Olivia Newton-John has had an incredible career. Starting out in the 1960’s as part of a female duo and then going onto a massively successful solo career into the 1970’s and beyond, her vast array of hits speak for itself. A legend in Australian music and adored world-wide her ability to forge new paths has earned her great admiration. Starring in two enduring cult film classics ‘Grease’ and ‘Xanadu’ hasn’t hurt either and these have created new generations of fans.
Announced as being the headline act of the 2011 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, her appearance was hotly anticipated. Having always admired her singing I opted to see her and booked a ticket for Saturday 11 June at 8pm at the Festival Theatre. Before entering the theatre I noted camera crews were out in force to capture her arrival with many dressed for the occasion in smart finery - including some striking looking drag queens! I purchased a Diamond ticket which saw me seated three rows from the stage with fantastic views of ‘our Livvy’! It was great being so close to everything as I could see the stage was to be filled with musicians from the Adelaide Art Orchestra – who would provide excellent back-up. On the left was a keyboardist whilst the centre was taken up with the orchestra with the guitar players and drummer situated at the right.
Whilst waiting for the show to begin an announcement came over the speakers asking people to ‘not take photos or record the performance’. Seeing as the event was sponsored by Foxtel and presumably filmed by them, I ignored this advice and took some photos anyway! Most of these were during the more rowdier moments when security wouldn’t notice! She wore a dazzling glittering top which looked amazing and which complimented her natural beauty very well.
Then, with the music reaching a crescendo at 8pm, Ms. Newton-John entered the stage singing ‘Have you ever been mellow’. At this point the audience went wild and cheered as she sang. Up close, she looked fantastic and just as beautiful as she appears on TV. During the entire show she revealed so much energy and was happy to go along with whatever unexpected moments came her way. She immediately had the audience in the palm of her hand and went straight onto another song called ‘Sam.’ Initially I was concerned she wouldn’t interact with the audience but I needn’t have worried. A few songs to warm her up did the trick and she engaged with her fans with enthusiasm. A person of charming disposition, one could see that playful sexiness which has kept her in good stead for so long.
What really struck me was how truly stunning her voice still sounds. Especially when she sang songs like ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ and ‘I Honestly Love You’ – it really was quite hypnotic and one couldn’t take your eyes off her the whole time. She packed so much feeling and genuine emotion into the songs which made them sound even better than before. She can still hit the high notes with the best of them and it was interesting seeing how diverse her back catalogue is. From country tinged tracks to soft rock to ballads and pop, she has literally done it all and done it successfully – a feat not many singers have conquered.
She knew how to please her fans who would know almost every song by heart. Quite early on she sang one of her biggest hits ‘Xanadu’ – one I thought she would have saved for the finale. It didn’t matter as it was amazing hearing it sung live after having known it for so long and she sang it perfectly. The audience of course were in raptures at this point and many stood up and danced, which she loved. The same can be said for ‘Physical’ which, after attempting to sing in a ‘jazz-lounge’ style, she stopped halfway through and told the audience she was going to do it in the ‘traditional way’. This then saw almost everyone in the theatre get up and dance and try some impromptu aerobics! ONJ clearly enjoyed whipping the audience up in a frenzy and they responded in kind. After this spectacular number came ‘Magic’ which was expertly rendered and worked very well with the orchestration provided.
She then went into ‘country and western’ mode to sing some of her earlier hits. I was interested to hear that she gained her early fame in this genre and she said she wasn’t comfortable in being labelled like this by the American radio market. She said various little comments like this throughout which were quite illuminating and gave some decent background to some of her more well-known tunes. Personally this section didn’t grab me as much as I’m not much of a fan of this genre, but she still sang it with plenty of passion and many enjoyed it.
One of her show-stopping moments was when she sang the Judy Garland tune ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’. She did this so beautifully and said her daughter loved to hear her sing this when she was younger. You could hear a pin drop as she sang – she really did sound remarkable.
She then did a medley of her more ‘harder-edged’ tunes such as ‘Make a move on me’, ‘Deeper than the night’ and ‘Twist of Fate’ – tunes I thought she wouldn’t do but ones I certainly appreciated her doing. ‘Twist of Fate’ sounds incredible live – something that went for most of the songs she did. There’s a vibrancy to them you just don’t feel when listening to them elsewhere - the power of the lyrics and arrangements really surface and her vocal range is simply incredible. It was also interesting to see how ‘in the moment’ she was quickly able to be when starting another song – each set piece was seamlessly crafted and made for an overall satisfyingly ‘complete’ experience.
Proceedings then went further up a notch when she went into a Grease medley. Starting with ‘You’re the One that I Want’, she would change into an appropriately 50’s style leather jacket and be joined on stage by David Campbell – Festival organiser and son of rocker Jimmy Barnes. His appearance bought the house down and added to the atmosphere of continual fun ONJ was determined to conjure. Both sang very well, which would then blend into ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ and ‘Summer Nights’ – which actually bought ONJ to a stand-still as she laughed at how the audience screamed out the words before she sang them! In a way it was a very strange experience hearing these tunes sung live – I instantly recalled how I saw Grease back in 1978 and now all these years later I was listening to some of the songs from it sung by the very person who did them originally – a very special moment.
She concluded the show with the Peter Allen written number ‘I Honestly Love You’, which again was stunning to listen to. It goes without saying the audience gave her a standing ovation and were thrilled to have been entertained so well for nearly two hours.
Olivia Newton-John has always been a gracious star and this show only confirmed how good she is. It was truly a great night and was wonderful experience – she met my expectations and delivered on the talent everyone knows she has – a superb performer.
Review: Patrick Moore
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