Dolly Diamond: Parton Me
Dolly Diamond, Queen of Cabaret, akathe alter-ego of her ‘manager’, performer Michael Dalton, LGBTIQA+ community icon, star of Rocky Horror Show, backup singer for Julian Clary and star of her own stage version of the game show Blankety Blanks is no carbon copy of country legend, Dolly Parton. But she is the star of a unique and personal 60 minute story, weaving Dolly Parton and Diamond into an uplifting, no holds barred, old style glittering cabaret show; the first of the Adelaide Cabaret season.
Diamond’s voice drifts between male and female, but the audience is seduced into only seeing the hour glass figure poured into a daffodil yellow, rhinestone trimmed jumpsuit and the platinum wig and the impossibly glittery eye shadow that conjures up Parton.
The icing on this confection is Adelaide’s own Gospo Collective, who provide a full 12-voice gospel backing to several songs as well as featuring as guest back up performers for other songs. A highlight was a choir-backed solo by Gospo Conductor Charmaine Jones-Devasgayam who performed the much loved, “I Will Always Love You”, penned by Parton and made famous by the late Whitney Houston.
Diamond is also backed by four versatile musicians, who effortlessly belt out robust Country and Western songs.
There were sound issues early on the night I attended, making lyrics hard to understand and the audience missed some of Dolly’s patter. This was rectified during the show.
One of the hallmarks of this show is the forays into the audience where she shamelessly mentioned a wine brand and drank enthusiastically from a patron’s glass. Her witty comment being, ‘I don’t drink on stage, that’s why I get off it!’ Her schtick is pointedly personal, but on occasions hapless audience members get caught in the crossfire of witty stories, rather like ‘deer in the headlights’. It is gently barbed and full of fun and self-deprecating humour.
Dolly is a well-known legend whose charity work and work supporting others is never mentioned. Perhaps that is what cabaret legends do? The venue is well set out and the stage is well positioned to make it a great hour of uplifting music and humour. Hurry, Dolly is only boot scooting for three shows.
Jude Hines
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