Ella, Marilyn, Marlene And Me

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this would be one of those cabaret tribute shows. A sexy singer belting out old-time tunes. What a mistake to make. Melissa Western sure can belt them out but in the most delightfully surprising way! Instead of a flat vocal parade, what we're treated to here is nothing short of a modern day fairytale. 'Abigail' is the little girl we've all been, singing into her hairbrush in front of her bedroom mirror. But she has one huge problem. Stage fright. Not a good sign for a wannabe star. Her wishes are answered when she discovers the 'Genie of the Hairbrush' who grants her the use of three 'Divas' to make her dreams come true.This one woman show is moved along by a quirky, original script, performed by Melissa Western interacting with the Genie's vocal backing track seamlessly. Her reactions are comical and sincere and she is intensely funny in her delivery of the more comic lines. Then there's her singing. She has a beautifully rich voice that carries astoundingly without a microphone and enchants from the first note. Not only this but she remarkably takes on three of the most famous women known to the stage. Western is truly convincing in her imitations of Ella Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich and Marylin Monroe. Every little trait is down to an absolute tee. She is assisted by costume, but only slightly and her voice and manner changes impeccably from Diva to Diva. Western IS Fitzgerald, IS Dietrich, IS Monroe. She goes from awkward and ordinary, to sultry and sexy as quick and easily as flicking a light switch. It's a joy to watch.The music itself is fantastic, old world jazz, from the three iconic beauties, sang stunningly and fantastically in character by Western and sensitively preceded by eerie sound bites of the women themselves; lest we forget. The voices seem to reach from beyond the grave, absolutely bringing forth the feeling that they are in the room with us, performing once again for their adoring audience. I wish it had been a little longer; clocking in at only 45 minutes, I wanted more but the happy ending and soaring voice of Miss Western had me leaving on my own personal little Cloud 9, humming all the tunes I'd just heard.This is a show worth seeing multiple times if possible. It's upbeat, funny and devastatingly elegant. With an almost sold out crowd on her first day and giving a monumental performance, Melissa Western is sure to be the hot ticket of the Fringe, so book now while you can! She's a powerhouse giving the greats a run for their money and yet still remaining utterly humble and respectful of her influences. A one (or should that be three?) woman wonder!