Naomi Price unleashed her undeniable stage presence and faultless vocals in 'Rumour Has It': a cabaret saluting global superstar Adele.
The Redland Performing Arts Centre in Cleveland was filled to the brim when Naomi took to the stage, surrounded by floating lampshades that lit up around her as she sang. She opened with the show's title track 'Rumour Has It', a thumping clap-along Adele classic with the perfect energy to suggest what the rest of the show would be like.
“Ello, Cleavage!!!!” she shouted in Adele's instantly recognisable accent, before launching into a mash-up of of the singer's hits like 'Set Fire To The Rain', 'Rolling In The Deep' and 'Turning Tables'. Mash-ups are almost always hits with a crowd, and this was no exception. As Naomi went from one song to the next, the energy in the room shifted and it was a fresh and exciting few minutes of music.
In between – and sometimes during – songs, Naomi would take on the character of Adele and talk about her beginnings in music. It was so well done that I found myself getting emotional at some points in the show as we heard about her father leaving her mother, her first love and so on.
She even made sure to let everyone know that the woman currently touring the country in stadiums was in fact an imposter capitalising on her success.
It's one thing to marvel in the brilliant vocals of a performer at their show, but it's another thing when the show is a cabaret and the fourth wall is broken. It was fascinating to get an insight into the singer's life, and hear about where each song came from.
Naomi took the time at the end of the show to individually introduce and showcase the members of her backing band. Each person on piano, drums, guitar and vocals was given about a minute to do a solo and show off.
I loved this. It's not often the backing band gets the spotlight... They're just there doing their thing. To have them singled out was wonderful, and it meant that every person on stage was fully appreciated for their talents.
Part music performance and part history lesson, 'Rumour Has It' was a hilarious, touching window into Adele's life that gave the audience a chance to learn about the woman behind the sold-out tours, best-selling albums and GRAMMY Awards.
Naomi Price's incomparable stage presence took the drivers seat, on a journey of love, loss, exceptional vocal abilities and fun.
★★★★★
'Rumour Has It' Tour Dates
18 March – Mackay Entertainment Centre25 March – The Arts Centre Gold Coast
6-8 April – The Q (Canberra)
28 April – Orange Civic Centre
5-6 May – Whitehorse Centre (Melbourne)
10 May – Albury Entertainment Centre
14 June – Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
16-17 June – His Majesty's Theatre (Perth)
22 June – Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre (Perth)
23 June – Koorliny Arts Centre (Kwinana)
24 June – Cummins Theatre (Merredin)
1 September – Riverlinks Eastbank (Shepparton)
2 September – The Forge Theatre and Arts Hub (Bairnsdale)
14 October – Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre (Nowra)
