R&B singer who hopes Ladies First will finally help her break out in America, opens the show with a quick 20 minute set; Elliott, Keys and Beyoncè are slated to perform about 70 minutes each. Whether they all will join forces for a show finale was still undecided in the days leading up to tour rehearsals.

"Missy and I have been working together since I was 15," Beyoncè said. "I was on her first record, she was on Destiny's Child's first record. We've been on each other's records just about every record, so there are songs that we could do together now. Hopefully all three of us can come up with maybe an old-school song and perform it together and surprise everybody. But right now, we're all trying to practice and make sure we get our stuff together."

Pooling their collective star power elevates the tour to event status. Still, there are trade-offs involved in co-headlining a large arena tour instead of headlining a solo tour of smaller venues.

"Really, you just give up time (onstage)," Keys said. "The time becomes an issue, because we can't have a 10 hour (show). But to me, honestly, I think it's exciting. I've been discovering new ways to put together a show, especially the way I do it."

Keys' challenge is to replicate the intimacy of her piano-driven music in the vastness of an arena. In February 2002, while touring in support of "Songs In A Minor," she orchestrated an entertaining show at the Saenger Theatre. But a performance five months later in the much larger Superdome during the 2002 Essence Music Festival fell flat. Attempting to fill the big space by alternating piano breaks and choreographed dance steps, she never focused on anything, and did not resonate with the audience.

She'll try to remedy that on Ladies First.

"My shows . . . are something that you get enraptured inside of, and it's almost like we're all in one room," she said. "Being able to do that in a place that seats 17,000 people is something that has been very interesting for me to come up with creative ideas of how to expand myself. That is the exciting part about it, the way that it will hit 'n quit. It's fun for me to put together all my songs in a way that just keeps moving and going and changing and growing.

"This will be a lot different than being on the road by myself, which requires a much longer set and a much longer wind," Keys said. "For a person like me that pours 110 percent into each song, (a shorter set) is much easier. And there's an excitement about doing something in a way that's never been done before. That always stimulates me. Each time I embark on something, I look for ways to challenge myself. (This tour) is a natural challenge that will keep me motivated, without question."

The prevailing attitude will be one of mutual respect, Keys said.

"What I like about Missy is that there is only one Missy," Keys said. "There will never be another Missy. Her style is all her own, and no one could ever even attempt to duplicate it. What I appreciate about Beyoncè is the beauty in her voice. It's something that definitely shines. And Tamia . . . one of my favorites of hers is 'You Put a Move on My Heart.' She has a certain style that is very classy."

Tamia shares Keys' admiration for her co-horts.

"Individually, they're a great bunch of women," Tamia said in a separate conference call. "Beyoncè is incredible. I first saw Alicia Keys a long time ago, when we did a Christmas special together, before anyone really knew her. She did 'The Little Drummer Boy' and I remember thinking, 'This girl is incredible.' It's awesome to see what she's been doing. Missy thinks outside the box and is so very creative.

"All these three women are awesome. I don't think I've been to a concert like this before. And if I wasn't on it, I would go. Because how often do you get a chance to see those girls on the same ticket?"

Instead of the competitiveness inherent in a VH-1 "Divas" show, Keys said, the vibe on the Ladies First tour will more likely recall the camaraderie of the Lilith Fair tours, which brought together women from the worlds of rock and folk.

"Already we have a mutual respect for each other," Keys said. "That's something that's very special about this tour. It's almost like there is no comparison, because we are so different. Once we get on the road, we'll really be able to see how it all maps out. But already it feels very natural and very supportive.

"In the past, women have played a more secondary role," Keys said. "Things are shifting. Once this tour is done, it will definitely change touring."

By Keith Spera,
Music writer