Udderly Fabulous
Things we loved
- This gal can sing
- A voice to be enjoyed
- Wonderfully, grounded, storytelling which we'd expect from a country girl
Things we would reconsider
- Would love to see a stronger jazz moment; so much potential in one performer!
There are some lucky cows in Australia, especially the ones who grew up on Nyssa Milligan’s family dairy in Kundle Kundle.
In the SA premiere of Udderly Fabulous, Nyssa tells (and sings) us the story of how she discovered music while growing up on a dairy farm and was encouraged in her dreams of performing by an adoring audience of cows.
From the moment Nyssa enters the stage, we are all captured by her spell; her large eyes (can one say, cow-like?) warmly welcome each audience member and her powerful, dynamic voice fills the basement with rich, joyful sound.
Some of the marketing suggests this might be a cowgirl cabaret of county & western numbers accompanied by spoons and washboards.
But, no, this is an audience with a singer extraordinaire who has crafted a candid, lavish, and, at times, absurdist, cabaret experience.
From Broadway stylings to opera, from soul to pop, Nyssa herds us into her world and milks us gently and expertly for our laughter and applause.
While not every tune is a show-stopper, there is a breadth of musical styles and a strong audience-performer connection throughout.
We’re eternally grateful she never became a lesbian stripper. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, love. 😉