REVIEW: DIVINE DIVAS Fail to Impress

There comes a time when you just want to sit back and enjoy a show. The Divine Divas had promise -- a lavish, full-scale show that pays tribute to all the great Divas of the past several decades. It described itself as a Las Vegas style show. It described itself as a grand night out. It described itself as an Un-Boy-lievable experience. I describe it as self indulgent fun for the performers - not the audience. Shouldn't the audience be the ones having just as much fun as the ones on stage?

Paying tribute to some of the greatest performance women in the world such as Liza Minelli, Cher, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton along with a multitude of other women is not going to be an easy task for anyone, but when you are a man in drag, who is lyp-synching, it just doesn't seem to work or do anyone justice. Sure, there were the performances which stood out above the rest. Raymond Joosten as Liza Minelli was a real treat as was Owen Moss as Tina Turner who although it looked like she was told to do things a certain way still played up the Tina Turner style of things. Cher was also a highlight. However I couldn't help but feel that the two male dancers who were ripped beyond anything showed them up, most of the time. The predominately middle age female crowd loved them and the lines blurred A LOT between Male strip night at the local pub and Las Vegas Glitz. I think most of the audience would of preferred the first option. My only gripe with them; at times the choreography looked like it was ripped straight from a ZUMBA dance class and it became repetitive.

However it wasn't all doom and gloom. The MC of the evening Miss Anita Beer cheekily played by Michael Turner was a highlight with the cheeky and risque banter it was a good reliever from the flashing lights and projection screen which was used a tad too much. Every time she walked onstage the audience would gasp at the next extravagant costume. Which bring up the sheer stand-out of the show. The costuming. It is clear that most of the production budget has probably gone into the costuming and it shows. There has never been a show to grace the New Zealand stage which has costuming like this. Even Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical was here earlier in the year lacks in comparison. With each number more sequins, more feathers and bigger dresses would grace the stage. At times it was a sea of costumes making it difficult to find the performers. Head-dresses with full on plumes swirled and twirled and sequins glitzed and sparkled everywhere, yes, costuming was the highlight.

Gripes aside, you can't help but give your self over to it. As much as it didn't sit well with my companion and I the audience did give each number a hearty applause. Some people did stand to give it a standing ovation but maybe this was to dance along? It was two hours of just fun, frivolous entertainment, if it can be called that. It however, and I am not alone in this opinion am more inclined to feel that it would suit a nightclub on a Friday night and the James Hay just doesn't work for this type of show.

The Divine Divas played the James Hay Theatre for one night only, on 3 November 2009 at 7:30pm. It was presented by Mario Maiolo Productions.