When I saw the promotion for Carlotta in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival program, I was surprised. Surprised, that is, to see that she was still performing.

Approaching her 82nd birthday, Carlotta is understandably weary of maintaining the drag illusion. But the Cabaret Festival and one more chance to strut her stuff to an Adelaide audience proved sufficient incentive for a final lap of honour. Her fanbase may be geriatric (some having seen Carlotta in her Les Girls days in mid-1960s Sydney), but they turned in force to see their idol one more time.

Carlotta can sing in tune, but she’s no Barbra Streisand. She can move, but she’s no Cyd Charisse. Carlotta has few peers when it comes to connecting with an audience, however. Her Musical Director Michael Griffiths tailored the songs, the rest breaks and the costume changes to fit Carlotta’s larger-than-life personality. It was uber-safe, but the devotees lapped it up.

Carlotta. Photo © Claudio Raschella

Opening with When You’re Good to Mama and Everything’s Coming up Roses, the Carlotta time machine sailed back to the 1970s with Barry...