Tag: Olivia Newton-John

From The Australian: A sparklingly in-form Olivia Newton-John sent her audience into raptures at the opening weekend of the 11th Adelaide Cabaret Festival. The event’s headline performer made her long-awaited homecoming to Australia after an extended period overseas in a show of uplifting spirit, energy and generosity.

Looking trim and sprite in a sequined black outfit, she showed that she was thoroughly recharged and her voice is as fresh as ever. Her youthfully high range remains intact, her rhythmic timing is impeccable and she crosses styles from rock and pop to country with alacrity.

Early chart-toppers including Have You Ever Been Mellow, a swag of numbers from Grease, and a laid-back selection of country music songs made for a varied, well-rounded performance that was backed impressively by her own band and the Adelaide Art Orchestra.

But it was Newton-John’s inclusion of newer songs on themes of personal survival that made the performance special. Grace and Gratitude from 2006 and the tender Help Me To Heal, from her Grace And Gratitude Renewed album, revealed a woman of great stamina, optimism and heart. The cancer survivor shared very movingly with her audience the enormously positive spirit that has seen her prevail over hardship.

Cabaret is not her natural bag, but she slipped into this with success too in a memorably languid, breathy version of Over the Rainbow accompanied just by piano. It was transfixing, and proved how our Olivia continues to shine as bright as ever as one of Australia’s most indelible musical jewels.

From AdelaideNow.com: FLANKED by sequinned and feathered friends, an elated Olivia Newton-John was clearly back in Xanadu as the Adelaide Cabaret Festival opened in flamboyant style.

And last night the Australian singing superstar showed us she’s still the one we want.

The evergreen export who’s taken Australia to the world brought her world back to Adelaide in a stunning concert at the Festival Theatre.

Looking slinky and sensational in a shimmering black outfit, Newton-John won the crowd over with the things that have made her a special performer: a beautiful voice, a natural personality and a massive heart that reached out to everyone lucky enough to be there.

Starting with standards like Little More Love and Sam, she revealed all the qualities that have made her a star of undiminished glow.

She crossed back to the ’70s for Xanadu, singing a range of hits from Magic to Suddenly and the universally loved title track.

The first sequin jacket came off when she launched into a country selection of the hits that made her such a big star in the US, from Jolene to Let Me Be There and Don’t Stop Believing.

She sat with a posse of her backing singers and guitarists to give that country comfort to the massive crowd.

Then she got Physical and soon had the crowd pumping and on their feet clapping while she showed she had lost none of her energy or ability to work an audience.

Cracking jokes and sipping tea between songs, she showed all the fame and misfortune hadn’t changed the person she is.

One of the many highlights was a song called Heal Me, an anthem to the many people facing the challenge of cancer and to help raise awareness for her wellbeing centre in Melbourne.

Having beaten breast cancer 15 years ago, her heartfelt emotions made it one of the more moving moments in this outstanding show.

Newton-John then unleashed a collection of her classic up-tempo numbers that set pulses racing and showed she knows how to rock with the best of them.

She then delivered her “cabaret” song, a touching rendition of the Judy Garland classic, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, with a voice that took us all where the bluebirds fly.

Then there was John Denver’s Country Roads, filling the auditorium with smiles.

After that, it was on to Grease, the movie that made her an international star and the biggest surprise of the night, when festival artistic director David Campbell appeared.

Clad in a leather jacket and pants, he joined Newton-John in a raunchy rendition of You’re the One that I Want. She then sang Totally Devoted to You and ended the night with her signature tune I Honestly Love You and so do we, Olivia.

Very nice review of Olivia’s new release “Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song.”

“Listening to this disc will be a walk down memory lane for tried-and-true Olivia fans – as recording it surely was for the pop sensation herself.”

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Having sold more than 100 million records worldwide,  ‘Olivia’ is simply the most successful Australian singer of all time. Add to this the plethora of awards and accolades: four Grammies, an Emmy, an OBE, induction to the ARIA Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her boundless drive, generous character and seemingly limitless talent have left an indelible mark.

Her big break came 10 years later when her debut on the US country charts immediately delivered a top-10 single and her first Grammy. In 1978, she landed a movie role destined to catapult her into super-stardom, playing Sandy in Grease alongside John Travolta. To date, this remains the most successful movie musical in history.

Olivia’s appeal seems timeless.

With a career now spanning more than four decades and adored by fans across the world, she is still a vibrant, creative individual who continues to excel in her roles of recording artist, performer, songwriter, entrepreneur, activist and philanthropist.

Backed by the dazzling Adelaide Art Orchestra, Olivia Newton-John will embark on a night of pure delight as she retraces the highlights of her career and the hits that have become the soundtrack to our lives including the exhilaration of Xanadu, the haunting beauty of I Honestly Love You and the raw emotion of Hopelessly Devoted To You.

More info here.

Listen or download a new interview by Olivia Newton-John on Diversity Now Radio as she talks about her new movie, new music and building the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Australia.

Diversity Now Media’s purpose is to break new ground for the LGBT Community and truly open the culture to the world through diverse and professional programming. We hope you will support our cause of bringing diversity to the masses through the education and entertainment of our programs.

Listen to Olivia’s interview by clicking here: Diversity Now Radio