Show at the Perot to pay tribute to Whitney Houston,
Show pays tribute to Whitney Houston
The powerful, crystalline beauty of Whitney Houston’s music comes to the Perot Theatre with the tribute show “The Greatest Love of All” arriving for a Friday, Aug. 24, performance.
With South African singer Belinda Davids as the star, “The Greatest Love of All” should thrill Houston fans with two hours worth of 21 tunes sung by Houston during her extraordinary, all-toobrief career. Backing the singer is a live band and dancers, plus plentiful costume changes, a light show and theatrical effects.
Davids describes “The Greatest Love of All” as her “paying homage to my idol on stage and celebrating the music and legendary genius that was Whitney Houston.”
We caught up with the star of this Showtime Australia production, out on its first U.S. tour, for an email Q&A. Here’s what Davids had to say, edited for space:
Q: Tell us about being a fan of Whitney Houston and what drew you to her as a fan, first, and then as a performer who sought to emulate those things that made her so special?
A: I started singing when I was 5 years old. I always enjoyed singing as a child and it wasn’t until I was 8 years old, when I heard her sing on the Teddy Pendergrass song “Hold Me,” did I become a fan of Whitney Houston. It was the richness in her tone, the electricity in her vocals and the gospel sounds that really drew me towards her music. In that moment, I wanted to sing like Whitney, but also I knew right there and then that I wanted to become a singer.
What drew me to becoming a performer was the ability to sing in church in front of the congregation as well as the family friends and neighbours where I grew up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. They all knew I could sing and they would get me to sing at any chance they could. I became a professional singer at the age of 14 and seeing the faces of those who were in the audience when I was on stage, that’s when I knew I wanted to become a full-time singer.
I didn’t also seek out to emulate her. I have always just wanted to be me, Belinda Davids, and sing my own music. Little did I know that being a fan for over 25 years would lead me to auditioning for this show and bagging the lead role of singing Whitney
Houston music on stage (4 to 5 nights per week at times). It’s been such a phenomenal ride for the past six years since joining the show and I am loving every minute of it.
Also, South Africans have a very special connection with Whitney—just like Americans do—because she … was a leading force in the efforts to have Nelson Mandela released from prison in the late ‘80s. Her music was played in the homes of my family as well as many families I grew up with in my neighborhood.
Q: What does it take to do a proper tribute to such an iconic singer? Is it more of a challenge because she’s so well known? Or does that give you more to work with as a
tribute artist?
A: It’s very daunting to take on this role. I am very well aware of the legacy of Whitney Houston and she raised the bar every time she was on stage. People compare me to Whitney, and I am not trying to be her at all. I am simply paying homage to her since she, too, is my idol and musical inspiration.
With this show, our aim is to remember the hits and pay tribute to an icon who was gone too soon but also produced some of the most iconic hits of our time. Being a tribute artist for me is that you have to be as good as Whitney or even better. You can’t be less than and you have to embody the memory and legacy of Whitney.
People come to the show to remember the hits, so you have to make sure you can hit all the notes, look the part with the costumes and ultimately provide an entertaining show.
Singing comes naturally to me, and performing as a tribute artist is what I enjoy doing. This job requires versatility and continuous growth as an artist in order to pull it off.
Q: The look and feel of the show—can you describe how it appears on stage? The costumes, the lighting and interaction with the five-piece band? The interaction you seek with an audience?
A: We are replicating a true Whitney Houston concert the way she did it. What I want people to get from it is to remember her for when she was at the top of the game. I want them to be
happy, to come and dance and get on their feet, to sing and have a good time.
Q: How did Showtime Australia come to develop this show and has it changed over the years? What’s made it a winner for the production company?
A: The executive producer of the show and the managing director of Showtime Australia, Johnny Van Grinsven, saw a gap in the market to bring Whitney music to life on stage. Whitney was one of our most-loved artists over the past few decades and he wanted people to remember her for all the hits she provided us, the fans.
Q: The stateside tour started last month. What’s been the response so far and what can you say about how the
American audience compares or contrasts to fans elsewhere? Can you comment on performing in the country of Houston’s birth? Does that make it more exciting?
This is our very first major tour for this show to the USA, so we are very excited to be here performing in Whitney’s home country. It’s an honour and a privilege for us to pay tribute, to the queen of pop each night on stage. The tour has been such a wonderful success for us.
Every night we have had standing ovations after each show, so clearly we are doing something right.
Q: Do you have a favorite song to perform or a couple of favorites? Why that song or songs?
A: I don’t have a specific favorite, but there are a few ones that come to mind. Lately, “The Greatest Love of All” has been a favorite to perform on stage (in fact, this was also Whitney’s favourite song to perform live, too). I also enjoy performing “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “I Have Nothing,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Will Always Love You.”
They all evoke various meanings to me, and because most of them were some of the early hits in her career, when she was at the top of her game. That’s the Whitney I fell in love with.
(The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Reserved tickets start at $33. To buy tickets or for more information, visit TRAHC. org or call the Perot box office at 903-792-4992.)