Tribute concerts can be a slippery concept, intending to honour a singer without outshining them but still trying to match their specific allure, charisma and singing style.
Paying tribute to a departed star can be even more troublesome, in the case of Houston, who in later years performance and singing ability vastly depreciated. The South African vocal sensation chosen to be Whitney’s reincarnation is Belinda Davids, who chose to pay tribute to Houston when ‘she was at the top of her game,’ signifying her awareness that the last time Houston visited Australian shores she was booed off the stage.
Davids as Whitney Houston is a match dreamed up in heaven and no mere accident. Reared from over 15,000 auditions beginning in 2012 and spanning the globe, Davids auditioned in Cape Town and was chosen as the perfect fit – in not only voice but energy, attitude and ability to bring an audience to their feet.
At times her voice surpassed her muse in tone and power, even when Houston was at her best and by far surpassed Houston’s singing prowess in the years preceeding her death in 2012.
Produced by Showtime, the team behind Michael Jackson’s HIStory tribute concert and Queen: It’s a Kind of Magic tour, the show itself lacks the expected polish and developed presentation.
Stylistically The Greatest Love of All was slightly underdeveloped, the dancers often distracted rather then adding to the performance, often messy and seemingly under-rehearsed. The video component screened in the background starkly froze Houston in the 80s, with outdated graphics that may have been intentional but this was unclear.
However, the dated images were very effective as part of ‘I Have Nothing’, by far the most moving and haunting moment of the evening. In front of a backdrop screening Houston’s 1993 renowned Billboard performance, Davids mirrors her every move, matching note for note as well as complementing mannerisms.
Fan-favourites such as ‘Greatest Love of All’, ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, ‘Saving All My Love for You’, ‘Exhale (Shoop Shoop)’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ were highlights, however almost every song was a memorable hit- further demonstrating Houston’s hold on the music industry in both her formative and later years.
Davids stuns the audience in not just just vocal ability but star power. While honouring Houston, Davids makes the show and the songs it features her own, perhaps recognising that Houston herself was a talented tribute artist, remaking and interpreting Chaka Khan and Dolly Parton’s songs to new heights and possibilities.
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show
Starring Belinda Davids
Director/ Producer: Johnny Van Grinsven
Band: Richard Baker, Steve Dennett, Giles Tingey, Hayden Baird & Kyle Thompson
Choreographer: Clasina Van Grinsven
Dancers: Alycia Keane, Ashley Beyers & Sandile Zulu
Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
15-30 May 2015
www.thegreatestloveofall.com.au
