In arguably one of the most opulent rooms the Free Fringe has to offer, Mzz Kimberely takes to the stage wearing a figure-hugging honey-red gown plus feather fascinator and opens her set with a powerful and poignant rendition of Tahira Jumah’s Will the Real Me Please Stand Up. The lyrics, which include “Will the real me please stand up, not the one behind the mask. Not the one who smiles to hide her pain, who denies her feelings again” foreshadow a comically fictitious, but intrinsically auto-biographical hour in the presence of a gifted artist who has faced more problems than most just to be able to sing the opening song tonight.
Despite the small crowd, Mzz Kim renders a one-woman tornado of energy during numbers like Aretha Franklin’s Think.
Mzz Kim tells us of her many affairs and marriages. There’s Hank, who may not have been the most towering of men, but was “alright with me”; Billy Ray, the sexual pervert; penniless Count St John and the fickle womanising minister Louis P Sherman. This scaffolding provides the framework on which to hang a diverse variety of songs, ranging from Tom Jones to Chicago. Think of it as Mzz Kim: The Jukebox Musical.
Mzz Kim is not a drag act. This is not a cabaret full of blue gags, Minnelli pastiche and barn-door eyeshadow. Whilst she was born a man, Mzz Kim is every inch a lady. A diva with Bassey-like pipes that richly coat every song she touches. Despite the small crowd, Mzz Kim renders a one-woman tornado of energy during numbers like Aretha Franklin’s Think. This is an act you really can’t ignore.
If there’s one criticism it is that it lacks direction. Mzz Kim has assembled the component parts for a great show in both story and talent. The addition of a director would polish up joins between dialog and vocals to a sparkling gleam.
After a successful 2013 run, Mzz Kimberley is back for the Edinburgh Festival 2014. Mzz Kim will be performing at the VooDoo rooms with her one woman show , ‘A Tranny On The Verge of A Nervous Breakdown’.
Enjoy an evening with the UK’s favourite import from Detroit Michigan singing live songs from jazz, blues, gospel and show tunes.
Also expect educational and fun stories about living as a transwoman and relationships with men from her hometown of Detroit. This powerful singer promises a night filled with fun and laughter.
Mzz Kimberley is a transgender singer and performer from the US, now living in the UK. She has a wide repertoire of music and has performed in over 50 London venues including residencies at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, The Ivy and recent performances with Stephen K Amos and on Britain's Got Talent. Mzz Kim's voice has been compared many times to Bassey and Tina Turner and in 2011 I won the BOYZ award for best cabaret artist.
“Mzz Kimberley is the real deal…… I can’t praise Mzz Kim’s show enough!” – Martin Walker ScotsGay Magazine