World-class cabaret acts coming up at the Hayes Theatre
2015 has started with a bang in the theatre world, as the houses fill and the lights dim and rise again after the holiday break. It’s no exception over at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre, which has been steadily announcing a slate of cabaret acts to come over the beginning months of the new year.
Check out the lineup below!
Geraldine Turner: Turner’s Turn, from Sunday 22 February. Book here.
It’s happening! Geraldine Turner hasn’t appeared in cabaret in Sydney for over a decade, but she’s coming to the Hayes. One of Australia’s greatest leading ladies, she has appeared in shows like Anything Goes, Chicago, Oliver, Into The Woods, Company, Cabaret,A Little Night Music, Call Me Madam and Sweeney Todd. She also recorded the first solo Sondheim album; this lady has quite the legacy.
Turner will present a varied sample of songs from her career, as well as plenty of show business stories. Over three consecutive Sunday nights, audiences will have a chance to look at an Australian diva up close and personal, and bask in her powerful charisma and talent.
Tim Draxl’s Freeway: The Chet Baker Journey, from Tuesday 17th March. Book here.
Written by Draxl and Bryce Hallett, Freeway, which has done the requisite festival rounds, is packed with classics and ballads as the production charts famous singer/trumpeter Chet Baker’s rise to success and self-destructive nature.
My Funny Valentine, My Buddy, Let’s Get Lost, These Foolish Things, You Don’t Know What Love Is, Look For the Silver Lining, Born to Be Blue, The Thrill is Gone and There Will Never Be Another You – they’re all there, led by Ray Alldridge on piano.
Everybody Loves Lucy, starring Elise McCann, from Sunday 22 March. Book here.
The great queen of American comedy, Lucille Ball, comes alive in Elise McCann’s half-screwball half-heartfelt tribute to one of the sharpest comic minds in our living history. Accompanied by Nigel Ubrihien and choreographed by Christopher Horsey, this is a loving tribute brought to life, and it’s so much fun.
McCann recreates skits, ads, songs, and other memorable moments from Lucy’s life, including her sitcom and tumultuous relationship with Desi Arnez. It’s wacky, exciting, and even a little bit empowering.
Lucy Maunder in Irving Berlin: Songs in the Key of Black, from Tuesday 7 April. Book here.
A real darling of the stage, Lucy Maunder has been incredibly busy lately playing Cinderella in the Victorian Opera’s Into the Woods and Rizzo in the national tour of Grease. And now, she’s bringing her acclaimed Irving Berlin cabaret back to Sydney.
Unplugged and rebooted, Maunder and her band will take you on a journey through these smoky, decadent songs, including Blue Skies, Puttin’ on the Ritz, I Love a Piano, and How Deep is the Ocean.
Everybody’s Talkin’ ’bout Me, starring Tim Freedman as Harry Nilsson, from Monday 13 April. Book here.
Another festival favourite, Tim Freedman (The Whitlams) is bringing his solo show to the venue that hosted a musical (Truth, Beauty, and a Picture of You) that featured his music.
In this show, Freedman takes on the role of one of the greatest singers and cleverest songwriters of all time. Hits such as Everybody’s Talkin’, One, Without You, and Cuddly Toy are all there on stage, played with Freedman’s sensitive, open touch at the piano.
Ali McGregor’s Alchemy, from Tuesday 21 April. Book here.
Ali McGregor, opera singer turned cabaret sensation, has received international acclaim for her soprano voice and captivating stage presence. Fresh from Club Swizzle at Sydney Opera House’s “Summer at the House” series, McGregor will bring her solo show to the Hayes, fast becoming a real home for Sydney cabaret.
Taking on all her influences, McGregor will give us mashups and genre-defying arrangements, singing Salt ‘n Pepa and Kiss like they were written for a ’40s siren in Vegas; from opera, cabaret, jazz and trashy 80s divas, this is sure to be a spellbinding night of cabaret.
