Hello to Adele

INTERNATIONAL award-­winning musical Rumour Has It: Adele – Her Life and Songs, that debuted at Brisbane in 2013, celebrates the inspiring story behind world-renowned singer-songwriter Adele Adkins.
The show tells of her life as an ordinary girl from ­Tottenham, England, with a ­passion for singing to her ­eventual stardom on the world stage.
Portraying Adele in this­ ­musical presentation is Australian singer and actress Naomi Price, who competed in the fourth season of The Voice Australia.
The musical, which was staged in the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) from Sept 21 to 25, also marked the show’s first ­Southeast Asian stop.
Price managed to nail Adele’s distinctive dress style, with an all-black outfit of a lace top and midi skirt paired with stockings and pumps – instantly transforming into the diva.
Appearances aside, the singer-actress also showed off her singing prowess that matched Adele’s ­powerful vocals, ­demonstrating the versatility of her voice through some of Adele’s ­greatest hits such as Rumour Has It, ­Rolling in the Deep, Set Fire to the Rain, and Skyfall.
Backing Price in the ­production were three ­Malaysian vocalists – Lazarul Afiezy, Benjamin Lin and Ashley Chan – who were ­hand-picked for the show by a panel of judges that included Price herself as well as Malaysian West End ­singing sensation Sean Ghazi and music director Ching Eng Shen.
Ching not only performed on the bass guitar at the show but also acted as assistant to music director and Price’s fellow countryman Michael Manikus on piano, who led the team of musicians, all from Malaysia.
Price’s ability to croon like the British songstress was also showcased in poignant but powerful songs like Hello, Take It All, and ­Someone Like You.
The night gradually turned dreamy when the bubble ­machine was turned on as Price ­performed an acoustic version of ­Daydreamer, accompanied by guitarist Thern Woo.
Price also presented upbeat acoustic versions of Send My Love to Your New Lover, and Chasing Pavements, which she executed with a playful mash-up of the Spice Girls’ hits Wannbe, Spice Up Your Life, and 2 Become 1.
She also performed covers of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off and Amy Winehouse’s Rehab, which served as a tribute to the late singer.
This eclectic group of artistes is known to have inspired and impacted Adele’s musical journey over the years.
But what made the production interesting was Price’s ­fantastic showmanship, as she took breaks in-between numbers to reveal the stories behind each song, complete with an English accent.
Some songs had a ­poignant story behind them, but Price always added a touch of humour that sent audiences into fits of laughter.
Rumour Has It: Adele – Her Life and Songs was organised by ­Milestone Productions.