Hopelessly Devoted: A Celebration of Olivia Newton-John made its Adelaide Premiere before a big crowd in the Festival Theatre. At this Cabaret Festival performance, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Jessica Gethin) provided lush musical backing. Vocalists on the programme were ONJ fans who also happened to be some of the leading lights of Australian musical theatre.
The evening was hosted by Tottie Goldsmith OAM (of The Chantoozies, TV, film, musicals), a niece of Dame Olivia Newton-John. Goldsmith shared some stories of her famous aunt. The two worked together on opening Melbourne’s “Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre” in 2012. We didn’t get any particular connection with SA though, and the odd appeal for donations here seems better suited to performances held inside Victoria.
Other singers also had some tales of performing alongside, or being inspired by, Newton-John. Former Adelaide Cabaret Festival Director David Campbell OAM dueted with ONJ on her album (2). Christie Whelan Browne performed in the musical version of the famously, well, eccentric film Xanadu, and achieved a very good likeness to Newton-John in the accompanying promo material. Newer faces Jess Hitchcock and Georgina Hopson joined in with their own (more distant) tributes.
If you wanted much insight into what made (the clearly personable and congenial) Newton-John a megastar, or what drove her artistic choices, then you won’t get that here. But then, a title like Hopelessly Devoted should have been a good hint.
The show gave us a programme of quite nice music, although the arrangements might not always have posed much of a challenge to the ASO’s talents … which could be tied up with the devotional aspect of the show. Punters more curious than fanatical about ONJ might wonder if too much reverence can become quite limiting.
The obvious comparison here is with Come In Spinner: The Concert at the 2023 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. That show showed it is possible to strike a balance between giving fans beloved tunes and some excitement from new slants.
There were some smart attempts to vary the pace of the programme. After various slower songs (including the murder ballad Banks of the Ohio – now, there must be story about that?!) we picked up the pace with the silly/sexy/sporty Physical to close the first act. All singers threw themselves into the physical demands of the song, making the vocals even more impressive than elsewhere.
As you would expect, the singing was of a high standard throughout. Bright vocals from Whelan Browne and Hopson made them a natural fit for this tribute. Having Campbell on the bill was a good way to put some different harmonies into the mix. Similarly, Hitchcock’s smoky tones and lower register gave some unexpected shading to familiar songs.
Regarding the music, there were times when the intensity of sound produced by the ASO made for a suitable level of rolling, roiling emotion. Individual sections had their chance to shine across the programme, such as through some sharp, syncopated drumming, funky bass, or brassy flourishes.
Given that Newton-John reached the top of the US music business as a foreigner AND solo woman in the 1970s, and cracked Hollywood, you have to feel that there’s more to find in her story. However, quite a lot of Hopelessly Devoted fans responded warmly to these orchestrally enhanced and well-performed ONJ songs.
Hopelessly Devoted: A Celebration of Olivia Newton-John
Festival Theatre – Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road, Adelaide
Performance: Saturday 15 June 2024 – 7:30pm
Information: www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au
Images: Jess Hitchcock, David Campbell, Christie Whelan Browne and Georgina Hopson with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Hopelessly Devoted: A Celebration of Olivia Newton-John – photo by Claudio Raschella | David Campbell, Jess Hitchcock, Christie Whelan Browne and Georgina Hopson with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Hopelessly Devoted: A Celebration of Olivia Newton-John – photo by Claudio Raschella
Review: Jason Whyte