A number of local artists will take part in an Aretha Franklin live show that will be touring the country throughout June and early July this year. Montaigne, Thandi Phoenix, and Emma Donovan have been locked into appear, alongside Thndo, Ursula Yovich, and Jada Alberts – who also serves as the director and narrator.
The production, titled Aretha – A Love Letter to the Queen of Soul, will feature 32 songs from across the singer’s storied career, weaved together with narration that will dig into Franklin’s influences and her rise to fame.
Aretha Franklin: ‘I Say A Little Prayer’
“Aretha Franklin was arguably the most accomplished and sublime soul vocalist in the history of pop music,” Alberts said in a statement. “I am thrilled to direct this astonishing line up of Australian vocalists as they interpret some of the most iconic songs of the 20th century in their own unique way, paying respect to a woman who has influenced all of us.”
Montaigne said that Franklin embodied “what I want to be as a performer, which is someone that works really hard to be really good.” Donovan said that Franklin had “inspired” her to be “unapologetic about anything that I write.”
The tour will kick off with two shows at the Sydney Opera House in mid-June, with shows in Brisbane and Melbourne to follow. See all dates and details below.
Aretha: A Love Letter to the Queen of Soul – Live 2023
w/ Montaigne, Thandi Phoenix, Emma Donovan, Thndo, Ursula Yovich and Jada Alberts
- Saturday, 17th and Sunday, 18th June – Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW
- Tuesday, 20th June and Wednesday, 21st June – QPAC, Brisbane QLD
- Sunday, 2nd July – Hamer Hall, Melbourne VIC
Tickets on sale now: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne
Further Reading
Watch Jennifer Hudson In The First Trailer For Aretha Franklin Biopic ‘Respect’
Love Letter To A Record: Bec Sandridge On Aretha Franklin’s ‘I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You’
