It is crystal clear that Liza Pulman, who is an opera trained vocalist, can deliver a number, belt it out with power, passion and elegance making her a fabulous entertainer in her own right. However to quote Pulman, this “salute to a star” is not a homage, mimic, impersonation or whatever descriptive phrase you want to apply, but a celebration of a woman that endures in people’s heart and portrays Streisand’s pure class as a technician, singer, producer, actress, director, writer and performer – and who remains one of the best singers in the world.
Pulman is with stunning effect and style, catching Streisand’s tone, complete with the clipping of each note, and her breath control. This is scintillating stuff with Pulman adding family stories in between the songs, comical asides with her band The Stardust Ensemble, comparing her own Jewish heritage to that of Babs. The songs she chose to perform were very representative of the Streisand songbook and to her credit showcased her own vocal capabilities. This was a glorious celebration of another female singer but for me I think it was about the fact that people wanted to hear the songs and were perhaps in the unfortunate situation of not being able to afford to see the real thing in July this year when Streisand plays Hyde Park.
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The last two performances of Liza Pulman sings Streisand are on Monday 8th and Monday 15th April at the Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES. Box office 020 7494 5841 nimaxtheatres.com.
Boyz readers can currently enjoy Band A tickets at only £25 when using the code BOYZ10, subject to availability.
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