REVIEW

DIANA CHRISMAN

ST ANDREW'S CHURCH, CHARMOUTH

A VERY appreciative audience attended the concert at St Andrew’s church, Charmouth when Diana Chrisman, an international singer and actress, was the star performer.

During the first half of the concert Diana sang several of her favourite numbers from musicals.

Songs including The Rose by Bette Midler and Not That Girl from Wicked, were sung very sensitively and her training as an actor shone through with much tenderness.

Other songs including Memory from Cats and I Can’t Say No from Oklahoma! showed the other extreme of her range of capabilities and, coupled with the acoustics of St Andrew’s, allowed her to demonstrate the strength of her voice very effectively.

After the interval Diana spoke about her career from drama school, through musical performances, cruise entertainment, voice-overs, commercials and filming. The talk was delivered by ‘Diana the actress’, rather than ‘Diana the singer’ and was both humorous and informative.

Her very broad range of performance skills were demonstrated with perfection. Following the talk, Diana invited questions from the audience. One questioner asked her if she would sing another song to end the evening. Although Diana had not intended to do so, ever the professional, she was well prepared, so the audience was treated to a powerful rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita to close the show. There is a famous expression from the British theatre – ‘always leave the stage with the audience wanting more’.

Diana managed this with great success! A thoroughly good time was had by all and we would like to take this opportunity to thank Diana for offering to help in our fund-raising efforts and to generously donate her time to the cause. “… a bubbly, vibrant personality… superb acting skills, Diana really knows how to convey the meaning and sentiment of a song, very expressive, excellent understanding of dynamics, she obviously has a passion for what she does and engages with the audience so that we share her joy.” Maria.

“Diana’s performance was special. A young woman who has clearly amassed an impressive portfolio of acting, musical, commercial and charity experience. Diana’s passion for singing was so evident. In her talk, she gave us an honest and rare insight into what it is like to be a part of the entertainment industry; few would wish to do that and Diana delivered!” Chris. “… whilst entertaining on cruise ships things didn't always go according to plan! We thoroughly enjoyed listening to her anecdotes about 'life on board'. Her sense of fun and her determination that 'the show must go on' was truly inspiring.” Moira.

“Who would have thought that, following such wonderful singing, Diana’s revelations about her career from the earliest days, could be so fascinating? … a sweet, warm person with a glorious voice.” Mary

“We really enjoyed Diana's concert. She has a wonderful voice very well suited to songs from the musicals. It was also interesting to hear the background to her career. … she obviously has the talent, personality and tenacity to make a successful career.” Malcolm and Maralyn

“A very enjoyable performance from Diana; a nicely varied selection of songs from a lady with a wonderful voice.” Martin

“It was a lovely evening, only spoiled by it ending all too soon. Superb, my spine is tingling when remembering that beautiful voice.” Linda.

“I really enjoyed listening to Diana singing and performing, she seemed to be able to get into ‘role’ for each song. The range of her voice was wonderful. Such a lovely warm and friendly person as well. Perhaps she might come again next year.” Anne.

The evening raised £500 for the Charmouth Changing Spaces project to repair the fabric of the church and additionally to renovate the interior for both worship and development into a community hub. For more information contact info@charmouthchangingspaces.org or visit the Charmouth Changing Spaces website at charmouthchangingspaces.org.

ROGER SANSOM