New York-based Aussie Singer-Songwriter, Tracey Yarad, brings All These Pretty Things – an inspiring and evocative portrayal of one woman’s capacity to come back stronger than ever – to Adelaide Fringe this February.
What do you do when your husband runs off with your teenage goddaughter? You write some killer songs, dye your wedding dress black, and make a show.
“An emotionally raw and sometimes even humorous blend of memoir and song,” (nysmusic.com) Tracey Yarad’s confessional and cathartic one-woman show, All These Pretty Things, is a classic illustration of when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
Hot off her successful Edinburgh Fringe debut, this phoenix rising from the ashes story is a powerful and inspirational testament to the human spirit, taking the audience from the fallout of a devastating divorce in Australia, to a brand-new creative life in New York City.
“I started writing these songs just to keep myself from going insane,” says Yarad, who plays both the damsel in distress and the heroine who saves the day. “I certainly didn’t imagine that it would ever be a show. It was just my healing process.”
“That healing process turned into, first, an album, featuring some of New York City’s A-list musicians, then an accompanying book of short stories, with illustrations by top Australian artists.”
And, finally, with the help of co-writer and director Tessa Souter, it evolved into All These Pretty Things – which Broadway World called ‘a beautiful alchemy. Breathtakingly honest and gorgeously sung songs on the themes of loss and abandonment, and the restorative power of music and love,” said Yarad.
Blessed with a soulful, incredibly beautiful instrument and a talent for composing heartfelt and evocative songs, Tracey has produced multiple projects since relocating to New York City, performing at the 55 Bar, Soapbox Gallery, the Bitter End, Birdland, among others.
She has collaborated with Grammy-nominated Chilean vocal star Claudia Acuna, Grammy-winning Jon Cowherd and avant-garde saxophonist Dave Binney. Her duo performance with pianist Jim Ridl, Lost in Translation (featuring stories and songs from her seven years as a hotel singer in Japan) was flagged by the New Yorker’s award-winning journalist Steve Futterman, who wrote, “If demanding experience leads to hard-won wisdom, Yarad and Ridl will have much to impart.”
“A naturally gifted storyteller and a fine musician and singer, switching effortlessly between a folk-style, with a range to rival Joni Mitchell, to raspy blues, to power ballad.” – FringeReview
All These Pretty Things
Georgie’s Bar at Woodville Town Hall,
Season: 23 February – 7 March 2025
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au
For more information, visit: www.traceyyarad.com for details.
Image: Tracey Yarad – photo by Rachel-Brady