Bobby's latest show "Liberace, Live From Heaven" opened at London's Leicester Square Theatre in October 2009 for a limited season. Written especially for Bobby by respected playwright Julian Woolford, the one-man show was an imagining of Liberace's impact on Heaven following his untimely demise in February 1987. The show received rave reviews.
"Liberace arrives at the gates of Heaven and God tells him that he needs to play a little Gershwin before the angels decide if he gets in or not. It may sound like the opening of a joke but in fact, it is a synopsis of Julian Woolford’s latest play, which essentially offers piano entertainer Bobby Crush the chance to do his impersonation of the legendary Liberace.
For many years, Liberace was the highest paid entertainer in the world, providing performances that were as spectacular as they were gaudy. A flamboyant personality supported by a strong, musical technique, Liberace appealed to audiences around the world, until his sudden demise due to complications from AIDS in 1987.
If ever there was a performer destined to play Liberace, then Bobby Crush is that man. Blessed with his own strong keyboard technique, Crush, in a selection of diamante-encrusted outfits, evidently relishes the insane campness that epitomised a Liberace concert. Old classical music favourites with the ‘boring bits cut out’ are merged with popular tunes, offering a hint of what a great popular entertainer Liberace was.
When it comes to the acting, Crush is eerily accurate in his impersonation and rises to the drama of
the piece when the plot, such as it is, rears its head. He is granted sterling support with recorded
voice-overs from Stephen Fry as St Peter and a hilarious Victoria Wood as God. Liberace Live From
Heaven is a nostalgic confection that harks back to a form of entertainment that has sadly all but
disappeared from our stages."
Paul Vale, THE STAGE
Bobby Crush as Liberace is compelling grotesque, dripping with rhinestones and camp charm.
He gives us a taste of a real Liberace show, from the excellent piano playing to the eye
watering costumes, frequently asking members of the audience to help him change into
something more spectacular.
The giggling and grinning do become rather tiresome however, so it is fascinating when Crush lets
the smile slip. Liberace was a mysterious character, an apparently overt homosexual who would
sue anyone who suggested he was gay. The moral implications of this are never satisfactorily
explored, nor is the sinister relationship between the performer and teenager Scott Thorson.
Instead, Liberace Live from Heaven cops out with sentimental platitudes.
By the end of the show both AIDS and homosexuality have been neatly explained by God
(voiced brilliantly by Victoria Wood) and, when it comes to the vote, not a single member of the
audience of angels chooses to send Liberace to hell. Why would we? Liberace Live from Heaven
is brilliantly entertaining, although it’s a shame it didn’t dare go darker. Like the Liberace
Ambrosia cocktails created for the show: sickly sweet but fantastic fun."
A disembodied Victoria Wood gets to play God, and a very nice job she makes of it too, turning
the afterlife into a cosy suburb of Lancashire. No wonder America’s greatest showman (who died
of AIDS more than 20 years ago) seems bemused. Forced to defend his reputation - and his habit
of concealing his true sexuality - before the Almighty, he throws himself on the mercy of the
audience to vote on his ultimate destination - Heaven or Hell.
Deep down he must know that he is never going to be consigned to the flames. Bobby Crush's
impersonation is so full-blooded and affectionate that you are quite willing to overlook the fact
that the music and the patter are tooth-rottingly schmaltzy. Flirting all the way, he asks fans to
help him with oddly superfluous costume changes and brings the Vegas medleys up to date by
throwing in a few bars of Michael Jackson et al.
Woolford's script rattles through the bare bones of the story, inevitably focusing on the notorious
1950s libel trial prompted by a hostile article by the Daily Mirror columnist Cassandra. In
retrospect, it seems absurd that the star was ever able to fudge the question of his
homosexuality. But somehow he did, and his audience - who were much more conventional than
the people crowding into this venue - was content to go along with him.
A slightly preachy tone enters proceedings before the jury has its say. Surely we have long
passed the point where gay entertainers have to canvass our sympathy? You’d think so, but the
Stephen Gately furore suggests otherwise."
"Having known Bobby Crush for many years as one of our foremost piano entertainers I was
unsure how he would present a story about the legendary Liberace and how it was going to
work in the intimate surroundings of the Studio Theatre in London’s Leicester Square Theatre.
Taking our seats at the back we saw the amazing Pearly Gates, The Gates of Hell (just in case)
the Grand Piano, complete with obligatory Candelabra and within minutes … a larger than life
Liberace came bounding onto the stage complete with amazing costumes and ‘over the top’
jewellery.
This was Bobby as I’d never seen him before. As the story of this amazing American
superstar unfolded I realised what a very, very talented actor Bobby Crush had become. Not only
did he appear to have all the familiar rhinestone suits and diamond encrusted watches and
rings….but he actually looked like Liberace, spoke like Liberace and played the piano as well as
Liberace. It seemed like we were in the company of the man himself. Amazing! Bobby’s delivery
was excellent, his ad-libs to the enthusiastic audience were a joy to behold, and appeared very
original with perfect comic timing, and his cross-dialogue with the recorded voices of Stephen Fry
(playing St. Peter) and Victoria Wood (in the role of God!!!) was the ideal way of recalling the life
story of Liberace and how it was unsure whether or not he should go to heaven….or down below!
It appears there had been a court case during Liberace’s life where he was asked by the judge if
he was Gay? As the story unfolded it became obvious that in those days, this was a difficult
question to answer, especially when having a Gay relationship was unlawful. It appears that he
may have been economic with the truth. Therefore, that was the problematic decision. Should
Liberace go through the upward Heaven-gates … or through the down-below Hell gates! Only
time would tell. In between the story Bobby enthralled us with his amazing renditions of music
by Mozart, Gershwin and even Take That!
At the end of the evening the audience had to vote if
Liberace should be sent to Heaven or Hell and, after receiving a standing ovation with screams
and cheers for ‘more’, it was obvious that the vote would be a positive one. I can thoroughly
recommend it as a great evening out, lots of fabulous piano playing, lots of fun (even the theatre
owner said she had thoroughly enjoyed the show) and of course, being in the company of the
multi-talented Bobby Crush is always a marvellous experience anyway. Well done that man.
Definitely a night to remember … and I hope it goes on tour!"
To book this show, please contact Chris Davis at "Norwell Lapley Productions"
"It's spooky! Bobby Crush channels Liberace at his glittermost, complete with gleaming grin,
blinding bling and camp candelabra... star-spangled entertainment with some great gags from
Victoria Wood's stroppy God."
Roger Foss, The Steve Allen Show, LBC RADIO 97.3
"Liberace Live from Heaven is set outside the Pearly Gates, where the outrageously camp pianist
has just arrived, along with his diamante studded Baby Grand. St Peter, voiced by Stephen Fry,
can’t decide whether to admit him or send him to the ‘eternal down below’, so the audience is cast
as a jury of angels, who must decide his eternal fate. What follows is part biography, part cabaret,part pantomime as the self proclaimed ‘Mr Showmanship’ gives the performance of his afterlife.
Georgia Blake, WHATSONSTAGE.COM
"Members of that pressure group known as Why Does Stephen Fry Have To Be Everywhere? may
be distressed to learn that there is no escaping him here either. Although he doesn’t show his
face, that is indeed his ripe voice portraying St Peter at the Pearly Gates in the writer-director
Julian Woolford’s mischievous tribute to the entertainer who raised the art of camp to absurd
new heights.
THE TIMES
ENCORE
LIBERACE, LIVE FROM HEAVEN Production Credits:
Written and Directed by Julian Woolford
Set Design by Christopher Faulds
Lighting Design by Martin Nicholas
Musical Supervisor and Arranger: Allan Rogers
Produced by Chris Davis for Norwell Lapley Productions Ltd
Tel no: 01584-819005 Email: cdavis@cdm-ltd.com