Centrestage - Entertainment Port Elizabeth

DIVAS ARE FOREVER PROMISES AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER-COASTER RIDE!

Divas are Forever showcases some of the most scintillating live performances and song arrangements sung by female performers whose popularity has endured over time.

The show features the delightful Donna Africa as she makes a career best, tour de force appearance as show host Shirley Bassey.

She is joined by the big voiced Robynn King, who pays tribute to Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand , while Lynn Cosme is introduced as the newest addition to the Centrestage fold as Liza Minelli and Shania Twain.

Joining the ladies on duets through-out is another Centrestage newcomer, Thuba Mayeki, who become known to Eastern Cape fans through his Top 14 appearance on this years Idols singing competition.

Divas are forever is created by the Gary Hemmings, who selects the material for all of the Centrestage productions, along with Lynette Collett, who handles costuming and staging.

“Creating this specific show has been a very exciting process for many reasons”, says Hemmings.

“It is a great privilege to be able to showcase such incredible talent across the entire group of artists in this show. I am so proud of Donna Africa’s mesmerising performance - it would take someone extremely special to able to match her onstage, and we were fortunate enough to find that strength and vocal texture in Robynn King. Audiences are in for a real treat!” enthused Hemmings

“The show has a timeless quality about it”, he continued, “every song chosen has particular significance – and there are so many feel-good, stand out moments throughout.”

Aside from Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever, Never Never , This is My Life and the Dames’ outstanding version of Hey Jude, Donna Africa also performs other big numbers such as the Jennifer holiday classic “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” and Gladys Knight’s riveting and emotional interpretation of Free Again/I Will Survive. She also strides out as Tina Turner.

Robynn King weighs in with Streisand favourites The Way We Were, My Heart Belongs to Me and Kiss Me in the Rain, before being joined by Thuba Mayeki for Guilty. The pair also perform the duet The Prayer together.

Aretha Franklin’s Say A Little Prayer, Chain of Fools and Respect are covered by King, as well as Etta James’s At Last and Whitney Houston’s I’m Every Woman.

Lynn Cosme shows her versatility as she brings her sultry, smoky voice to bear in the Liza Minelli classic All that Jazz before she too is joined by Mayeki for the Minelli/Sinatra pairing in I’ve Got the World on a String. She is smooth in Bette Midler’s Do You Wanna Dance – and naughty as the girls recreate the ‘put the men in their place’ First Wives Club rendition of You Don’t Own Me.

Mayeki joins Africa on You Can’t Take That Away from Me, and performs the Elton John role in the Shania Twain/Elton John duet versions of Still the One and Something About the Way You Look Tonight, before impressing with his vocal range in the Michael Buble arrangement of It Had Better Be Tonight.

Together, the foursome are a powerhouse on up-beat numbers such as River Deep Mountain High, I’m So Excited, New Attitude, Enough Is Enough, Its Raining Men and You Shook Me All Night Long.

Divas Are Forever promises to take its audience on an emotional roller-coaster ride, which will linger long after the show is over.