The 2014 Adelaide Cabaret Festival kicks off tonight and Artistic Director Kate Ceberano has produced a stellar line up of not your usual suspects for her final year as Festival Director featuring over 470 Artists in 173 performances over 16 days and nights. We take a look at ten shows that are worth checking out.
Variety Gala Performance
Festival Theatre: Friday 6 June 2014
The official opening night of the Festival, the Variety Gala Performance gives you the opportunity to frock up and get a taste of the smorgasbord of performers on offer during the 2014 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. With local and international performers taking to the stage, you’ll be entranced by the talent and diversity of the genre that makes this annual Festival one of the most loved cultural events of the year.
Rhonda Burchmore – Vinyl Viagra
Dunstan Playhouse: 6 – 8 June 2014
Be prepared for the fabulous Rhonda Burchmore to unleash the vixens of vinyl, making temperatures soar and hearts race. Channelling the sex appeal and songs of divas from Marlene Dietrich, Shirley Bassey and Cher to Madonna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, with just a hint of Berlin Cabaret thrown into the mix, the sultry Ms B invites you to an adventurous evening of sublime sensuality.
Little Bird
Her Majesty’s Theatre: 6 – 22 June 2014
A unique and rich theatrical experience, Little Bird is a one man musical drama written especially for the talents of the incomparable king of cabaret, Paul Capsis. Written by multi-award winning playwright Nicki Bloom and composers Cameron Goodall and Quentin Grant, Little Bird draws upon fairytale, dream and song to create a compelling musical journey.
Anthony Warlow & Faith Prince
Festival Theatre: Tuesday 10 June 2014
For the first time in almost a decade, Australian audiences can experience the majesty that only ‘Australia’s first man of music theatre’ can bring to the stage. Warlow will be accompanied by Faith Prince, his Broadway co-star from the critically acclaimed US production of Annie and a magnificent 30 piece orchestra. This unique concert will feature music from some of musical theatre’s greatest productions, including My Fair Lady, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, Guys and Dolls and Man of La Mancha.
Tim Campbell – High School Disco
Festival Theatre: 12 – 13 June 2014
Remember dancing to Play That Funky Music, Footloose, Shake Your Groove Thing, Centrefold, My Sharona and Can You Feel It? Tim Campbell and his band will not only play the hits from his album High School Disco, but many more much loved classics from the 70s and 80s. Join one of Australia’s most versatile and much loved entertainers for a trip down memory lane and a night of absolute fun.
David Campbell sings John Bucchino
Festival Theatre: 13 – 14 June 2014
David Campbell and Broadway composer John Bucchino met in New York in the 90s – it was the beginning of a musical kinship that has lasted decades. In this deeply personal and intimate show the friends return to the Cabaret Festival stage to talk about their lives, careers and the songs that have bound them together.
The Kermond 3 Gen Variety Show
Dunstan Playhouse: 18 – 19 June 2014
Join three generations of the Kermond clan, national treasure Warren, his multi-award winning son Wayne and grandson Zan, in a show-stopping tribute to all things vaudeville. This multi-generational romp delivers a fresh new insight into the hitherto vanishing world of variety where, night after night, song, dance, slapstick and comedy collide to create entertainment that will delight, titillate and amuse audiences from Geraldton to Gundagi.
Archie Roach – Creation
Dunstan Playhouse: 20 – 21 June 2014
The majestic body of Archie’s early work, including resurrected unheard gems, is brought to life in a very special new live show. Creation is a homemade gift from the healing hands of our nation’s most cherished storyteller and song man. Archie will be joined on stage by his musical ensemble and flanked by the sublime vocal magnificence of Mindy Kwanten, Ellie Lovegrove and Nancy Bates.
Elise McCann – Everybody Loves Lucy
Banquet Room: Saturday 21 June 2014
Ball was the Queen of American comedy for decades. Wacky, fearless, and totally endearing, Lucy broke the mould for the way women were allowed to behave on TV. Brimming with Lucille Ball’s irrepressible spirit, acclaimed Australian theatre star Elise McCann presents a tribute to a true trail-blazer featuring much-loved songs from Lucille Ball’s roles in Mame, Top Hat and many more.
Into Oblivion – The Timeless Music of Astor Piazolla
Artspace Gallery: Saturday 21 June 2014
Known for revolutionising the Tango, the vibrant, haunting and very sexy music of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla will captivate your heart. Ambre Hammond (piano) and Marcello Maio (accordion) guide you into a romantically intense world of heightened energy and tension from the excitement of a frenzied Tango such as Jealousy to the ethereal beauty of a timeless composition like Oblivion.
The Adelaide Cabaret Festival runs 6 – 21 June 2014. For more information, visit: www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Rhonda Burchmore in Vinyl Viagra