Blasting onto the stage, with a figure to die for, clad in a red velvet jumpsuit and knee-high black boots, Em Rusciano chose the perfect opening song with Kesha's Woman, which she performed twice, repeating it for the late stragglers who couldn't leave the bar in time to see it the first time around. From that moment on, the audience was hers and the atmosphere in the Festival Theatre felt all the more intimate, as Rusciano has an incredible knack of connecting with a huge audience, and making all there feel included.
She started out at 100 per cent and her energy just went up from there. Her vocals are gutsy and raw, as she belted out such hits as Tina Arena's Chains, (her BFF by the way) Beyonce's Crazy in Love, and Whitney Houston's I'm Every Woman, and we were even treated to a performance of her original song Versions of Me, but it was her rendition of John Farnham's Help, and Stevie Wonder's Do I Do, which were highlights. The latter was cause to bring her parents onto the stage to dance together, as they did in the kitchen when Rusciano was a child, a moment which was very special for them all.
But it is not always her singing for which Rusciano is known, but for her spontaneous comments, and Adelaide's audience was treated to plenty of that. In between songs, a tirade of strong words punctuated her impassioned speech as, for all those in the loop would know, Rusciano is dealing with some adversity at the moment due to her speaking her truth. She didn't, however, let it slow her down or rain on her parade, in fact, it was the opposite. She used her recent duress as fodder, and it couldn't have been more perfect. We bore witness to Rusciano at her uncensored best, and all who were there loved her for it.
Backed by an incredible band, complete with a horn section, Rusciano was in her element, and you could see she appreciated sharing the stage with such talented musicians as Brett Garsed, on electric guitar, who played with John Farnham for years.
A special mention must also be made to her backing singers, or backing bitches, as they were warmly referred to: Charmaine Jones, Joanna Arul Tropeano, and Olivia Nathan, who complimented Rusciano beautifully.
This woman is a trailblazer and, no, it's not that she necessarily sets out to shock, she just wants a better world for her daughters to grow up in, and who can blame her for that?
Rusciano is spontaneous, gregarious, and very genuine. She is a person who wears her heart on her sleeve, is incredibly talented, opinionated, and loud. She is a force to be reckoned with and, if she hasn't already worked it out, Adelaide absolutely loved her. In essence, Rusciano is the Divine Miss Em.
Reviewed by Fiona Talbot-Leigh, Saturday 9th June 2018.