2013 Adelaide Cabaret Festival Launch

Kate Ceberano released a little of her positive energy to an appreciative audience at The Festival Centre last night with her launch of the 2013 Adelaide Cabaret Festival Programme.

Molly Ringwald, Kristen Chenoweth and Cassandra Wilson are just 3 of the Divas who are looking to wow South Australian audiences this year.

The 2013 Cab Fest will showcase the talents of 411 artists in 161 performances over 18 days and nights. 52 international artists from across the USA and the UK perform alongside 369 Australian artists, 250 of those are South Australian performers. 17 world premieres, 7 Australian premieres and 17 Adelaide premieres will ensure the 2013 Festival is jam-packed and also features 12 international shows.

Opening on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend 7 June and running until 22 June, this year’s programme is bigger than ever before. Artistic Director Kate Ceberano set the bar high with her first Festival last year which broke all previous box office records, claiming the highest box office ever in the event’s 12 year history and South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill noted in his speech that Kate had increased the ticket sales by 12% in 2012 compared to the 2011 Cabaret Festival’s record.

Last night’s audience was treated to a glimpse of what is to come with live performances by Eddie Perfect, You, Me & The Bloody Sea, Paul Capsis, Michelle Nightingale and “Hans” (Matt Gilbertson) with Capsis at his charismatic best and Hans almost overwhelming the audience with an energetically risqué and humorously Weimeresque performance backed up by his own band ‘The Ungrateful Bastards’ and skimpy dancers ‘The Lucky Bitches’ (“easier to get into than TAFE”).

The audience was also shown video clips of goodwill messages as well as performances by international acts such as Kristen Chenoweth, RRamp, David Pomeranz and Martha Wainwright.

Kate Ceberano said, “I am borderline hysterical over the programme. 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”.

This year’s Festival explores the theme of ‘See What Hides Within’ and that’s exactly what the programme does, going beyond the realm of performers on stage. It provides audiences with a unique look at the artist and this ever-evolving art form. From the satirical, nostalgic, contemporary, to the traditional, magical and vagabond, fresh-faced Cabaret artists and industry stalwarts all go to extreme lengths to share their inspiring journeys from a range of perspectives and artistic platforms.

The capacity audience in the Festival Theatre kept oohing and ahhing as each performer and their act was revealed including Barb Jungr, New York Cabaret icon Joey Arias in Arias on Holiday channeling of legendary jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday, Lady Rizo a Grammy award-winning diva known as the Mistress of Ceremonies at New York’s current hotspot The Darby.

The bright lights of Broadway will shine in Adelaide when the grandson of the great Richard Rodgers, USA’s Tony Award winning theatre composer/lyricist Adam Guettell performs on stage with Haley Bond.

Kate’s friends from South Pacific make a splash in this year’s programme as Michael Lindner performs Mark Campbell’s off-Broadway hit 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. And in what is destined to be a Festival showstopper, 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 Adelaide Art Orchestra and conductor Vanessa Scammell will join the two on stage.

Festival favourite Eddie Perfect pads up with Australian Director Simon Phillips (Most recently having directed Barry Humphries in Eat! Pray! Laugh!) who guides this new production of Shane Warne the Musical with the 24 piece Adelaide Art Orchestra conducted by Iain Grandage.

Tributes are a-plenty in this year’s Festival: Tommy Bradson pays homage to Australian stage legend Reg Livermore in Reg as he performs a retrospective of that man’s illustrious career; and soul sensation and star of last year’s hit TV series The Voice Darren Percival, brings us a celebration of Ray Charles and his music in the aptly titled A Tribute to Ray Charles.

David Pomeranz’s one-man musical Chaplin A Life in Concert is, naturally, based on the life story of Charlie Chaplin. While Australian star of stage and screen Tom Burlinson performs his sensational salute to the masters of swing in Now We’re Swingin’.

Catherine Alcorn presents Go Your Own Way, the story of Christine McVie – the other woman in Fleetwood Mac. 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.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival will be alive with the sound of Julie Andrews as West End singer and actress Sarah-Louise Young performs Julie Madly Deeply. Marika Aubrey celebrates Sophie Tucker’s life and career in Last of the Red Hot Mamas, a personal salute to the original red hot mama.

If contemporary cabaret is more to your liking there’s plenty to sate your appetite; Mojo Juju’s Pony Takes A Powder will be the perfect introduction; Also fitting the bill is RRamp created by Christine Johnston who is renowned for her creation 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”.

Multiple Helpmann Award winner Paul Capsis is back with The Paul Capsis Revue. Cult musical 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, which explores the motto “Take your tragedy and make it marvelous!” Paul McDermott’s 2013 Fringe exhibition The Dark Garden is now a stage show, with its world premiere especially for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

Cabaret traditionalists won’t be disappointed either as a selection of Irving Berlin’s songs will be performed by Lucy Maunder in Irving Berlin: Songs in the Key of Black. The Doyen of Cabaret, Robyn Archer, is back exploring the classic cabaret traditions of Paris and Vienna.

In a nod to Cabaret’s French roots Abby Dobson, front person for Leonardo’s Bride, along with Lara Goodridge, violinist/singer from the celebrated string quartet Four Play present a passionate tour de force of French songs in Baby et Lulu. Martha Wainright, the voice of a musical dynasty 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, which promises to reveal a deeply personal journey through song.

Those who missed the sold-out critically acclaimed Australian tour of Songs for Nobodies will be able to see Bernadette Robinson as she returns to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival with a concert of songs by her favourite performers and songwriters.

The loveable larrikins of Aussie rock Brian Cadd and Russell Morris swap tall stories and sing classics from the Aussie rock canon. Adelaide’s own Cameron Goodall (ex of The Audreys), Quincy Grant and Andy Packer have come together with their boisterous new show You, Me & The Bloody Sea, original music invoking traditional sea shanties and siren songs.

For further information visit www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au