REVIEW: Bernadette Robinson Takes On Ten Great Ladies Of Music with Her New Show DIVAS.

Friday 4th August 2023, 7:45pm, Playhouse Sydney Opera House

Australian singer and actress Bernadette Robinson brings her latest vocal tribute to Sydney with her latest cabaret concert, DIVAS.  Paying tribute to ten great women of 20th and 21st Century music, the 100 minutes of theatre/concert is a delightful combination of music and stories.

Bernadette Robinson has built a reputation for her ability to recreate well known voices with her previous shows SONGS FOR NOBODIES, PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE and THE SHOW GOES ON.  She presents one woman performances, backed by an intimate band, this time comprising Mark Jones (Piano/Keyboards), Jonathan Skovron (Guitars/Bass/Keyboards), and Graham Hunt (Drums).  She is known for blending vocal renditions of well known works with well researched exposition presented as if the singer being recreated were inhabiting her body. 

For DIVAS, Robinson moves between a series of microphone stands and assorted chairs to work through the chosen ten which are already revealed by the large banner of Andy Warhol-esque headshots. For DIVAS Robinson honors and eclectic mix of Kate Bush, Shirley Bassey, Karen Carpenter, Edith Piaf, Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Barbara Streisand, Maria Callas, Amy Winehouse and Judy Garland.  While the songs selected are well known hits for the singers, some of the stories Robinson has researched come from more obscure parts of the ladies’ histories ensuring there is something fresh and new in the story. 

DIVAS is a wonderful opportunity to hear some iconic songs live, and if you shut your eyes, you can almost believe you’re in the room with the real thing.  For performers that are no longer of this earth, particularly Winehouse and Garland, this is a definite treat as Robinson shines with these renditions.  Similarly her rendition of Shirley Bassey’s songs were also breathtaking and even though Bassey performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2022, at age 86, she may not tour to Australia again so DIVAS is a much more economical way to experience a glimpse of what it would be like to experience the real thing.

https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/contemporary-music/bernadette-robinson-divas