Adelaide Festival Centre has announced multi-talented television, stage and film favourite, Julia Zemiro will be the Artistic Director for the 2019 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Julia brings a freshness and exuberance to the role, which heralds a new chapter for the festival.
On the final night of this year’s festival, Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier thanked outgoing Artistic Director Ali McGregor, who passed on the baton after three successful years. She joined Douglas Gautier onstage at the Pol Roger Backstage Club to welcome Julia Zemiro to the role.
“Adelaide Cabaret Festival is the biggest and best cabaret festival of its kind in the world, and the 2018 program was the most exciting and diverse yet,” said Gautier. “During her three years at the helm, Ali McGregor has brought international superstars to Adelaide and presented more local artists than ever before.
“This year’s program featured 20 world, 10 Australian and 11 Adelaide premieres and produced more than 40 sold out performances. We are very proud of what Ali has accomplished in the role and wish her every success in future endeavours.”
A large part of cabaret is the MC: Sassy, fiery, charming and deadly. As the host of Rockwiz for over a decade, Julia Zemiro has cajoled and charmed thousands of punters, contestants and professional musicians to move out of their comfort zones and spar, be it on TV or live on stage on five national tours.
“My mission has always been to have audiences and artists leave a gig feeling good,” said Zemiro. “Nothing moves me more than watching someone singing on stage, be it from side of stage in the wings at Rockwiz… or from a commentary box in the Gods of a stadium in Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest… or indeed filming Home Delivery and busking with Billy Bragg at Barking Train Station (the police moved us on).
“I love to perform but I love to be entertained and I give good audience. What thrills me about cabaret is the combination of the political, the personal, the sublime, and the dangerous. It soars like nothing else. There is dread around us in the world. And we keep trying to find ways to cut through the noise. I look forward to shaping a festival for you big on ideas, emotions, languages and all things shiny. There will always be shiny.”
The 2018 Adelaide Cabaret Festival featured more than 300 artists including Broadway royalty and two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone in Don’t Monkey with Broadway and Tony Award winning and Golden Globe nominated co-creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell. For more information, visit: www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Julia Zemiro – courtesy of Adelaide Festival Centre