Review: Vocal Chameleon Bernadette Robinson Channels The Voices And Souls Of The Great Divas in THE SHOW GOES ON

Monday 28th August 2017, 6pm, Playhouse Sydney Opera House

Bernadette Robinson recreates the heartfelt stories and songs of some of the most iconic women in her latest one woman show, THE SHOW GOES ON. Acclaimed for her vocal mimicry, Robinson returns to the Sydney stage with a new show, created in conjunction with co-creator and director Richard Carroll, about truth behind the fame and the strength and perseverance required to survive.

With a three-piece band of Martine Wengrow (Musical Director & Arranger), Ron Lemke and Bill Risby, Robinson channels the music greats that poured their heart and soul into their music as they lived life in the spotlight. Following on from her successful SONGS FOR NOBODIES and PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, Robinson takes on the persona, style and sound of Judy Garland to host and evening with Garland's friends and idols, presenting heartfelt solos and amusing duets where she takes on two women at a time, all interspersed with fabulous little titbits. Designer Lauren Peters has created a perfect three part stage for Robinson's women to inhabit, complete with multicoloured lights, reminiscent of theatre marquees, bordering the sections of stage. A microphone stand dominates the central space while a tub chair and side table in the left segment provides a space for Garland to have a more 'intimate' chat with the audience, and a sole stool waits in the right third of the stage. Trent Suidgeest's lighting helps Robinson transition between the characters and adds to the emotion expressed in the music. From lighting up a solitary microphone representing the singers Robinson is honouring to the wash of red to echo the passion in the song and providing a twinkling of footlights, the seemingly simple space is bought to life.

The stories, which range from Garland's memories of being a child actor at MGM to Maria Callas' restrictive relationship with Aristotle Onassis and Edith Piaf's misguided understanding of love are shared with a candid honesty as Robinson inhabits these and other women in turn. Whilst the women can all be connected by considering their level of success, it is Robinson's recreation of their iconic songs that proves why they each had such an impact. Each woman delivered songs with a depth of understanding and expression of the underlying emotion and Robinson ensures this is conveyed to the audience with a wonderfully textured and passionate performance. Shut your eyes and you can imagine you have Garland singing for you and the excerpts from Rossini's Barber of Seville and Puccini's Tosca show how Callas conveyed emotion over perfect technique, capturing the essence of the songs even without an understanding of the text. The only imitation that isn't entirely convincing when it comes to vocal sound replication and speech is when Robinson takes on Dame Julie Andrews.

THE SHOW GOES ON is a beautifully crafted and executed performance and will delight fans of the great women of music along with those that enJoy Songs expressed with heart and honesty. For those that enjoy history, THE SHOW GOES ON gives an intriguing glimpse into the challenging lives of the women that survived in the entertainment business despite some incredible hurdles and shows the strength and tenacity they had (and still have in the case of those still living). THE SHOW GOES ON is inspiring, interesting and very entertaining.

THE SHOW GOES ON

25TH August - 10th September 2017

(Images Supplied)