Ethel, Cabaret & Musical Theatre
Next Performance: Thursday3 July 2025 16:00
Venue: Victoria Theatre
Review
by Karabo Matalajoe
In Ethel: A Tribute to the Incomparable Ethel Merman, Lisa Bobbert (McIlroy) delivers a performance as loud, unapologetic and glittering as the woman she honours. What starts as a nostalgic nod to the Golden Age of musical theatre quickly transforms into something far more intimate – an emotionally rich celebration of a woman who, despite the glamour of Broadway, lived a very real, very raw life.
The cabaret-style performances showcase iconic tunes by the late Ethel such as “Gypsy” to “Annie Get Your Gun” and Bobbert doesn’t just sing Ethel’s songs, she channels them through her deep and loud voice, that leaves the crowd in awe.
“It actually happened while I was teaching,” Bobbert said. “I’ve got students who study musical theatre, and we were doing a module on the Golden Age of musicals. Instead of me lecturing, I asked them to do research and present on the big composers, people like Gershwin, Porter, and Berlin.”
This discovery led to Lisa Bobbert’s deep-dive into Merman’s life, resulting in the beautifully-crafted solo piece staged at the Victoria Theatre. Through direction by and teamwork with her co-producer Darren King, this production is a masterpiece presentation and a learning moment for people who are not familiar with Ethel Merman.
“As they started presenting, I suddenly realised how many of those composers had written musicals specifically for Ethel Merman. Not just general casting for her. They created roles with her voice, her presence, her energy in mind. That completely fascinated me. I thought, ‘How have I never noticed this before?’ That’s really where the seed for this show was planted.”
Through dialogue and song, important elements of Merman’s life are highlighted such as the loss of her daughter, not winning the Tony Award for Gypsy and not being cast for the movie role of the musical piece.
“I was struck by how relatable her story was,” Bobbert said. “She wasn’t some glamorous Hollywood star. She was a regular person with a loud voice and an even louder heart.”
A young audience member in a crowd of people familiar with Ethel Merman described the show as a “beautiful work of art and I loved every song.”
Lisa Bobbert captured Merman in every sense of her true character – tough but tender, loud and layered with different versions, full of wit and humour. This performance to her is not just a tribute, it is a piece of heart. And Bobbert sang every song from hers and until the last beat to Merman’s.
