Jo Litson

Jo Litson

Jo Litson is the Editor of Limelight Magazine. She took up the position in late 2018 having joined the magazine as Deputy Editor in 2016. During a 35-year career as an arts journalist she has been a contributor to numerous publications including Limelight, The Australian, The Bulletin, and the Qantas magazine. She was the arts writer and theatre reviewer for The Sunday Telegraph for 12 years until 2018, and has written the labels for the Archibald Prize for the Art Gallery of New South Wales for over 20 years.

Articles by Jo Litson

Vocal & Choral
CD and Other Review

Review: Dahlesque (Elise McCann)

Elise McCann’s album Dahlesque, released by ABC Music, features the songs from her new cabaret show of the same name, which premiered to rave reviews at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Dahlesque comprises a selection of music inspired by the gloriously irreverent, darkly funny stories of children’s author Roald Dahl including numbers from the film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the musicals Matilda The Musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach. It’s a clever idea, and spins off the fact that McCann recently played Miss Honey in the Australian production of Matilda The Musical, winning both a Sydney Theatre Award and a Helpmann Award for her touching portrayal. The warmth and glow that McCann has as a stage performer shines through on the album. She has a lovely pure, true voice with a honeyed tone in her middle register, an effortless belt, and top notes that send ripples down the spine. It’s also a voice with real character. Her diction is impeccable and she connects with the lyric, which makes her a great storyteller in song – altogether a consummate musical theatre voice. Accompanied here by a nine-piece band under the musical direction of…

June 26, 2017