Of all the iconic divas that have graced the stage and recording studios, Barbra Streisand is probably one of, if not the most famous. With a career spanning over five decades, she has recorded nearly 40 albums, appeared in 18 films, won 8 Grammys and 3 Academy Awards. I could go on listing Streisand’s achievements but there are only so many hours in the day. This is one special lady and it takes a very talented performer to do justice to Streisand’s wide-ranging back catalogue and make them their own.
Luckily such a performer exists in the shape of Liza Pulman and I was lucky enough to get a taster of her show Liza Pulman Sings Streisand this week. The show isn’t a biographical documentary about Streisand’s life, nor is it Pulman doing an impression of the singer. It is a wonderful cabaret performance of some of Streisand’s songs. Some are instantly recognisable – ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’, ‘Memories’, ‘Evergreen’ etc – whilst others may be less well known. For example ‘Miss Marmelstein’, which was Streisand’s solo number in her first musical ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale’, and the wonderfully titled ‘Sam, You Made The Pants Too Long’. To be honest, familiarity with the songs is really unimportant – except for me not being able to sing along – because it is the skill and dexterity of the performance that matters.
Pulman obviously loves and admires Streisand and not only performs some fantastic musical numbers but, accompanied by her wonderful band, the Stardust Ensemble, under the control of MD, arranger, pianist and accordion player Joseph Atkins – produces a truly fine night of cabaret.
Pulman has a lovely personality and connects with her audience the moment she steps onto the stage. Although the show isn’t a full-blown biography, she does give background information on some of the songs and aspects of Streisand’s life so I ended up learning some interesting facts about the icon as well as hearing the wonderful music. I particularly liked the fact that Liza and Joseph weren’t just going for reproducing the Barbra Streisand sound – let’s be honest who could? Instead, they put their own spin on the songs so that it felt like Liza Pulman and Barbra Streisand were sharing them with each other. The highlight for me? Well, there were so many to choose from but I have to say ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ and the jaw-droppingly awesome performance of ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ which is not only one of my all time favourite songs but also brought the entire audience to their feet at the end.
I saw a slightly abridged showcase with twenty-one songs and enjoyed every minute. Liza Pulman and the Stardust Ensemble are performing the full Liza Pulman Sings Streisand show all over the country this year and my advice is, get your tickets booked, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Review by Terry Eastham for www.LondonTheatre1.com
Dawid Minnar Janine Ulfane – Photograher credit Alixandra Fazzina. “Survival of the fittest” is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. Which means that even in the most inhospitable of placers, life will find a way – even if at times, you may look and think what’s the point? For example, in South Africa, the aloe plant is considered one of the country’s most powerful, beautiful and celebratory symbols. It survives out in the wild when everything else is dried. At the end of everything, the aloe is still there. And it is this survival that is at the heart of Athol Fugard’s A Lesson From Aloes which has returned to the UK and is currently in residence at the Finborough Theatre. Set in South Africa in 1963, where apartheid is at its height and the citizens are living in a paranoid police state. The play revolves around a middle-aged left-leaning couple – Afrikaner Piet Bezuidenhout (Dawid Minnaar) and hi
Since 1912, the Blackburn Musical Theatre Company has been entertaining the theatre going folks of this Lancashire town with their annual musical production. In that time, they have covered the vast array of musical theatre from their first production - Sunday - through to their latest - Hello Dolly - which I caught at the Blackburn Empire Theatre. Dolly Gallagher Levi (Sue Chadwick) is a woman that likes to meddle, or as she puts it, arrange things. Whatever you need doing, Dolly is the person for the job. And right now, she is the talk of turn of the century New York, having brought together Mr Horace Vandergelder (Kris Wlodarczyk), the well-known half-a-millionaire and Mrs Irene Molloy (Laura Mitchell) a widowed millener. Their engagement and subsequent marriage seems pretty much sewn up though neither is marrying for love. Horace, as he tells his Chief Clerk, Cornelius Hackl (Ryan Coe), and Assistant, Barnaby Tucker (Fletcher Illingworth), is looking for someone to r
Since July 2014, I've seen and reviewed 588 shows altogether. 2017 was a fairly quiet year with a total of 132 shows visited by yours truly. So, in the best traditions of end of the year ideas, here is my list of the top 10 shows that I've seen this year. Please remember, this is my list not anybody else's and if you don't agree with the pick, well, what can I say? 1. Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Bridewell Theatre This story of friendship and hope took two drag queens and a trans woman from Sydney to Alice Springs, in a big pink bus. Along the way, the met new friends and face rampant homophobia. SEDOS brought every element of the show together beautifully, and to a standard that you would expect to see in the West End. Sold out virtually as soon as it was announced, this was the ‘must see production of the year. 2. La Cage aux Folles, New Wimbledon Theatre This is was a touring production of a show that demonstrates the importance of family a
Comments
Post a Comment