REVIEWS
Tribute
to Famous Women featuring the amazing Karen Grainger
sarniarocks.com
April 30, 2004
Syliva and
I headed out to Hiawatha Friday Night to see what we thought was
a tribute to 3 Stars: Cher, Reba and Celine. Cher was the big draw
for me as I remember many school nights begging my Mom to let me
stay up to watch Sonny & Cher on television. We went to the
dinner show and enjoyed an amazing dinner buffet prior to the show.
This was the first time Sylvia & I had ever gone to a dinner
show and we thought it would make for a good restaurant review.
When you go there and your a party of 2 they sometimes seat you
at a table of 4 with 2 other people you don't know which is sort
of neat. We sat in good seats with an excellent view with a hilarious
couple who we hit it off with right away. The service was good and
the staff friendly as always.I didn't realize
it was all one person doing all 3 impersonations until I got there
and wasn't sure what to expect. When Karen came out she started
off with a Celine Dion song. She then introduced the show and explained
that she did much more then the 3 stars advertised, and that she
did! She stood centre stage with 2 tables of wigs/coats/props and
entertained us for 1 1/2 hours non stop! From my memory alone she
impersonated Celine, Cher, Reba, Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston,
Sinead O'Connor, Alanis Morrisette, Dolly Parton, Tracy Chapman,
Shania Twain, Tina Turner, Julie Andrews plus Neil Young, Joe Cocker
Michael Bolton, Kermit the Frog & Miss Piggy. That is just what
I can remember and I know I missed a bunch! She was so awesome!
I really think next time she comes they need to change the title
to reflect how great a 'variety' show, and a singer, she is! I knew
95% of the songs and her voice was so amazing I could close my eyes
during any of the female stars and think it was real. She sang these
people's strongest most challenging songs and made the notes. The
band was also very good and they all did their own impersonations
and had very strong voices also.It didn't end
there, she was very funny and had funny parts all during the show.
She also interacted with the crowd and got them singing & clapping.
It was very upbeat and progressed quickly as she didn't ever sing
a complete song, but for most it was at least 1/3 which was perfect.
She also did a funny little show. She got 3 people from the audience
to sit in chairs in a row on the stage and she stood behind them.
She then gave them instructions to open their mouths when she bonked
on the top of their heads or act like a head banger if she bonked
them on the shoulder. She had two blown up balls on her hands that
made her arms look almost like sledge hammers. Then they played
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and she proceeded to bonk them to the
music and they did the actions!! The crowd was killing themselves
laughing, myself included! What a show! Next time Karen comes to
town I will be first in line to see her. She was totally awesome
and very talented!
Reba
double gives 'em something to talk about in Divas Live extravaganza
Kitchener
Record,
Saturday
April 5, 2003
By Claudelle Boudreau
Karen Grainger doesn't mind being mistaken for someone else when
she's performing onstage. To her, it's the best compliment. That's
because Grainger makes her living as a professional impersonator. The 36-year-old
Rockwood resident is a woman on a mission - an entertainment mission. From her first
taste of show business at the age of six, when she appeared on a
talent show, to a career impersonating some of music's best-loved
performers in venues across the world, Grainger has certainly come
a long way.Like most entertainers,
Grainger has struggled behind the scenes through heart-wrenching
auditions, been turned down for coveted gigs and had her share of
shows that weren't up to par. Throughout, she refused to give up.
That ambition and hard work have paid off. Her Divas Live show is
an entertainment extravaganza. In addition to impersonating much-loved
divas Reba McEntire, Cher and Celine Dion, Grainger also incorporates
her singing talents with comic impressions. "The whole
performance is a sort of culmination of everything I've done during
my career," she says.Although she
started out hoping to make it as a recording artist, her career
took a path of its own. "We were
doing back-up for a Legends show and I did Reba's 'Why Haven't I
Heard From You?'," she says. "I don't know how many people
said 'If you had red hair, you'd be Reba.' It was so strange because
I wasn't even trying to imitate her. "Those comments
sparked some thought and rehearsals and Grainger soon decided to
get into costume. With a red Reba wig, glitzy country apparel and
months of vocal training, she got an agent and became part of the
Las Vegas group, Legends In Concert.Her stint with
Legends and similarly produced shows included gigs around the world
from Branson, Missouri and Shreveport, Louisiana to Atsugi, Japan
and Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia.
Although Grainger
loved the variety, last year's gruelling schedule meant spending
eight months of the year on the road. So she created her own shows
- Divas Live and All In One - to allow her to work closer to home.Co-written by
comedian Larry Horowitz (co-founder of Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club), the
All In One Show is refreshing. Accompanied by her band, Grainger
uses a variety of props for visual and vocal illusions. Tina Turner,
Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline and Julie Andrews are just some of the
"guests" who visit during the show. There are also
"a few good men" - among them Joe Cocker, Michael Bolton,
Johnny Mathis and Barney Fife.
"I didn't
even know I could do comedy but I'm doing it and I love it,"
Grainger says. "I love working the crowd. I love being a crazy
fool and getting people to relax and laugh."
When not onstage
living out the voices and mannerisms of celebrity characters, Grainger
enjoys life in Rockwood with husband Don, a fire-prevention officer,
and two dogs and a cat.Don also plays
a big role in her work - consulting, writing and helping to fine-tune
the act. "He's my
biggest critic and my biggest supporter," she says. "I
definitely wouldn't be here without him."
Grainger also
draws on a huge support of friends and family (her mom and sister
are among her biggest fans). "I'm lucky.
I am making a living doing something I love to do. I'm happy."
In character...but
which one?
Windsor Star,
Thursday March 15, 2001
Karen Grainger is the most famous singing star you'll never meet.Grainger's talents
for mimicry have taken her around the world and kept her working
as much as she wants. Yet nobody recognizes her on the street, not
even if they were applauding her the night before at Casino Windsor
where she spent nearly three months entertaining last year.
Ten years ago, she began to think her vocal quartet might not make
the big time. They could sing Manhattan Transfer harmonies, and
had put out an album of Christmas music, but the work wasn't coming
except as back-ups, including a Legends show. "I've always
been a mimic, but it was never my dream to become an impersonator,"
she says now. As animated
in person as on stage, she does not suggest Cher at all. When the
lights go down and the wig goes on, however, that nasal hook in
the voice and shoot-from-the-hip jibes bring the Cher personality
to full heat, if not full height. The energy and
research - and yes, a big voice-have taken her on international
tours including Japan and the obscure Indian Ocean island of Diego
Garcia, devoted to the U.S. Air Force, where she entertained the
troops.
Karen's
a Legend in your mind
The
Mississauga News
Wednesday October 28, 1998
By Tom Michibata
Mississauga
singer Karen Grainger doesn't profess to be Celine Dion. But audiences
who have watched the 32-year-old Grainger imitate the Canadian superstar
during the Legends In Concert show at the Legends Theatre in Toronto
have certainly been impressed. Her performances have been earning
standing ovations. Grainger never
tires of honing her Celine impressions because of the passion the
French Canadian superstar brings to the stage and because of her
dynamic vocal range. "It's always
new for me," said Grainger. "I've picked a character that
I can really sink my teeth into. It's never boring because there
are so many songs to choose from. "I practice every day and
watch her moves and characteristics on her videos. She is very passionate
on stage. She wears her emotions on her face."
