For all her superstardom, Mariah Carey has never been a frequent touring artist and the video below may show why.

Putting the adage, “the show must go on,” into practice, Carey ad libs as she suffers through her earpiece monitor going out, and a flustered stagehand trying to make it all right, during a performance in Australia a few nights ago. Through it all, she never loses the audience as she  playfully, but firmly, admonishes her crew and give a play-by-play. She says her dress is too big and too small, she needs water, she needs her band to wait to start the song... it’s a mini-series played out in less than three minutes.

[More after the jump...]

NME, which originally posted the fan-shot footage, chides her for the “embarrassing technical failure,” but we’re charmed by her ability to just keep it going, albeit awkwardly.

We’re sure someone caught hell after the show, but we give Mimi credit that she never loses her cool and stays on stage throughout the duration, narrating the action and keeping the audience involved. We hope someone brought her, as she requests, some alcohol, before she fired them. Just kidding about the last part.

Carey will be firmly ensconced back in the U.S. for "American Idol," as the show returns for a new season on Jan. 16. She, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban join returning judge Randy Jackson at the judges' table.