Aretha, Dolly, Whitney: ‘Divas Three’ celebrates the hits of powerful female singers

Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·4 min read

When she started focusing on raising a family and segueing away from her performance career in Las Vegas, Nancy Allen was thinking of ways to stay connected to music and the stage but in a new way.

She began developing her show “Divas Three,” a musical revue celebrating some of the best-known music by the most popular female artists from the 1960s through the 1990s.

That means songs by everyone from Carole King and Diana Ross to Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, Bonnie Tyler, Gladys Knight, Celine Dion, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand , Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and ABBA.

From left, Samantha Duval, Charity Farrell and Crystal Garrett star in “Divas Three” at Florida Studio Theatre
From left, Samantha Duval, Charity Farrell and Crystal Garrett star in “Divas Three” at Florida Studio Theatre

How does she define a diva?

“You have to have the personality, charisma and a voice like no other,” Allen said. “I know the word diva has negative connotations about behavior and we’ve had to fight that all these years. I make sure that I hire people who are great to work with. I want them to carry themselves like a diva on stage but not off.”

The show, which began as a headlining act on cruise ships before touring to performing arts centers around the country, marks its 10th anniversary this year with an extended run as part of Florida Studio Theatre’s summer cabaret series. In the winter the theater produces its own original productions, and in the summer it presents traveling musical revues.

“This is really exciting for us because we usually play these one-off dates in different cities and have to come in, set it up and do it one time and then move on,” Allen said in a telephone interview. “We’re excited to be able to sit down somewhere for a while and I have nothing but great things to say about Florida Studio Theatre before we’ve even gotten there.”

Allen has a roster of about 10 singers who are available for different dates. In Sarasota, the cast will feature Samantha Duval, Charity Farrell and Crystal Garrett.

“I’m very particular about my roster. I keep it small. I know there are some other shows out that that have lots of people they switch in and out. I like everyone to be really comfortable and good in the show,” Allen said. “It’s a prestigious thing and we have lots of people constantly submitting their names.”

Allen said her musical theater background informed how the show was put together. “It is pop-oriented but with a musical theater feel. But there are also touches of Vegas. That’s where I was performing when I started developing the show. The ladies are telling a story while they’re singing a song. They’re not just singing a pop song. People can listen to these songs their whole lives and I want them to hear them as new because they’re really thinking about the lyrics.”

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From left, Crystal Garrett, Samantha Duval and Charity Farrell sing hits by female music stars of the 1960s through 1990s in “Divas Three” at Florida Studio Theatre.
From left, Crystal Garrett, Samantha Duval and Charity Farrell sing hits by female music stars of the 1960s through 1990s in “Divas Three” at Florida Studio Theatre.

Allen had been performing with a group called the Dollies, which performed 1940s music in the style of the Andrews Sisters. She thought it might develop into a touring production.

“We did gigs all around town in Las Vegas, things for veterans. But when I started thinking about my show, presenters said they wanted something more contemporary, so I shifted it up for the next three decades. In my humble opinion, the greatest diva era of female singers in the pop world was from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Though the lineup of songs may change, audiences could hear such hits as “9 to 5,” “Wind Beneath My Wings,” “I Will Always Love You,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and more. And she wonders how audiences might react now to Dion’s “Titanic” “My Heart Will Go On” in the wake of the OceanGate catastrophe.

The cast members are not trying to imitate the singers who made the songs famous.

“I get weirded out when I see shows and someone is imitating someone but they don’t look like them,” Allen said. “Our ladies are singing in their own voices, and they have the voices to sing these big songs, because the show is pretty much all of the biggest songs. It’s one thing to sing a showstopper or two, but this show is all showstoppers.”

‘Divas Three’

Created by Nancy Allen. Runs July 10-Sept. 10. Florida Studio Theatre Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota. July 11-Sept. 10. $34-$39. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: From Whitney to Celine, ‘Divas Three’ captures female hits at FST