Julia Bon-McDonald
Audience members around me are quick to point out that we are not looking at Tina Cross. Jackie lets us know that unfortunately, Tina has been struck down by COVID-19, and that the lovely Sharon Emirali will be filling in. There is palpable disappointment, but by the end of the night we are more than sold on Sharon’s vocal abilities. I’m sure that Tina’s are big shoes to fill, and Sharon did a great job. She nails ‘How Will I Know’ by Whitney Houston, gliding effortlessly through the tumbling pass of an end-section to cheers from the audience.
First on the roster is ‘Sweet Dreams’ by Eurythmics, and it is such a treat. Jackie, Sharon, and Suzanne’s voices blend in perfect 3-part harmony, and the band is right in the pocket. Throughout the night, the band genuinely never miss a beat. Polished and responsive, they add immensely to the atmosphere in the room. Their interactions with each other, and with The Lady Killers were always fun and light, and their energy was infectious.
My first favourite song of the night is Suzanne Lynch’s version of ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ by Dusty Springfield. Suzanne’s voice is so youthful and unique. It has an airy, raspy quality that might trick you into thinking there isn’t power behind it, but boy is there. When we get to the key-change, there’s an audible gasp and a cheer from the audience. As Jackie Clark puts it: ‘I can think of nothing more perfect than Suzanne Lynch singing Dusty Springfield.’ Me neither Jackie, me neither.
But the real fun begins when Jackie Clarke starts speaking. A quick google will tell you that Jackie is an ‘entertainer, singer and comedian’ and it absolutely shows. You could feel the audience loosen up as soon as we’d navigated the first ‘between-the-song’ portion of the show, thanks to her witty banter and clear command of the room. I immediately understood the depth of her professionalism when she handled a minor technical fault with humour and ease. She took what could have been a complete mood-killer, and used it to create a sense of fun and intimacy with the audience. She’s a total charmer, and in my view should host… literally everything.
At half-time I can hear people speculating about which diva we’ll be treated to next, and I say a little prayer that we’ll get a song by Kate Bush. Moments later, this prayer is answered by Jackie Clarke. I have been physically incapable of shutting up about Jackie’s rendition of ‘Wuthering Heights’ for the past 3 days, it was just so good. She tells us that the first time she heard this song as an 11-year-old in Gisborne was transcendent, well, Jackie’s version was transcendent for me. Watching Jackie lose herself in childlike glee, dancing around a la Kate Bush in the Wuthering Heights music video, while singing flawlessly, was unmistakably the highlight of the night. I am so glad I got to see this.
Towards the end of the show, Jackie remarks that when The Lady Killers sing these songs, they feel ‘ageless, timeless, like we could live forever in these songs.’ It hits home. Throughout the night I could see women of all ages exiting their rows to go and dance in the isles, and I could hear people quietly singing along next to me. It made me think about what these songs mean to me, what they might mean to the person sitting next to me, and what they must mean to the women on stage. Their care and respect for each artist that appears throughout the DIVAS! showcase is so apparent, and we are so lucky that they have chosen to use their talents to honour these artists. Go and see DIVAS! if you can.
DIVAS! Was only on for one night in Wellington, but you can still catch Jackie, Suzanne and Tina in Christchurch, Auckland, or Hamilton.
4.5/5 Stars