2013 Adelaide Cabaret Festival

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director Kate Ceberano has upped the ante this year with four divas making their Adelaide Cabaret Festival debut, including both the original good and bad witches of Broadway smash hit Wicked, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as well as Cassandra Wilson and Molly Ringwald. (Idina Menzel pictured left - photographer Robin Wong)

The 2013 program features 411 artists in 161 performances over 18 days and nights. 52 international artists from across the USA and the UK and the best from Australia with 369 Australian artists, 250 of those South Australian performers. Showcasing 17 world premieres, seven Australian premieres and 17 Adelaide premieres, the vibrant program also features 12 international shows.

Opening on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend 7 June and running until 22 June, this year’s Festival program is bigger than ever before. The 2012 Cabaret Festival broke all previous box office records, claiming the highest box office ever in the event’s 12 year history, including the 2011 Festival’s record by 12 per cent.

Headlining the opening weekend is Tony and Emmy Award winning performer Kristin Chenoweth (pictured right), best known as the original Glinda in Wicked, and a Tony Award winner for her role in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. In her Australian Premiere performance, Chenoweth will perform with the Adelaide Art Orchestra before embarking on a national tour with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival as Associate Presenter for her Australian tour.

Molly Ringwald, star of 80s hit films,Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club makes her Australian stage debut in An Evening with Molly Ringwald. Also an accomplished jazz vocalist, Ringwald cut her first LP at the age of 6.

Two-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer and composer Cassandra Wilson will appear with her sextet, made up of some of the best musicians in the USA.

Headlining the closing weekend of the Festival is Tony Award Winning performer, Idina Menzel, star of Broadway’s Wicked and the original stage production of Rent. Menzel will be joined on stage by her performer/actor husband Taye Diggs, and backed by the 55 piece Adelaide Art Orchestra. Menzel will also tour to Sydney and Melbourne.

Festival Artistic Director Kate Ceberano says, “I am borderline hysterical over the program. Who could have believed the juggernaut this festival has become? What an honour it is to be presenting some of the most talented and diverse artists from all over the world! Cabaret becomes a bigger and more recognised art form every year, taking it beyond its humble beginnings and yet maintaining its up close and personal branding”.

Ceberano’sprogram presents a line-up of international artists including the UK songstress Barb Jungr in Stockport to Memphis. New York Cabaret icon Joey Arias channels legendary jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday in Arias on Holiday. Also hailing from the US is Lady Rizo a Grammy award-winning diva known for being the Mistress of Ceremonies at New York’s current hotspot The Darby.

From Broadway, the grandson of the great Richard Rodgers, USA’s Tony Award winning theatre composer/lyricist Adam Guettell (pictured left) takes to the stage with Haley Bond. In addition to seeing him on stage audiences can get up close and personal in a Masterclass.

After appearing in South Pacific in 2012, some her fellow performers are in this year’s program. Michael Lindner performs Mark Campbell’s off-Broadway musical for one actor Songs from an Unmade Bed. Lieutenant Cable aka acclaimed tenor Daniel Koek returns home with his eight-piece band from London to present A Decade Down the Road. Kate herself will take to the stage with Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Meet Me in the Middle, a collaboration that merges opera, musical theatre and rock’n’roll. The two will be joined on stage by the Adelaide Art Orchestra and conductor Vanessa Scammell.

Eddie Perfect will hit a six as Director Simon Phillips guides a new production of Shane Warne the Musicalin concert with the 24 piece Adelaide Art Orchestra conducted by Iain Grandage. Perfect heads up a cast including Lisa McCune as Simone Warne, Shane Jacobson as Terry Jenner, Verity Hunt-Ballard as Bridgette Warne (Shane’s mum!) and Christie Whelan Browne as Liz Hurley.  

Tributes are a-plenty in this year’s Festival: Tommy Bradson pays homage to Reg Livermore in Reg as he performs a retrospective on his illustrious career; and star of last year’s TV series The Voice Darren Percival, brings his celebration of a musical legend A Tribute to Ray Charles.

USA’s composer/performer,David Pomeranz’s one-man musical tour de force Chaplin A Life in Concert is based on the life story of the brilliant cinematic genius. Australian star of stage and screen Tom Burlinson performs his salute to the masters of swing in Now We’re Swingin’.

Catherine Alcorn (pictured right) presents Go Your Own Way, the story of Christine McVie - the other woman’ in Fleetwood Mac. From Fleetwood Mac to Annie Lennox and Bruce Springsteen, Adelaide’s own star of Jersey Boys Michael Griffiths returns with Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox whilst another Adelaidean Michelle Nightingale demonstrates her Springsteen-inspired journey in Born To Run.

Award-winning West End singer and actress Sarah-Louise Young lovingly recreates the sound of Julie Andrews in Julie Madly Deeply. Marika Aubrey celebrates Sophie Tucker’s life and career in Last of the Red Hot Mamas.

There’s also a strong program of  cabaret; Mojo Juju’s Pony Takes A Powder; RRamp created by Christine Johnston of the Kransky Sisters. RRamp is an eclectic mix of original music, dance, story-telling, humour and animation. Meow Meow returns with her unique brand of kamikaze cabaret and performance art exotica.

Paul Capsis will present the Paul Capsis Revue. UK duo Bourgeois and Maurice make their Australian premiere with their Edinburgh Fringe hit Sugartits! Unlike her persona in popular television series Winners and Losers Virginia Gay is a little bit naughty in Songs to Self-Destruct To.

Paul McDermott’s 2013 Fringe exhibition The Dark Garden is now a stage show, a world premiere especially for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Puta Madre Brothers, the wanna-be Mexicans, pay homage to their heroes of outlaw rock and roll, soul and Mexican folk music. Cabaret Survivor is pianist, singer, writer and satirist Phi Scott’s personal take on his mid-life cabaret career.

Magician and philosopher Sunny Leunig presents the Adelaide premiere of his 2012 Melbourne Fringe Festival hit A Guide to Unhappiness, his unique take on magosophy – magic and philosophy combined.

Cabaret traditionalists won’t be disappointed. A selection of Irving Berlin’s songs will be delivered with style by Lucy Maunder (pictured left) in Irving Berlin: Songs in the Key of Black. She will also embrace Jacques Brel along with John O’May and Helen Morse in Love. War. Death. BREL. Robyn Archer is back in Que Rest-T’il? exploring the classic cabaret traditions of Paris and Vienna.

In a nod to Cabaret’s French roots Abby Dobson songstress and front person for Leonardo’s Bride, with Lara Goodridge, violinist/singer from the string quartet Four Play present a passionate tour de force of French songs in Baby et Lulu. Martha Wainright presents a richly diverse repertoire from several of her albums including her most recent release and the title of her show Come Home to Mama.

Bernadette Robinsonas she returns to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival with a concert of songs by her favourite performers and songwriters.

My Latin Heart will be presented by internationally-acclaimed baritone José Carbó who will be joined by Adelaide International Guitar Festival Artistic Director and celebrated classical guitarist Slava Grigoryan and his equally renowned guitarist brother Leonard.

Compositions: A Musical Close Upis a theatrical and visual brings together the musical theatre talents of Tyran Parke, with images by his brother, photographers Trent Parke.

Larrikans of Aussie rock Brian Cadd and Russell Morris swap tall stories and sing classics from the Aussie rock industry from the 1960s to today, whilst folk and country genres are honored as Miles O’Neil and Simone Page Jones collaborate in Home in Your Heart. Adelaide creative talents Cameron Goodall, Quincy Grant and Andy Packer have come together to create a new cabaret adventure You, Me & The Bloody Sea featuring original music and invoking traditional sea shanties and siren songs.

Soprano siren Ali McGregor appears in her new show Alchemy. She transforms into a 1940s siren creating some unique mash-ups. Australian brother and sister duo Emma and Thomas Hamilton perform La Musique, an blend of jazz-pop standards sung in both French and English.

Local media identity Matt Gilbertson’s alter ego Hans takes to the Cabaret Festival Stage along with his band The Ungrateful Bastards and dancers The Lucky Bitches in Like A German. Matt can also be seen hosting the final night of the Backstage Club.

David Bromley is back as design consultant having designed the Backstage Club, where you’ll find the artists kicking up their heels after their show and possibly even onstage. This year’s club will be hosted by an array of stars from the Festival including Joey Arias, American comedian and impressionist Jim Meskimen and Festival Artistic Director Kate Ceberano.

The Variety Gala Performance will be held over two nights with a star-studded line-up. The performance on 6 June will toast the 40^thAnniversary of Adelaide Festival Centre whilst 7 June performance will celebrate the opening of 2013 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. 

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier says “Cabaret Festival’s Variety Gala performances will salute the traditions of cabaret and variety so central to the rich history of this great arts centre, the first ever purpose built arts centre of its kind in the country”.

The next generation of cabaret continues with Class of Cabaret 2013 as some of the most talented music and drama students from secondary schools across South Australia study the practical art of cabaret with Musical Director Matthew Carey and vocal coach Kim Spargo, culminating with a masterclass with Ceberano. This program features 30 students from 17 schools and is supported by CentreEd and The Department for Education and Child Development.

Class of Cabaret Graduates is a new initiative. Three of last year’s most talented Class of Cabaret students, Claudia Sigalla, Ashley Bronca and Jack Degenhart,  take to the stage in their own show as part of the inaugural Adelaide Cabaret Festival Mentorship Program.

2012 Australian Cabaret Showcase winner Bradley McCaw and runner-up Amelia Ryan make their Cabaret Festival debuts.

Adelaide Festival Centre’s Performing Arts Collection in conjunction with the Melbourne Arts Centre’s Performing Arts Collection and Reg Livermore presents Reg Livermore: Souvenirs from the Stage; Reg shares souvenirs from a celebrated life in the theatre as performer, writer, director and designer.

Media partner 891 ABC Adelaide embrace the Festival spirit on Saturdays during the Festival. 891 ABC Adelaide Afternoons Presenter Sonya Feldhoff will join a variety of Cabaret Festival artists on stage between 4 – 5pm, this Cabaret Catch Up will coax the artists to reveal their creative impulses. The inimitable 891 ABC Adelaide Evenings Presenter Peter Goers will broadcast live from the Festival on Thursday 13 June, audiences can experience Peter’s unique audio vaudeville – Cabaret style!

Adelaide Festival Centre’s youth arts membership program GreenRoom have a range of special offers to Adelaide Cabaret Festival for 16 and 30 year olds, including heavily discounted tickets to a variety of shows. For more information on the GreenRoom program visit www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/greenroom

Thanks to Great Southern Rail patrons who subscribe to four or more shows go in the draw to WIN an extraordinary travel package valued at $9,000. Patrons who purchase tickets before 1 May will go in the draw to:

WIN a deluxe Ghan package for two people which comprises:

·         Platinum Service travel on The Ghan (Two nights and three days from Adelaide to Darwin)

·         All on-board meals

·         All standard wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks

·         Exclusive Off Train Excursions at Alice Springs and the beautiful Katherine Gorge

·         Chauffeured transfers to the terminal

·         Flights from Darwin back to Adelaide or your nearest Australian capital city

Full program and tickets are on sale now through BASS 131 246 or online www.bass.net.au. Program details are available in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival brochure. Get one free by calling the Adelaide Cabaret Hotline on (08) 8216 8901 or go to www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au