Mariah Carey treats mother to birthday night out at the theatre

Mariah Carey gave her mother a 76th birthday to remember by treating the former opera singer to a night at the theatre in New York City.

The Hero hitmaker took her mum Patricia Hickey Carey to Broadway's Majestic Theatre to watch one of her favourite musicals, The Phantom of the Opera.

An insider tells the New York Daily News the crowd "went nuts" when the pair arrived at the showing on Friday (15Feb13).

Carey and her mother then took a chauffeured Rolls-Royce to the Lincoln Center, where they enjoyed a walk before stopping for dessert.

The source adds, "Both looked gorgeous. Mariah Carey was in a black dress with hair pulled into a cascading fall. Mom was in a pantsuit."