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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Ammar Kalia

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical review – Queen of Funk’s jukebox epic lacks the X factor

Alexandra Burke as Chaka Khan sings passionately into a microphone, one hand raised
Nimble staging … Alexandra Burke as Chaka Khan in I’m Every Woman. Photograph: Danny Kaan

In the pantheon of soul divas, Chaka Khan is surely one of the fiercest. With a soaring, multioctave vocal range that earned accolades from Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis, as well as a chequered personal life and a stint in the Black Panthers alongside Fred Hampton, Khan’s story has long felt ripe for immortalisation in a jukebox musical.

I’m Every Woman features X Factor winner Alexandra Burke in the lead role, with a book by Khan’s own creative director, Nia T Hill. Running just shy of three hours, it is a gargantuan undertaking of two uneven parts.

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