Press, Media & Reviews
"Divine"
- Tribuna de la Habana
"Near flawless"
- The Age
"A knockout"
- The Herald Sun
"Velvet-voiced"
- Sometimes Melbourne
"Mama Alto is an exceptionally talented singer, who makes the question as to whether it is a woman or a man singing obsolete. It is clearly an angel."
- The Conversation
"... jazz standards soaring into the heavens on the wings of trans diva Mama Alto..."
The Age
"Mama Alto is becoming one of Australia’s most essential voices, not only for bringing a new vitality to these jazz standards, but as a leading icon of her community."
Witness Performance
“Her voice is unique, powerful, seductive, subversive and stylish.”
The Advertiser (Adelaide)
“The fabulous Mama Alto, always a most welcome performer, with a superb vocal version of Thelonius Monk's Round Midnight. One could have heard a pin drop, until the cheering and applause at the end."
Broadway World
"Mama Alto is becoming one of Australia’s most essential voices, not only for bringing a new vitality to these jazz standards, but as a leading icon of her community.”
- Ben Keene, Witness Performance, reviewing “Mama Alto: Torch Songs” at Melbourne Recital Centre, 2019 https://witnessperformance.com/torch-songs-with-a-new-edge/
“Onstage, Mama Alto has a serene presence. But her voice has sizzle and zing… Mama Alto’s sound was pure and penetrating with well-placed, intentional vibrato. When she sang, “I felt your heart so close to mine,” I could feel her voice in my chest.For her, time stretches, and curls up by her feet, purring. … Mama Alto wove long melismas… her messa di voce like a thread passing through a needle.”
- Max Keller, Parterre, reviewing “Mama Alto: Transcendent” at Joe’s Pub, New York City, February 2024. https://parterre.com/2024/03/01/divine-mother/
“Mama Alto has such command of pitch that she seems to bend it to her will — puncturing, digging around inside to find what else is there — maybe a secret turbo charge.”
- Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle: Datebook, reviewing Taylor Mac & Matt Ray’s “Bark of Millions” at Zellerbach Hall, San Francisco, February 2024. https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/bark-of-millions-review-18672042
“The fabulous Mama Alto, always a most welcome performer, with a superb vocal version of Thelonius Monk's Round Midnight. One could have heard a pin drop, until the cheering and applause at the end. This was followed by a sensational version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
- Barry Lenny, Broadway World reviewing the opening Variety Gala at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021, https://www.broadwayworld.com/adelaide/article/BWW-Review-THE-VARIETY-GALA-ADELAIDE-CABARET-FESTIVAL-2021-at-Adelaide-Festival-Theatre-Adelaide-Festival-Centre-20210612
“Is there anything quite like the transcendent vocals of Mama Alto? A picture of elegance and class, her silky jazz voice was reminiscent of the old school jazz ladies who stepped into jazz from their classical roots and brought purity and control to their sound.”
- Kristen Stefanoff, Glam Adelaide reviewing Adelaide Tonight at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021, https://glamadelaide.com.au/cabaret-festival-review-adelaide-tonight-with-bob-downe-and-willsy/
“Its simplicity was its beauty, an hour of Mama Alto chatting, sharing thoughts and stories and delivering some stunning interpretations of recognisable songs – all given a jazz twist…the afternoon audience embarked on a sonic journey that lived up to the show’s name of Transcendent – we were immediately in another realm. Ewan MacColl’s The First Time Every I Saw Your Face has been sung by hundreds of famous singers, but never has it evoked a feeling of time standing still as when Mama Alto delivered the tune.Another mind-bending performance was Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns, with Mama Alto acknowledging that the simple song from A Little Night Music has previously been morphed and transformed by many of the jazz greats. Simply a sensational moment in time.”
- Graeme Watson, Out in Perth, reviewing “Mama Alto: Transcendent” at Perth International Cabaret Festival, June 2024. https://www.outinperth.com/review-mama-alto-was-worth-the-wait/
“Mama is blessed with flawless technique and an ability to ad lib the dialogue bridges between numbers and holds the audience in the palm of her hand making you feel she is talking just to you… The highlight of the performance for me is her torch song number. It transports us back to cigarette smoke filled clubs of the 20s and 30s. The image of Mama pouring her soul out through a period microphone is powerful and lingers long after the performance… a gifted performer who could have stepped out of a gloriously sleazy, speak easy. Mama Alto is all class with just a touch of brass and a voice that could stop traffic and soften the hardest critic!”
- Barry Hill OAM, Stage Whispers, reviewing “Mama Alto: Follies Girl” at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/follies-girl-–-mama-alto
“She makes these standards her own with her unique “gender transcendent” vocals, her warm wit and storytelling, and her mesmerising presence. Each tune was a musical painting and a masterclass in interpretation. She took time to connect with her audience, tailoring the spiciness of her banter to fit the temperature of the room, and led us on a timeless reverie through torch songs with a side of chips. With regal insouciance (and probably not a little road hunger) she ordered a bowl of chips from the bartender mid-performance, snacked on a few between songs (apologising to those who experience misophonia from others’ chewing), and carried right on with her soaring melodies without a trace of aspiration.”
- Cicely Binford, Perth Arts Live, reviewing “Mama Alto: Transcendent” at Perth International Cabaret Festival, June 2024. https://pertharts.live/2024/06/26/review-mama-alto-transcendent/#:~:text=Each%20tune%20was%20a%20musical,with%20a%20side%20of%20chips
“Every song is an experience that ranges from hysterical, over the top, performance to gut wrenching, emotionally integrated truth. This girl can pick an audience up by the scruff of its smutty neck and lead it helpless with laughter into the next engaging moment of this hour spent with the force of nature that is Mama Alto. And oh, that voice! World class… the ideas are fresh, entertaining and down-right cabaret magic. Extravagant costumes, clever lighting and excellent sound showcase this show at its best and do what all good cabaret should do – it leaves you wanting more… To say it is a crime that there was only one chance to see Mama Alto at this year’s cabaret festival is an understatement.”
- Adrian Barnes, Glam Adelaide, reviewing “Mama Alto: Follies Girl” at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023. https://glamadelaide.com.au/cabaret-festival-review-follies-girl-mama-alto/
“Billed as being “classic vaudeville meets contemporary queer glamour”, Follies Girl is all that and more… Describing herself as a “gender transcendent diva” Mama Alto knows how to work a crowd, frequently stepping off stage to mingle. She also knows how to work ostrich feather fans, do a cheeky costume change and hasn’t just mastered the art of singing sitting down; Mama Alto can sing after being dunked into a giant tea cup, which would have to put even more strain on that all-important vocalist’s posture. The giant tea cup is Mama Alto’s answer to Dita Von Teese’s martini glass and she somehow makes it just as sexy. With a repertoire ranging from Vera Lynn’s (When You’re Up to Your Neck in Hot Water) Be Like the Kettle and Sing, to a Marilyn Monroe medley – in which she does a feminist deconstruction of Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend without taking away any of its showgirl sparkle – Mama Alto is brilliant. Her vocals are simply sublime when she sings standards such as Moon River, which was worth the admission price alone.
- Anna Vlach, Adelaide Advertiser, reviewing “Mama Alto: Follies Girl” at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/cabaret-festival-reviews-variety-gala-broadway-barbara-paris-combo-ali-mcgregor/news-story/466d9c14f742c6de08bb64472485691f
“Her voice is unique, powerful, seductive, subversive and stylish.”
- Ewart Shaw, Adelaide Advertiser, reviewing Adelaide Tonight at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021, https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/ cabaret-review-adelaide-tonight-with-bob-downe-and-willsy/news-story/ 186f09447320ce877628d8c7aca44ef8
“Mama Alto stole the show with a voice link an exotic reed instrument on Round Midnight and an angelic deconstruction of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
- Patrick McDonald, Adelaide Advertiser, reviewing the opening Variety Gala at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021, https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/cabaret-review-variety-gala/ news-story/1503c9267a62e6f18eb91f76750b90b1
“…jazz standards soaring into the heavens on the wings of trans diva Mama Alto.”
- Cameron Woodhead, The Age, reviewing “Midsumma Extravaganza Live at The Bowl” 2023 https://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/tragedy-love-and-art-a-legendary-melbourne-story-finally-arrives-on-the-stage-20230122-p5cejn.html
“The lady on this stage – resplendent in a full-length sparkling gown with flowers in her hair – is Mama Alto, self-described “jazz singer, cabaret artiste and gender transcendent diva”. Her rich vocals give full force to the emotive lyrics of the Peter Allen song, with the audience happily responding to the request to “put your hands together and help her along”.”
- Suzie Keen, InReview, reviewing “Homage” at Adelaide Cabaret Festival, June 2024. https://inreview.com.au/inreview/cabaret-festival/2024/06/17/cabaret-festival-review-homage/
“Accompanied by piano and stand-up bass, Mama Alto’s glorious voice was the perfect choice to bring the jazz age to life.”
- Rachael Mead, InReview, reviewing “Between the Covers” at Adelaide Cabaret Festival, June 2024. https://inreview.com.au/inreview/cabaret-festival/2024/06/17/cabaret-festival-review-between-the-covers/
“Soul-tingling” - WhatDidSheThink http://www.whatdidshethink.com/2022/07/futurejoyclub-cabaret-review.html
“Electrifying vocals” - ArtsHub https://www.artshub.com.au/news/reviews/theatre-review-future-joy-club-2568797/
“Transcendent” - The Age https://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/tragedy-love-and-art-a-legendary-melbourne-story-finally-arrives-on-the-stage-20230122-p5cejn.html
“Spine-tingling, soaring tones” - Weekend Notes https://www.weekendnotes.com/finucane-smiths-futurejoyclub/
Four stars - Gender Euphoria: Sarah Walker: Australian Book Review (2019) https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5962:gender-euphoria- arts-centre-melbourne-melbourne-international-arts-festival&Itemid=1022&idU=1
Feature: Cabaret artist Mama Alto talks about the influence of Taylor Mac’s A 24 Decade History of Popular Music on her life and work. Maddee Clark: The Saturday Paper (2021) https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/culture/the-influence/2021/07/03/mama-alto/162523440011967#hrd
Feature: Mama Alto invokes queer history through Peter Allen and Judy Garland. Stephen A Russell: SBS (2018) https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/pride/mardigras/article/2018/01/17/mama-alto-invokes-queer-history-through- peter-allen-and-judy-garland
Interview: https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/midsumma-puts-gender-centre-stage-20190108-p50q7e.html
Interview: https://aussietheatre.com.au/features/mama-alto-intersection-activism-art
Interview: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/theatre/under-the-rainbow-20200127-p53v0n.html
Interview (radio): https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/musicshow/mama-alto-public-practise/13467962
Best of list: The Guardian - The Best of Australian Theatre 2019 (Mama Alto - Gender Euphoria) https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/dec/23/you-leave-changed-critics-pick-the-best-of-australian- theatre-in-2019