1954 Ella, Etta and Eartha

Ipswich Civic Centre and Red Chair presents…

It’s the year 1954. Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Eartha Kitt are all at the dizzy heights of their careers. With swinging jazz, powerful soul and cheeky kitsch these three women broke new ground for all who followed after. Melissa Western and her world-class all-female band pay tribute to this magnificent era in music and inspiring trio of pioneering singers. 50s style abounds.

British born, Brisbane-raised singer-actor-writer Melissa Western is happily at home in the worlds of jazz, cabaret and theatre. Over the past fifteen years Melissa has performed to audience and critical acclaim locally in Brisbane, nationally throughout Australia and internationally in the UK and France. Her self-penned one-woman musical Ella, Marilyn, Marlene and Me was an official sell-out two consecutive years at the Edinburgh Festival, garnering five star reviews from ThreeWeeks “absolutely brilliant… enthralling vocal talents wowed the audience” and four stars from The Scotsman “Melissa Western is on fire… it’s mainly about the eyes, the face and the voice.” Her original comedy- cabaret with partner Tnee Dyer, Sweet, Sour and Saucy received critical and audience acclaim, Western being touted as a “force of nature” (Broadway Baby, 5 stars). The show went on to be nominated for three Matilda Awards: Best Musical/Cabaret, Best Female Actor in a Leading Role and Best Set Design as well as Western being named Favourite Leading Female Performance in the Del Arte Charts, it has since toured Queensland, Western Australia and the UK

‘“Western is a force of nature…Great storyteller, feisty, highly enjoyable; … Warm, witty and supremely talented … captivating …fantastic instrumentalists”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Broadway Baby

“Western is absolutely brilliant… Her aptitude for music is vast and versatile” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ThreeWeeks magazine [UK]

“Western’s gorgeous singing voice serves her well” The Australian

This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.