Broadway Baby – Bethany Eloise 19/03/2022 – Arthur Artbar – West Village It is hard to review shows like this as they are so technical in their writing and production that one wouldn’t want to insult the artist. It is easy to see that blue eyed Bethany and her reluctant pianist (not partner) have spent an eternity writing, rehearsing, rewriting and re rehearsing this hour long journey through her life in theatre and demonstrated through words and song why it is so hard to rise to the top. Commencing on stage in a silky robe , Bethany painted a picture of life in the theatre for just over one hour. The venue was a little small and had no airconditioning, but that did not stop the crowd from attending, listening and applauding each segment from start to finish. There were references to a myriad of theatre shows including but not limited to; Man of La Mancha, Le Miserable, Spamalot and Oliver Twist. Bethany has a beautiful classically trained and controlled voice with sometimes so much power that she surprised the sound engineer. She loves Judy Garland, Barbra Striesand and Julie Andrews and there were snippets of their material offered throughout the evening. Tim, her partner in piano complimented every word said in his playing and was so integral to Bethany’s performance, adding colour, back up vocals and the odd laugh just at the right time. His playing had to be timed with precision to match the machine gun delivery of Bethany as she ploughed through the plethora of material. The dialogue was contemporary and even had references to Melbourne lockdowns and footy. Bethany made a few cleverly constructed costume changes whilst still in full view of the audience that set the scene changes well. I see and review the big extravaganzas, high budget and huge audience performances but I never forget to look at self produced shows like Broadway Baby. Whilst there are no big producers, publicity campaigns and the like, there is heart. Bethany is passionate about her art and it shows in spades. Her volume of expression and love of the grease paint jumps out at the audience. The time with Bethany went so quickly and I think it was largely due to the concentration required to keep up with her. There were many funny moments and I always think that where comedy is concerned, the funniest comedians tell stories and not jokes. Bethany has all but mastered the art of self deprecation and put her own life in theatre on show for a very attentive and appreciative audience. With Tim’s help, Bethany has written a show that could be performed anywhere. I think it should be in Cabaret Festival and it would be great if the Artistic Director; Tina Arena and Alex Sinclair; Head of Cabaret and Commercial and Venue Sales took notice and put her on in a venue like Dunstan Playhouse. Broadway Baby, is a tongue in cheek poke at performing life, who makes the decisions, why some win and others have a real job. If they keep this up Bethany and Tim just might get into show business. Not just a history lesson in musical theatre, Broadway Baby is a comedic and musical marvel to be seen. 4.5 stars Reviewer: Stephen Foenander Adelaide Review Team Broadway Baby – Bethany Eloise