Genteel northside audiences have been rocked this last week by the bold, brazen antics of Catherine Alcorn in her great cover show THE DIVINE MISS BETTE.
Alcorn delivers a wonderful impersonation of the legendary Hawaiian broad. She has it all down pat,- the shimmering and sashaying up to the microphone…the constant ribald jokes and anecdotes…the playing up to her beloved girls, the Harlettes, and her band members, especially the beleaguered piano player, Andrew Worboys, and of-course to her audience, even at one time doing a bit of a tease walk-through of the front rows.
All very showy stuff yes however Alcorn also backs this up with great singing- equally strong with vibrant numbers such as ‘Boogee Woogie Bugle Boy’ as with haunting, slow numbers such as John Prine’s classic ‘Hello In There ‘.
The band are all terrific,- Musical Director Andrew Wordboys on keys, Daniel Maher on guitar, Tina Harris on bass and Dom Cabrera on drums. A Bette Midler cover show wouldn’t rate without the presence of the Harlettes, in this case performed with plenty of zing and tongue in cheek humour by Cinzia Lee and Stephanie Morrison.
A Neil Gooding and Catherine Alcorn co-production, THE DIVINE MISS BETTE opened at the Glen Street Theatre, Belrose on Wednesday July 24 and runs until Sunday July 28, 2013.