BethanyOwen.net Created & Managed by Jim Whirlow: Press/Reviews

January 2009 Vol. 35 Issue 1
By Sam Kindrick

One-woman show:

Tra Coggin treated her
live country music patrons
at Tra's Country to a real
change of pace last month
with the appearance of
Bethany Owen, award-winning
Vegas show woman and probably
the greatest female voice
impressionist in the world.

How Tra pulled this one
off remains a mystery, but
there wasn't a man or woman
in the audience who wasn't wowed
by Bethany's incredible talent.

Switching wigs and costumes on
stage and right in front
of her audience,
Ms. Owen kept everyone in stitches with a
combination of singing, voice impressions,
and stand-up comedy which rates with the biggest
names in show business.

Starring in her production
called “One Voice,” a one-woman show, Owen demonstrated why she is a two-time winner in Las Vegas for “best female voice impressionist.”

Sexy, salty, and sharp of
tougue, Bethany Owen
dragged one blushing male
patron after another out of
the Tra's audience, and before she was done,
the big country music dance hall was literally rocking with laughter.

She did hilarious impersonations
of everyone from
Marilyn Monroe to
Martha Stewart,
and her running
line of one-liners was too swift for many to follow.

“My face is a lot like the
roads here in San Antonio,”
she said. “Always under construction.”

Before her Tina Turner
Impersonation, Owen said,
“Tina is so hot she has to
wear a smoke detector between her thighs.”

Wearing the black,
bushy, and godawful
ugly wig she used in her Cher impersonation,
Owen told her brand new fans:

“The good news is that
this is not my real hair. The
bad news is that these really are my own boobs.”

Then, staring down at
the modest bumps on her
chest, she mused:

“Oh, shit. They really are
mine.”

On the serious side,
Dolly Parton said of this world-class show woman:

“Bethany does my voice better than I do my own.”

Now Tra will have to figure out how to get
Owen back to San Antonio for another show at Tra's Country.

COVER STORY

ENTERTAINER SPOTLIGHT ON BETHANY OWEN
by Johnny Meza, Desert Entertainer

Impressionist, vocalist, dancer and actor Bethany Owen fondly recalls her father and brother having the acute ability to mimic voices, unaware that one day she would be crowned the “Best Female Voice Impressionist” two years in a row in Las Vegas.


She is billed as “The Woman of 1001 Voices and Faces.” You'll be amazed by her spot-on impersonations of Cher, Madonna, Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Joan Rivers, Minnie Pearl, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Martha Stewart, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears or basically almost any female entertainer from the forties to the present.


Add original comedy material, costume changes, facial expressions and a voice that captures every nuance of the personality she's imitating to the equation and you see why the real Dolly Parton exclaimed, “Bethany does my voice better than I do my own!”


Born in Wichita, Kan., Owen grew up in Seattle and later moved to Atlanta at the age of 11 with her family, eventually ending up in Huntington Beach.


She was trained at an early age in ballet and flamenco, but a promising career in dance was suddenly halted when she came down with a virus at the age of 17.


“It was a whole of year of dealing with doctors giving me the wrong medication,” said Owen. “I missed out on a lot of opportunities, so it was not the best time for me.”


Redirecting her energy and focus to the stage during her high school years, she performed in community theater and Civic Light Opera, winning several awards along the way.


“My first professional job was dancing at Disneyland for Fantasy on Parade as Mary Poppins. I played that role for four years until they made me a dancing Hibiscus. I was carrying a 40-pound flower over my neck and I fell over while marching on Main Street!” she laughed. “I knew it was time for a change.”


Given a three-month ultimatum from her father to make it in showbiz or find a “normal” job, Owen auditioned for a touring show band in L.A. “They needed a choreographer that could sing backup. I got the gig and that's when I really began to learn how to sing.”


The band, Full Moon, began touring the showroom circuit throughout the country, including an extended booking in the lounge at the Union Plaza in Las Vegas.


“We had a manager who would oversee the direction of the shows and he decided we should put together a TV segment. Edith Bunker was the first impression I did and it went over really well.


“The band would constantly razz me. They would put an album in front of me and say, ‘If you could sing like Diana Ross or Barbra Streisand then we'd have a higher opinion of you.'


“That's what I did. I actually sat down and phonetically figured out what they were singing. I started developing more voices so our manager decided I should be out front and center.”


She's one of the leading female animation voice-over artists and has appeared on Larry King Live, Mad TV, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Brian DiPalma's “Body Double” as Norma Desmond.


Currently touring nationally in her one woman show co-created and directed by Jim Whirlow of JRW Group Entertainment, Owen's act at CopyKatz is a must see, but you better hurry. She's only here for three weeks and then she's back on the road, all 1001 of her.


Genre: Comedy & Vocal Impressions


Contact info: JRW Group Entertainment (714) 968-7907


For the Entertainer Spotlight email Johnny Meza at: jmeza@dc.rr.com

http://www.desertentertainer.com

Rodeo City show promises to bring back memories.

By CLIFF WALKER

Contributor Clara Walker’s Rodeo City Music Hall will proudly present the talented Bethany
Owen and Alan Dryman in “The Orange Blossom Special: A Tribute to the Grand Ole Opry” Friday, March 16. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The duo will star as Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash, and many other performers are scheduled to appear.

Dryman mesmerizes audiences with his genius impersonations. His rendition of Johnny Cash, with his lopsided, gleaming grin, is convincing. Then he glides into a rendition of George Jones, the cowboy with a tortured soul. He can then transition into the passionate charm of Tom Jones or the surging velvet voice of The King, Elvis Presley.

He is a vocal magician who unveils upbeat, singing portraits of some of the most ageless and enduring songsters of our era. Dryman lights the stage with a fun-filled musical odyssey, including sentimental ballads, country headliners and the perfect love songs. When he smiles, it is almost impossible not to smile with him.

Also performing is Bethany Owen, a tall, svelte young lady who has the chameleon like ability to imitate top entertainers both dramatically and
musically.

In her current “One Voice” tour, she
flawlessly reproduces dozens of both male and female stars with dead-on accuracy.

Because she is tuned into today’s show business scene as well as yesterday’s, Owen is able to entertain teenagers, show-hip conventioneers and senior citizens. Her humor is crisp and topical, her impressions letter-perfect and her singing impeccable.

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

Rodeo City Music Hall is located at 214 W. Davis in Mesquite.

Cliff Walker handles publicity for Rodeo City Music Hall.

PRIZE-WINNING MIMIC
DELIGHTS AUDIENCES

In show business, the most delightfully schizophrenic entertainer is the voice mimic, the highly gifted performer who, with nothing more than a good ear, a flexible voice and a lot of body language can create a cast of thousands all by themselves. The names Frank Gorshin and Rich Little come immediately to mind.

Sometimes these performers reach such a level of skill that they are honored, not only by the public, but by their peers as well.

This year, the title of Vocal Mimic of the Year was bestowed by them on Bethany Owen in a ceremony in Las Vegas.

Ms. Owen, a tall, svelte young lady, has the chameleon-like ability to imitate top entertainers both dramatically and musically. In her current "One Voice" tour, she flawlessly reproduces dozens of beloved stars (female and male) of the past and present, with dead-on accuracy. Because she is tuned into today's show business scene as well as yesterday, she is able to entertain audiences as diverse as teenagers, show-hip conventioneers and senior citizens. Her humor is crisp and topical, her impressions letter perfect and her singing impeccable.

In the performances I saw, armed with dozens of wigs and multiple costume changes, she attacked characters as different as Marilyn Monroe (sexy and funny), Minnie Pearl (cornball and cute), Cher (devastating) and Dolly Parton ( a massive double feature.), Sandra Bernhardt, Doctor Ruth and many more. She does a particularly clever bit about the mothers of Rodney Dangerfield, Jackie Mason and Arnold Schwarzenegger reading "The Tortoise and the Hare" to their children.

But it is in the area of musical impressions that she truly shines. In one segment, she jams and jams in many of the great ladies of Jazz; "sassy" Sarah Vaughan, Anita O'Day, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald and a thrillingly authentic Lena Horne.

She closes with a moving tribute to Liza Minelli and Judy Garland.

The darling of the corporate sales meeting circuit, Ms. Own is ideal for condo and organization shows, where you want to get the most for your entertainment dollar. If you have that "Special Show" in the offing, Bethany Owen is an ideal bet.

She can be contacted locally through Billie Wells at (954) 321-8883 or JRW Entertainment Group (Jim Whirlow) at (714) 968-7907 or Email:jrwgrp@att.net

Jerry Layton writes his entertainment article titled "Curtain Call" for "AroundTown", a bi-monthly newspaper publication distributed in Broward and South Palm Beach County, Florida.

E-mail: "Curtain Call" at aroundtown@earthlink.net in care of Jerry Layton, Theatre Critic.

BETHANY OWEN TO BE HEARD BUT NOT SEEN IN RIPLEY'S MUSEUM

Newport, OR., "Ripley's Believe It or Not" museum in Newport, Oregon have contracted voice Impressionist, Bethany Owen to create and portray selected celebrity voices to update an existing entertainment attraction within the museum. Neal Henning, Project Manager for Ripley's, is excited to have Owen as the chosen voice impressionist to update this attraction with newer voices such as Paula Abdul, Sharon Osbourne and Marge, Bart and Homer Simpson. These newer voice impressions will update the current voices of Dean Martin, Carol Channing and Liberacre in the attraction currently.

Jim Whirlow, Director / Producer for JRW Group Entertainment is hired on as well to direct and produce the finished audio masters for Ripley's in Los Angeles at Pool
Party Records.

JRW Group Entertainment, March 27, 2005

BETHANY OWEN AWARD

Los Angeles, CA., Howard Koby, international photographer to have Mary Magdalene image of Bethany Owen, model, chosen as one of his latest award winning photographs to be published in the new photo images book, "INCREDIBLE EYES",
Published by TCB-Cafe Publishing, SF.

INCREDIBLE EYES is also an exhibition of international photography with images featured in the book of the same name due for release in April 2005.

The photographers each bring a unique and personal interpretation to the question of what makes eyes fascinating, expressive, and the windows to the soul.

This coffee table book will be on the shelves of many major bookstores in late April.

Places that have ordered copies in the U.S. include Borders, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Museum Store, Tower Records & Books, Cody's, Shakespeare & Company (NYC), etc.

See book sample online at: http://cafeandre.com/incrediblebuy.html
Bethany Owen on page 31

Opening Reception and Book Release Party on Thursday, March 31, 2005 at 7 pm until 12 am at the Canvas Gallery, San Francisco

tcb-cafe publishing & media san francisco
http://www.cafeandre.com

See the Howard Koby, Mary Magdalene photo image on this site in the Photo Gallery.

JRW Group Entertainment, March 25, 2005

ONE VOICE 2005 TOUR:

Huntington Beach, CA., Bethany Owen and Jim Whirlow, show director / producer recently completed a 7,500 mile Southern route round trip road tour from Los Angeles to Miami, covering six states along the way with their one-woman production stage show titled 'One Voice".

The show played to audiences in the corporate, theater, cabaret and entertainment club markets.

There were many great experiences and people they worked with and met, but some highlights included pre-show performance for nationally known Nashville country artists, Brooks and Dunn at the Gaylord Resort in Dallas, TX., the Georgie's Alibi crowd in Wilton Manors, FL., the American Cancer Society Fundraiser together with the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Society in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and completing the 6 week US tour at the Stardust Casino Hotel in Las Vegas.

Owen and Whirlow are back at home in Los Angeles area gearing up for what they hope to be a very busy summer production schedule.

BETHANY OWEN SPEAKS FOR "AUNTIE SPHINX"

Tarzana, CA., Education Comics inc., Diane Russomanno, Creator and Executive Producer has chosen Bethany Owen to be the lead female animated character voice impressionist for their
new children's animation feature film and DVD project titled, "The Adventures of Scooter McDoogal".

Owen will play the lead female voice roll for the evil "Auntie Sphinx" the magical villainous creature who combines the look of a woman, a bat and a cat to create conflict for the lead character Scooter McDoogal. Along with her nephew Bratticus they try to regain control of a magical scooter given to Scooter McDoogal by mistake. So through this very entertaining and original story children learn english, history, science, math, space science and so much more in a fun and enjoyable way.

Owen will also represent ECI at national PR events and conventions as well as personal promotional appearances in character around the country as Auntie Sphinx.

JRW Group Entertainment January 5, 2005

RING TONES OR BETHANY TONES

Hollywood, CA. Bethany Owen, celebrity voice impressionist has been hired to record a series of voice impressions for the latest wave of electronic answering machines, down loadable cell phone ring tones and GPS in car navigational instruments. So the next time your lost and ring your GPS system or waiting for an answering machine pick-up response the voice on the other side that sounds like, Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Fran Drescher, Sharon Osbourne or even Edith Bunker could be really Bethany Owen.

DOLLY PARTON AND BETHANY OWEN TEAM UP 9 TO 5 IN NASHVILLE RECORDING SESSION

Bethany Owen records five new parody song titles for Dolly Parton’s new 2004 theatrical stage show.

Huntington Beach, CA., Celebrity singing voice impressionist, Bethany Owen, known as the “Woman of a 1001 Voices and Faces” recently returned from Nashville, TN. along with her Manager - Producer, Jim Whirlow where she recorded five new songs for legendary country artist and producer Dolly Parton. The session took place at 2 Monkeys Studios in Nashville, TN. where Parton had recorded her most recent 2003 CD title ”For God and Country”. Owen was contacted by Parton’s office to come to Nashville and bring her extraordinary talents as a female singing voice impressionist to Dolly’s new recording project. Owen tracked five lyrical comedy song titles portraying artists like Barbra Streisand, Cher, Michael Jackson, Melissa Etheridge and Diana Ross. These tracks, once completed, will be placed within the show line-up and performed by Parton as part of a musical comedy section incorporating Owen’s vocal tracks. The new Dolly Parton theatrical production stage show is due to start touring in the Fall of 2004 and is targeting the casino and corporate markets.

* See pictures on Photo Gallery page

JRW Group Entertainment April 2, 2004: