Review by Benjamin Lamb
You’d be hard pressed to find an artist of the modern cohort who wasn’t influenced by the pioneers of years passed, each decade has been rife with vocalists who weren’t afraid to make a mark and be remembered for years to come.One artist, who you could argue has flown under the radar, was Laura Nyro, who came to prominence in the 1960’s, alongside luminaries such as Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. Her music influenced modern stars such as Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, and even rockers like Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, and Alice Cooper. Artists across the world continue to pay homage to the icon, one is Australia’s Hillary Jean Watts, who brought the story and music of Laura Nyro to The Speakeasy Theatre as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Entering the space felt like stepping back in time, the 1960’s interior of The Speakeasy Theatre perfectly encapsulated Watts’ Stoney End, the space feeling like a replica of what Nyro would’ve played back in the day. This continued through to the staging of Stoney End, Watts surrounded by a 5-piece band under the direction of Jessica West, who brought an at times jazzy and modern feel to the music of Laura Nyro, perfectly matching both the vocal stylings of Watts and the space we were in.
Watts took to the stage and managed a perfect balance of music and storytelling, showing the audience why Nyro was one of the era’s most influential and important stars. We traversed through the vocalist’s unique songbook, the set featuring a solid mix of upbeat and ballads, showcasing the strong range of both Watts and her band.
Watts performed a number of more emotional tracks facing the stage, really drawing the audience in to the lyrical content, which she did effortlessly.
For any cover artist out there, the balance between being a good cover artist vs a great cover artist is connecting to the song. Watts managed this with absolutely no fault. She clearly has a passion for the words Nyro wrote many decades ago, and performs them like they’re her own.
The show wrapped up with the title track, an ideal way to wrap up our hour long journey, which now concludes with Laura Nyro finding a Fringe-audience full of fans thanks to the incredible work of Hillary Jean Watts.
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