Review by Markus Hamence – Mahalia Barnes Sings The Rose. Performance date: Sunday 14 June 2026. Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, South Australia.
Mahalia Barnes performed The Rose at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival – BUT she didn’t just ‘perform’ it, she inhabited it. Taking Bette Midler’s iconic soundtrack and making it unmistakably her own, Barnes delivered a powerhouse evening (fresh from a matinee session also) of soul, grit and emotional honesty that felt less like a rolled-out tribute and more like a lived experience. The show follows the turbulent rise and fall of a female rock star navigating fame, loneliness, addiction and the relentless search for love, themes that remain as potent today as when the film first captivated audiences.
Barnes stepped on stage, with her gloriously well put together band, and her voice commanded the room in a freakin’ second. Rich, smoky and bursting with conviction, she moved effortlessly between tenderness and raw power. Every lyric seemed to carry weight, every phrase delivered with intention. Bette and Janis would have been shaking. Songs from The Rose sat comfortably alongside classics from the great female artists of the era, creating a musical tapestry that celebrated the women who helped shape popular music and clearly influenced Barnes herself.
“Mahalia Barnes turns The Rose into something deeply personal, delivering a masterclass in soul, storytelling and emotional truth.”
Markus Hamence
What makes Barnes such a compelling performer is her authenticity. There is no artifice, no unnecessary theatrics. She trusts the music, and rightly so. Whether leaning into the heartbreak of a ballad or unleashing the full force of her blues-soaked vocals, she connects directly with her audience. It is a rare gift and one that transformed the Dunstan Playhouse into something far more intimate than its size would suggest.
The band (complete with to Adelaide based musicians) matched her energy at every turn, delivering arrangements that felt both respectful of the source material and fresh enough to stand on their own. Together they created a sound that was steeped in soul, rock and rhythm and blues, perfectly complementing Barnes’ commanding presence. Credit to Barnes for giving each of the musicians a spotlight of musical glory including more intimate moments with her husband, Ben Rodgers, on bass guitar.
Yet beneath the musical excellence was a deeper story. The Rose remains a cautionary tale about the cost of fame and the fragility of the human spirit. Barnes embraced those darker themes with sensitivity and depth, ensuring the performance never drifted into nostalgia alone. Instead, it became a reflection on resilience, vulnerability and the universal desire to be loved.
“With every note, Mahalia Barnes walks the fine line between strength and vulnerability, transforming The Rose into a stirring celebration of resilience, heartbreak and hope.”
Markus Hamence
By the time the title song arrived, it felt less like a finale and more like a culmination of everything that had come before. Barnes delivered it with breathtaking sincerity, leaving the audience suspended in the moment before erupting into deserved applause.
After ‘The Rose’ album tracks were completed, we were treated with the likes of Nina Simone, Tina Turner, a few others and of course a Joplin number to round it all out. A F*cking Awesome set list.
Mahalia Barnes has a killer voice, magical stage presence and engaging showmanship. Watch this space… We are only seeing the tip of what she is et to achieve, and, Jimmy and Jane can only be as proud as punch.
Wrapping it up: In a festival filled with standout voices, Mahalia Barnes reminded us that great songs endure because great artists continue to find new ways to tell their stories. This was cabaret with heart, soul and more than a little rock and roll.
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