Divas By The Decade *****

Crazy Coqs, London

The incomparable human dynamo that is Seth Rudetsky, “the Mayor of Broadway,” was back on stage in London last night, showcasing his cabaret show, Divas by the Decade. A capacity crowd at the intimate Crazy Coqs space was treated to a non-stop, fast-paced two-hour extravaganza exploring Broadway and West End divas that was equally hilarious, nostalgic, and educational. Seth is a Broadway insider, having played in the orchestra pit on over a dozen major Broadway shows – he’s a very accomplished pianist – as well as acting and performing comedy. Divas by the Decade explores the work of an amazing selection of female theatrical stars covering a period from the 1960s to the 2010s.

The roll-call of divas spans different generations, races, and religions and reminds us of the wonderful melting-pot that is theatre – a timely reminder for these divisive times. Everyone who is anyone is included – a dozen or so divas such as Ethel Merman, Betty Buckley, Chita Rivera, Lillias White, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Holliday and Elaine Paige all get the same treatment – a combination of career summary, a video clip of their amazing talent (or sometimes where things went wrong!), brilliant live piano interludes to embellish a point, and a few hilarious anecdotes carefully curated by Rudetsky. The largely British audience hadn’t heard of all the divas but that didn’t matter – we learnt a lot and added new names to our diva banks. Seth proved to be the best teacher – kind, passionate, hilarious and informative – and motored through at his signature ninety miles an hour pace, so there was never a dull moment. His OTT enthusiasm for his subjects is very infectious. Theatre divas rarely have the same reach as pop divas. This is unfair as these girls earn their diva status, singing and dancing their ways through up to eight complex live shows a week, for months on end. Seth helps redress the imbalance. The power on display is breathtaking. Lots of fun. Keep an eye out for future shows.