Presented
and performed by PRINNIE STEVENS.
Piano accompaniement
by Dave McEvoy – Lighting Design by Darren Hawkins
The Street
theatre, Canberra on April 20, 2024.
Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.
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| Prinnie Stevens and Dave McEvoy at The Street Theatre. |
Already a
seasoned performer when she attracted attention during the first season of the
television talent show The Voice, battling her friend Mahalia Barnes, Prinnie
Stevens has gone on to establish herself as one of the country’s most
accomplished performers.
The veteran
of musicals “The Bodyguard”,”RENT”, “HAIR” and “Thriller LIVE”, Stevens has
appeared on the West End and in New York beside the likes of Patti La Belle,
Chaka Khan, Mary J Blige and John Legend. Remarkably however, given that she
grew up in Canberra and still has relatives here, “Lady Sings The Blues Vol 2” is
the first time she has appeared in Canberra in her own show.
It’s been
worth the wait because judging by the capacity audience’s response to this
performance it won’t be the last.
With her
accompanist, Dave McEvoy, seated at a shiny grand piano on a beautifully lit
stage, Prinnie Stevens made a glamorous entrance, resplendent in an elegant ruby
red sequined dress, long white gloves, sky high heels and her hair decorated
with white gardenias.
After
commencing her program with a sultry rendition of “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s
World (James Brown/ Betty Jean Newsome) she set the tone for the evening by
adding “But it’s a woman’s world tonight”.
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| "But it's a woman's world tonight" - Dave McEvoy and Prinnie Stevens. |
Acknowledging
that Canberra had not yet seen her award winning “Lady Sings The Blues Vol.1”, she
commenced this performance by reprising singers featured in that show, in
particular Billie Holiday with “Summertime” ( George Gershwin) and Mahalia
Jackson with “Amazing Grace” (John Newton).
Then
followed a succession of songs, each introduced with an anecdote and
represented by a song with which they are associated. Aretha Franklin with “I
Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You” (Ronnie Shannon), Nina Simone with “Feelin’
Good” (Anthony Newleyl Leslie Bricusse), Tina Turner with “I Can’t Stand The
Rain Against My Window” (Ann Peebles) and Amy Winehouse with “I’m No Good” (Amy
Winehouse).
For each
song Stevens adopted vocal and physical mannerism associated with each of the
singers, not imitating but rather inhabiting their style. Each was enhanced by
superb accompaniments by Dave McEvoy who seemed to breathe with Stevens to
accommodate her stylish embellishments.
Towards the
end of the program, Stevens quietly discarded her high heels to perform Nala’s
song, ”Shadowland” (Elton John/Tim Rice), from the musical “The Lion King”.
Then, removing her headdress to let her long hair flow freely, she offered a
heartfelt acknowledgement of country, and interpolated gentle traditional dance
movements into a captivating rendition of “My Island Home”.
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| "My Island Home" - Dave McEvoy and Prinnie Stevens. |
Her final
dedication was to songstress Whitney Houston with “This Song is For You” (Claude
Kelly/ Nathaniel Hills/ Marcella Araica) which she directed to her audience,
and which McEvoy embellished with
intricate rippling accompaniment.
This was
cabaret at its finest with tasteful lighting and excellent sound enhancing an
intelligently written and superbly performed program which left its audience
informed about the artists being celebrated as well as the artists celebrating
them.
The audience
certainly recognised this and was reluctant to let the two artists leave the
stage. Their enthusiasm was rewarded with a series of stunning encore
dedications to Etta James, “At Last” (Etta James), Tina Turner, “Simply the
Best” (Holly Knight/Mike Chapman), Carol King, “Natural Woman” (Carol
King/Gerry Goffin) and finally to Beyoncé and Diana Ross with a thrilling
performance of “Listen” (Beyoncé Knowles/ Henry Krieger/Scott Cutler/Anne
Previn).