Review: Seth Rudetsky - Divas By The Decade (Crazy Coqs)

Review by Stephen Gilchrist

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If there was one show I would not have wanted to have missed this year,, it would have been Seth Rudetsky's gig at Crazy Coqs, a concoction of such wit, knowledge and musicality that left me (and the rest of the audience) breathless in what can only be described as  musical theatre Nirvana.

For those who are unfamiliar with Rudetsky, he is a flamboyant New Yorker- an actor, musician and Broadway storyteller with an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things musical theatre. But this is like describing a Rolls-Royce Phantom as a ‘car’. It is that, but so much more. Of his many activities, the most widely known are his YouTube videos “deconstructing” performances and musical theatre elements, explaining why they are impressive, and often focusing on specific vocal techniques, comedic timing, or musical choices in shows. These "deconstructions" are a signature part of his work, celebrated by fellow theatre professionals and fans for their insightful  humorous breakdowns of great musical theatre.

This particular show is about Broadway Divas through the decades, with so much material to pack in that an anticipated 75 minute show was finally brought to an end after 105 minutes, and I suspect that was only because he was scheduled to do the show all over again 45 minutes later On stage there is just Rudetsky and a  piano. An unassuming start you may think. But then Rudetsky starts speaking at twice the speed of sound, or so it seems. His anecdotes, musical  annotations of clips from the Divas tumbling over each other with increasing momentum, passion and yes, obsession with his subject, in a dash to the finish line. Rudetsky has a way with an audience that draws it in totally, to his world of musicals. It’s a mix, I think, of  his easy self-effacing charm and his passionate eagerness to inform.

Divas By The Decade is a lustrous celebration of some of musical theatre’s most iconic women-from belters to dramatic sopranos using videos and recordings to show the audience the women who have made the biggest impact on musical theatre. Each woman has her own trading card projected behind him with her name, classic roles, Diva ingredient (what makes her so special), and then a “fun fact,” which is an inside story he discovered from his years of “digging for Broadway dish.” But again, this is like saying that this performance was merely a ‘presentation’.

The Divas featured include everyone from Ethel Merman (‘I Got Rhythm) to Chita Rivera (‘There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This’ and ‘Honey Hot Rag’ with Gwen Verdon from Chicago), Donna McKechnie (‘Turkey Lurkey Time’ from Promises, Promises, and ‘The Music and the Mirror’, to Betty Buckley, his finale, with her ‘Writing on the Wall’ from The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  He provides an introduction to this latter audio clip warning “pregnant women to leave the room” as Ms Buckley modifies her vowels  on the (bad) advice of a music director .And then he plays the same song after Betty realized she needed to sing pure vowels!  You may think that this sounds very technical and esoteric, and of interest only to aficionados of musical theatre, but this is a show which you can wallow in, whether you’re a total Broadway insider or whether “you don’t know anything about musical theatre” (his words in an interview)

Rudetsky is a sublime story teller of Broadway anecdotes, often illustrating them with video clips, such as the  incomparable Leslie Uggams forgetting the words & singing brilliant gibberish to ‘June is Bustin’ Out All Over’ in a live performance. And on what  Barbra Streisand said to Marvin Hamlisch (then an arranger on the stage version of ‘Funny Girl’ when he commented on her changing the melodies in Funny Girl “Who have they come to hear, me or your background melody?!” Wicked stuff and retold by Rudetsky in his signature ostentatious and exuberant style. This was a blissful evening which the audience didn’t want to end and neither did I. It was a performance, understated in its unglamorous presentation but in a dazzling brilliance in its execution.

Seth Rudetsky: Divas By The Decade played at Crazy Coqs on 5th October 2025.