MICHAELA BURGER – A MIGRANT’S SON Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artspace Until 23 Jun 2018 Review by Janice Bailey Michaela Burger is an accomplished and natural storyteller – and what a wonderful story she has to tell with the life of her dad, Luke. With the story and original music written by Michaela it is a very personal story. Michaela takes us back to the beginning of her Greek heritage to the journey of Luke – from humble beginnings, to the opal mines of Coober Pedy to opening his chain of supermarkets, to marrying Michaela’s beautiful Italian mum. It is a heartfelt story, told with love and pride and this is absorbed by the transfixed audience. To me, the essence of a good performance and show is the artist’s ability to take the audience with them, allowing us to experience the vision the artist has set out to represent. Michaela has done this in spades. With the assistance of Dave Higgins, who arranged Michaela’s original music, Musical Direction by Carol Young, Direction by Jane Packham, song development and mentoring by Jethro Woodward, and Dramaturge by Sally Hardy – and, of course, the exceptional talent of Ms Burger. The show contains all of the elements required for entertainment – a story which reaches the heart, makes us laugh, inspires us, makes us appreciate real talent and allows us to leave with a sense of hope that hard work and determination will eventually equate to success. There is no small amount of irony involved here in that ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’. Bravo, Michaela.