From the Front Row: Calling All Divas

According to one definition in the Urban Dictionary, a diva is a person who exudes great style, class, and personality with confidence, expressing her own style and not letting others influence who she is or wants to be; a person whose character makes her stand out from the rest; a person in society who is popular or famous and who many people try to copy. Others define a diva as a female performer who is extremely talented but very imperious and temperamental.

In the new production Calling All Divas, which recently presented a performance at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch, the divas onstage fit the definition for all of the above, minus the imperious and temperamental part. The result was a show that was perhaps more musical revue than musical theater – and it seemed to hit all the right notes with the enthusiastic audience that filled the intimate venue.

Calling All Divas is the brainchild of producer and co-creator (together with his partner, Rumson’s Lisa Sherman) Franke Previte, a New Brunswick native whose credits include being the lead singer of the 1980s group Franke & The Knockouts and writing Academy Award-winning songs from the hit movie “Dirty Dancing,” including the beloved “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Previte worked with director Michael LaFleur, renowned as a live show specialist, to present what they’ve billed as a musical fable that tells the story of four very different and talented women who compete for the chance to become the world’s next female superstar.

The show celebrated its premiere in March at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA before bringing it home to an appreciative Jersey shore audience on July 11, 2019. It will now embark on a national tour that heads to Hershey, PA and Mount Olive, NJ before traveling to Florida for several dates. Along the way, it aims to delight crowds – many of whom are sure to be women – with its exuberant mix of pop, rock, blues, soul, and country hits made famous by some of the greatest female singers in history.

The storyline is light, simple, and sweet, as a young songwriter named Franke (of course) tries to save the nightclub where he works from going out of business. He promises the despondent club owner that he will find, in just 72 hours, several talented women to compete for the chance to become a singing star, with hopes of drawing crowds back to the club that created her fame. As Franke rushes from place to place, seeking out contenders, he encounters and ultimately enlists four women of different ages, backgrounds, and musical styles who forge a mutually supportive sisterhood.

It’s the music that becomes the highlight of the production as together, the foursome prove to be a formidable force while channeling the immortal voices and classic hits of Etta James, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Carole King, The Pointer Sisters, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Miley Cyrus, Wynonna, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Gloria Gaynor, Celine Dion, Thelma Houston, and others.

Along the way, they each reveal a bit of their diverse personalities and experiences, with touches of gentle humor and romance thrown in for good measure. Wrapping it all up in a neat bow is the finale, where the divas inform the audience that there really is a Franke who wrote hit songs, encouraging Previte to join them in the spotlight. And right on cue, the crowd is on its feet, swaying and dancing to the music while singing “Time of My Life” right back at him.  

Every member of the cast – who were backed by a band of talented local musicians – is likable and the voices of the divas are remarkable. Frank Dicopoulos, who soap opera fans may recognize from “Guiding Light,” plays the club owner and Zach Holden plays young Franke. The divas include Broadway performer and Radio City Rockette Lisa Sherman, playing a seasoned studio singer who shares a past with the club owner; Philadelphia vocalist Carol Riddick as the blues singer; Nashville singer Trenna Barnes from the country honky tonk; and “The Voice” contestant Alessandra Guercio, who plays an undiscovered subway performer.

Calling All Divas is a lighthearted, upbeat, feel-good production. If it happens to circle back around this way, or if you have the opportunity to see it on tour, you may want to answer the call…and have the time of your life.

Top photo, from left: Calling All Divas co-stars Alessandra Guercio, Lisa Sherman, Trenna Barnes, and Carol Riddick (Photo credit: Coucou Photography)