Here's to us. Who's like us? Damn few!

It's not every day that one is surrounded by divas of such magnitude

"There’s a fantastic chemistry between Rick and Steven, born of many years working together, but the show has a freshly minted flavour to it – they’re doing it just for us, you feel from the get go." - Brian Butler for GScene

That is precisely the sentiment we all felt, our little gang - Me, Madam Arcati, Hils, History Boy and John-John - as we sat in the surprisingly (and probably unnecessarily) sizeable environs of the Charing Cross (formerly Players') Theatre for a true meeting of Divas - Barbra & Liza Live! on Saturday evening.

The sublime creation of two long-serving veterans of the cabaret circuit Steven Brinberg as "Barbra" and our friend Rick Skye as "Liza", it's a tour-de-force of creativity - and an affectionate, if sometimes parodic, tribute to two of the greatest showbiz Grande Dames.

Mr Brinberg encapsulates everything that makes Miss Streisand the "MegaBabs" diva, idolised by generations - her poise, her gestures, her almost regal aloofness, but mainly that voice. The Way We Were, With One Look, Don’t Rain On My Parade, Send In The Clowns, Evergreen - all were magnificently delivered. Close your eyes, and you'd believe it was really her! Judge for yourself:

Simply Barbra - Send In The Clowns

His talent as an impressionist stretches further than just Babs, however, as he proved when he performed I'm Still Here as a succession of divas in turn - Eartha Kitt, Cleo Laine, Ethel Merman, Lena Horne, Cher, Bernadette Peters, Billie Holliday, Bette Davies, Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and more - and later, a "duet" between Miss Streisand and Anthony Newley on Who Can I Turn To! Flawless.

Mr Skye, on the other hand, portrays all the nuances of a feisty just-past-her-peak Liza, all twitchy moves, slightly breathless, wide-eyed and wistful in her anecdotes, at other times almost frantic in wanting to entertain and - quite amazingly without doing an actual impression of her vocal dexterity - allows the audience to suspend disbelief and whoop for joy at being in "her" presence! His speciality is to combine many of Miss Minnelli's actual numbers such as Maybe This Time, a frenetic Losing My Mind, I Wish You Love, Stepping Out and (of course) Cabaret (melded with Over the Rainbow) with his own clever, and very funny, twists on her repertoire.

Thus, there is the hilarious Ode to Betty Ford ["when you’re overwrought, it’s the best resort"], a medley of Liza's version of Beyonce's Single Ladies [from the Sex in the City film] with Ring Dem Bells, and - remarkably - Feed The Birds mingled with Pizzazz!...

...and this, a twist on a song written for her by ["her best friend" - a running joke; everybody's "her best friend" and she's "known them since I was eleven years old"] Charles Aznavour:

A Slice O' Minnelli - Too Quiet, Love

As the evening's "special guest" halfway through the show, Chuck Sweeney was a delightfully funny "Peggy Lee", and treated the audience to a frenzied rendition of her classic Fever.

The show closed, as it began, with a duet between the two leading ladies - on Sondheim's Old Friends - followed by a marvellous take on the famous "vocal duel" between Liza's mother Judy Garland and Babs herself - Get Happy and Happy Days Are Here Again.

A brilliant evening! We loved it.

Shame there was not a bigger turnout, really - I mentioned at the outset that this venue was probably too big for a show like this. All three of tonight's stars have previously appeared (to great acclaim) at true cabaret venues such as Crazy Coqs, and the intimacy of such spaces would most likely have worked better for all concerned. A minor detail, and I sincerely hope they do well for the rest of the run...

Barbra & Liza Live! is on at the Charing Cross Theatre until 17th November 2024.

Gay icon overload!

What can I say about a show that features not one but two international gay icons sharing a stage? We went to see Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli appearing together last night - of course, not the ladies themselves but the masterful and award-winning Steven Brinberg (Barbra) and Rick Skye (Liza).



It was a fantastic show! After opening with a typical Broadway duet between the two divas, Mr Brinberg took centre stage, and with an uncanny eye for detail (with all the careful hair flicking, stuttering and pomposity for which Miss Streisand is famous) led us through a beautifully sung, hilarious and OTT session of the grand dame's hits and repartee.



At one stage he morphed from Babs into Cher, Eartha, Bette Davis, Lena Horne and even Susan Boyle(!) and back again, and concluded the glittering set with the duet You Don't Bring Me Flowers, singing both the Streisand and Neil Diamond parts simultaneously. Superb.

After the break, it was the turn of the magnificent Mr Skye as Liza - appearing from the wings into the glittering spotlight (much to the joy of our friend David, when he/she ruffled his hair!).



Attacking the role with amazing energy, Rick takes uproarious twists on a whole raft of Liza's classic songs, some of which we had seen in his previous show A Slice o'Minnelli - including My Roller Chair and his very funny version of Aznavour's mawkish Quiet Love, complete with cod sign language - and some we had not, including a tribute to Betty Ford.

Not only a great singer, Mr Skye also take the micky out of Liza's endless anecdotes about her "Mama" and "Papa" and her "best friends", and can't resist several sideswipes at Lorna Luft (and her show "Songs My Mother Taught My More Talented Sister While I Was Sat In The Kitchen").

Ending all too soon (apparently there are two shows on at the Leicester Square Theatre in one night) with another duet - in which Rick/Liza managed to drown out Steven/Barbra alarmingly - this was nevertheless a superb night, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!