Queen of Broadway - the Ethel Merman Story

Jon Jackson is performing Queen of Broadway - the Ethel Merman Story as part of the 2017 Melbourne Cabaret Festival. He spoke to Stage Whispers about the show and legendary star Ethel Merman.

Your show for this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival is a celebration of Ethel Merman. Canyou tell me a little about her?

Ethel was the greatest female Broadway star of all time. Her Broadway stage career started at age 21 in 1930 and continued from strength to strength until 1970. She introduced some of the best known show tunes by the biggest talents on Broadway. George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerry Herman, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim all wrote musicals especially for her and her remarkable voice -  Girl Crazy, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Hello Dolly and Gypsy to name just some.

Why Ethel? – was she an inspiration for you?

I was inspired by her when I first heard her sing. My brother gave me one of her records after I saw her in an old movie on TV called “Strike Me Pink”. That clarion voice is unique. The more you find out about her, the more respect you feel. From age 16 she became a club singer and later when on to dominate Broadway for 40 years. She made more than 13,000 Broadway appearances in a leading role, a record still unsurpassed today. All the characters were, like her, brassy, funny, ballsy and loveable broads. I’ve always enjoyed doing small ‘Ethel moments’ in my shows, but have long dreamed of doing an entire show as her.

What can audiences expect from your show?

This show is presented with me as Ethel Merman. I dress and behave fully as Ethel did when she was doing big orchestral concerts in her middle-age. The premise is that Ethel has been granted permission to return to earth for one hour to get a few things off her chest and sing her old hits. She needed a body to inhabit and chose mine. Rather than this being a drag show, it is a character study with her most famous songs performed concert-style. I am an operatic counter-tenor and sing in a voice very close to that of the great lady herself.

Ethel was known for her salty vocabulary and enjoyed using colourful language. So, if mild coarse language offends, then maybe stay home.

What’s next for Jon after the festival?

I am hopeful that after the festival, we can get some tour dates for Queen of Broadway and share the magic of Ethel Merman with as many people as we can. It’s a show that many people would enjoy, whether or not they are familiar with Ethel Merman.

Queen of Broadway – The Ethel Merman Story

Wednesday 21 June (preview) to Sunday 25 June, 7pm

Melbourne Cabaret Festival 2017 from Tuesday 20 June until Sunday 2 July 2017, Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran.  Bookings: http://melbournecabaret.com