L ifestyles /C ulture
Show Redefines the Definition of a Diva
T H EATER
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
Calling All Divas, a jukebox
show featuring original songs
and classics from the likes of
Carole King, Aretha Franklin
and Miley Cyrus, opens at the
Keswick Theatre on Mar. 2.

Featuring a quartet called
The Un4gettables, the show
was co-created by one of the
singers, Lisa Sherman, and
Academy Award-winning
songwriter Franke Previte of
Dirty Dancing fame. The show
is directed by Michael LaFleur,
a veteran of Las Vegas stage
shows, among other venues.

The show tells the story of a
producer and four women who
compete to become superstars,
all in service of saving a leg-
endary nightclub.

For Sherman, co-creator of
the show and one of its stars,
the show is the summation
of everything she’s spent her
career doing.

In true diva fashion, Sherman
declines to disclose her age.

“Let’s just say I’m old
enough to say ‘no’ to that ques-
tion. I am ageless. I am an age-
less diva,” she laughed.

The Rumson, N.J., native
grew up as one of the hand-
ful of Jews in her town, sing-
ing and dancing from a young
age. She joined her first dance
company at 15, and went to
Adelphi University to study
dance. Right after school, she
left for New York, where she’s
performed on and off since —
as a Rockette, and as a personal
trainer sponsored by Nike on
the side, for good measure.

Calling All Divas began
as Songbird, which featured
Sherman alone singing the
songs of the divas she had
grown to love, starting with
divas of the ’30s and ’40s and
going to the likes of Bonnie
Raitt. If Raitt isn’t your idea of
a diva, well, Sherman has an
answer for that.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM “obsessively” when her fam-
ily moved from the Northeast
to New Hope midway through
her sophomore year of high
school. Though she’d always
been around music — her
father has been in bands her
whole life, and her mother was
a wedding singer for decades
— it took the upheaval of leav-
ing all her friends to really spur
her to action.

“I needed something that
was mine and a place I could
go, and I really feel like song-
writing is a place,” she said.

Rush describes her musical
sensibility as being like “Lillith
Calling All Divas
Photo provided
Fair, and then also Spice Girls,”
which would seem to suit
Calling All Divas.

A diva can be many different definitions. A diva can be something that her Sticking well to for Sherman’s
definition of
diva-ness (divatude?),
she sees
you feel within in yourself. A diva can be the best that you are. A diva is a
songwriting as a way to speak
confidence. A diva is an excitement. A diva is a sharing concept. Whatever truth to the world, truths that
she learned growing up about
you have inside your soul, whatever you want to offer, you can share
what it meant to be a Jew, she
to others.”
said. Honesty, she said, is the
most important trait for a song.

LISA SHERMAN
It’s all in the service of
“A diva can be many differ- himself becoming involved You Dance In The Rain?” are uplift. “I like to bring light to
ent definitions,” she said. “A with the production. He and included in the show, the result the world, because it’s so dark,”
diva can be something that you the rest of the creative team of — what else? — a chance she said. l
feel within in yourself. A diva joined then, reworking the encounter with Privete, just a
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; can be the best that you are. show to add in other singers — few months ago.

A diva is a confidence. A diva Carol Riddick, Trenna Barnes
Rush started writing songs 215-832-0740
is an excitement. A diva is a and Brittneyann Accetta —
sharing concept. Whatever you while still creating space for
have inside your soul, what- the distinctive Lisa Sherman-
ever you want to offer, you can ness of the original.

share to others. ... A true diva
The show, she said, is about
is someone who has this inner “unity, tension, friendship,
energy, and this inner excite- love, belief, teamwork and girl
ment, and this inner talent. power,” though not necessarily
Whatever talent it may be, you in that order. “I want people to
could be a sports person, you walk away feeling better than
could be a theatrical person, when they walked in the door.”
you could be someone who is One of the ways that is achieved
an artist. We’re all divas.”
for Sherman is getting to sing
After performing Songbird her big show-stopper toward the
for a while, a friend of hers end of the second act, though
suggested that she switch up she won’t reveal what it is.

the concept a bit to keep every-
Lindsay Rush knows the
thing fresh, leading to a similar feeling.

show called Decades of Divas.

Originally from Northeast
A chance meeting with Previte Philadelphia, Rush is a song-
led to yet another discussion writer living in Los Angeles.

that went beyond a new title, Two of her songs, “Just
Calling All Divas, but to Previte Trying To Matter” and “Can
JEWISH EXPONENT
FEBRUARY 28, 2019
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