★★★★★
Casey Donovan became a household name when she won Australian Idol in 2004 as its youngest-ever champion. Now, twenty-two years later, she arrives for one night only to a packed Festival Theatre for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
Despite its title, This Is Me – The Amy Winehouse Special is not about Winehouse. The connection is loose, apart from lyrics etched in ink across Casey’s back and a slightly longer wing on her eyeliner.
Donovan, instead, honours how Winehouse threw everything into her music and promises to do the same. The inclusion of Winehouse classics are performed exclusively for Adelaide audiences within her Australian tour.
Opening strong with Rehab and Tears Dry On Their Own, Donovan immediately demonstrates that she can handle the force of Winehouse’s artistry. The evening blends Winehouse with Donovan’s own hits and musical theatre highlights, creating an unforgettable setlist.
A proud Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti First Nations artist, she begins by acknowledging Country. Her storytelling feels conversational and unscripted yet poised, delivered with a warmth that is entirely genuine. Her frank honesty is both charming and relatable, delivered with a light-hearted wit and impeccable comic timing.
Australia’s powerhouse vocalist belts, growls and swaggers her way through the evening with effortless confidence. Her eyes are constantly speaking to us. Humour appears in the arch of her brow or the slight downturn of her lips. She embodies the music, flooding the stage with unrestrained humour, vulnerability and sex appeal. The material is made uniquely her own.
Yet it is in the ballads that Donovan is most remarkable. Amid the memories of chart success and television appearances, we are reminded that she is also a gifted singer-songwriter. Most intimately, she stands alone with a guitar to perform Lonely.
Her heartbreak resonates deeply throughout the theatre, with her song born from the painful aftermath of a six-year catfishing relationship. Bathed in streaks of white light, she sings with heartfelt intensity from the depths of her soul. The control of her voice and the precision of her phrasing showcase her exceptional musicianship.
Having appeared on not one but three reality television shows, Donovan reflects on the unexpected opportunities that followed, including her Eurovision journey after I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! While swiping with her Tinder-trained finger, she recounts the goosebumps and tears she felt the first moment she heard, Proud.
Leading into the interval, she shares her hopes for the audience. “I hope that you can stand a little bit taller… To be unapologetically yourself. You are worthy, you are enough. You deserve greatness.”
Donovan must be commended for the sincerity with which she uses her platform to uplift others. Nothing about these sentiments feels performative. They emerge naturally from the experiences she shares throughout the evening.
We return to a costume change. Gone are the pinstriped top and lace trousers, replaced by a little black dress. She proudly displays her tattooed artwork and sheepishly sports her comfy shoes. “You can put her in a dress, but you can’t take the Bankstown out of the girl,” she recalled a manager once joking.
Back to Black and Me & Mr Jones ease us into what she affectionately calls “the musical theatre part of the show.” Her Mama Morton from Chicago is perfection, followed by performances from Flower Children and Sister Act that remind us of her impressive stage career.
Donovan speaks candidly about the pressures of becoming the leading lady of Deloris in Sister Act, performing twenty-two of twenty-eight songs, eight times a week. She reflects on the guilt of calling in sick and the weight of personal sacrifices that must be made. With time, she learned to let go of giving 111 per cent and discovered that 80 per cent could be enough.
One of the evening’s greatest highlights appears as Donovan confesses that a planned Winehouse number has been cut in favour of a cover. Waiting with bated breath, the audience is rewarded with a breathtaking performance of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now. Her emotion and raw vocal power confirm that the pre-song tissue warning was entirely warranted.
As the evening draws towards its conclusion, we come full circle to 21 November 2004. Clenching the hand of her good friend, Anthony Callea, she did not expect to win Australian Idol.
So shocked was she by the announcement that she had to discreetly ask him for the opening lyrics of Listen With Your Heart before beginning her winner’s performance. Fans are gifted a heartfelt rendition that feels as meaningful today as it did more than two decades ago.
Valerie arrives with unmistakable humour sung in a strong Aussie accent. As the crowd claps along, Donovan pauses to highlight the musicians who have supported her throughout the evening.
Her Music Director on guitar, alongside bass, keys, drums and two backing vocalists, creates a grooving and joyful sound. The music visibly pulses through their bodies, and their shared sense of fun is infectious.
There is no manufactured encore here. Donovan jokes about the “trauma” of a previous performance where the house lights came up too early, robbing audiences of the intended finale. She launches into Perfect by P!nk from her role as Angélique in the juke-box musical & Juliet, before closing with This is Me, a fitting conclusion that cleverly echoes the show’s title.
Casey Donovan is unquestionably a performer of world-class calibre and a true treasure of Australian talent. We left the theatre awestruck by her artistry, inspired by her resilience, and perhaps standing a little bit taller than before.
Thank you, Casey, for sharing your life, your love and your voice so generously with us.
Casey Donovan: This Is Me ran for one show only on 19 June at the Festival Theatre as part of the 2026 Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
Check Casey Donavan’s socials for further concert dates for This is Me, touring nationally in 2026.
Tickets are on sale for remaining Cabaret Festival shows at the website.
Website: https://cabaret.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/adelaidecabaret/ and https://www.instagram.com/caseydonovan88/
Photo credits: Claudio Raschella
