SYLVIA BRÉCKO IS... DOING IT HER WAY! La Bohème Until 15 Mar 2015 Review by Linda Edwards Sylvia Brécko is a singer, actress, and in her home of Cologne, Germany, a TV host. She has been a regular visitor to Australia since 2002 and has travelled the country extensively, but this is her first time performing in Adelaide. Hopefully, it will not be her last. Her fringe show is a cabaret in which she shows off her beautifully rich and deep voice in a range of song styles including Michael Bublé, ABBA, and Marlene Dietrich. She often replaces the words with amusing lyrics of her own to illustrate her narrative. Brécko looks at life, love and communication (or the lack of it) in Germany and in Australia, and especially what it is like to be a woman in today’s world. She makes fun of issues such as smart versus ‘dumb’ phones, our love of technology, and plastic surgery for vanity reasons, which she lampoons in her hilarious Botox song, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. The show is part comedy, part narrative, and part songs in English, German and French, and she accompanies herself effectively on piano and accordion. On the night I attended a catastrophic computer failure left her without lights or backing tracks for several minutes, but she handled the hitch with professional ease and aplomb, proving she is a seasoned performer. Brécko’s endearing manner, great charm, intelligent and witty insights, and her powerful voice leaves the audience happy and wanting more as she sings them out the door with a beautiful French song. Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)