Julie Wilson & More Set For Adelaide Cabaret Fest 6/5-20, Peters To Headline

The Adelaide Festival Centre and Artistic Director for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, David Campbell, are pleased to announce the program for the ninth annual Adelaide Cabaret Festival, 5 - 20 June, 2009.

When the sun goes down in June, forget the winter chills and come to where it's warm inside, laughter rings out and you can indulge in some of the best cabaret around as the Adelaide Festival Centre venues are transformed into popular haunts with great live performances by some of the most talented cabaret artists from around the world. Finish the evening listening to the captivating and soulful sounds of Late Nights in the Piano Bar.

In the heart of Adelaide, the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival will open with a glamorous Variety Gala Performance on Friday 5 June, at 7.30pm in the Festival Theatre. The Gala will offer a diverse sample of the 2009 Festival program featuring local and international stars, with the full line-up revealed on the night! This gala is for one night only - nowhere else in the world will you see an array of cabaret artists performing in a gala of such stunning proportions.

This year the festival, proudly supported by Principal Partner FOXTEL, will celebrate the diversity of cabaret and audiences will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the most successful artists on the cabaret scene today, along with a number of exciting up and coming artists about to explode onto the world stage and some household names that will be pushing the boundaries and embracing the cabaret genre. With artists from the U.S., France, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand, along with a host of talented Australian performers we expect the demand for tickets to be high, so encourage people to book early to avoid disappointment.

Appearing in her only Australian performances, the Festival is proud to have musical theatre legend Bernadette Peters headllining, performing in the Festival Theatre on 6 and 7 June. Bernadette Peters is among the crème de la crème of live stage performers and a Tony Award winning star on New York's Broadway scene.

This year's line-up includes 257 Artists with 108 of them South Australian performers. Overall there will be 133 performances of some 57 different shows across 16 days of the Festival opening on the Queen's Birthday long weekend.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director David Campbell says, "I'm very proud of this year's program, it's been wonderful to be able to bring so many incredible performers together and I can't wait to sit in the venues with the audience and soak it all in. I've been playing my cards close to my chest, but now we can reveal the full deck."

From the top of the deck we'd like to present two grand dames of cabaret: firstly, sensational Broadway songstress Julie Wilson. Julie has been stunning audiences with her theatrical flair for over 70 years, belting out songs and beguiling audiences, and she is a cabaret treasure not to be missed. Secondly, the incomparable Robyn Archer will appear for one show only. Robyn will be on stage and on song as she traces French song through the twentieth century to the end of the 1960's with Que Reste-t'il?

Our Kings of Clubs include Harry James Angus, best known for his work with multi-platinum band The Cat Empire, Pugsley Buzzard will make his Adelaide Premiere in an underworld of song titled Noir, and get ready to rumble as we present the dark delights and vodka-fuelled criminal sounds of VulgarGrad. Daddy Cool comes to Cabaret when Aussie rock legend Ross Wilson performs his world premiere No Smoke, Just Mirrors, backed by a jazz trio, with images from past to present. Be mesmerized by vocal artist and innovator Mr Percival as he takes your ears on a journey of their own and Artistic Director David Campbell keeps it in the family with The Dad & Dave Show, dueting with his dad Jimmy Barnes singing each other's songs and songs that have inspired them and their lives. No set of Kings would be without an explosive band of musicians that will get you on your feet; this year it's the foot stomping fun of Victor Valdes & the Real Mexico Band.

Every King must have his Queen and we start our royal flush with Tony Award winning actor-singer Lillias White, direct from the U.S. This torch song diva will have you laughing and crying with her incredible voice. The next generation of cabaret stars, Elenoa Rokobaro, Christie Whelan and winner of the Sydney Cabaret Showcase Sheridan Harbridge, will appear for the first time, while Mahalia Barnes & The Soul Mates will have their Adelaide premiere and perform for one night only in the Piano Bar. Stunning jazz vocalist Tina Harrod will sing songs from her album Worksongs, while the extraordinarily soulful Kate Ceberano will perform for one night only with songs of love and loss. Our divas don't stop there: backed by a big-band Grace Knight is sure to captivate and charm audiences at the Festival, as will the seductive rhythms from South America when Argentine performer Barbara Luna takes to the Space Theatre stage. With her unique mix of vocal percussion with familiar songs, the talented Butterscotch from the U.S. ensures audiences can mix it up with their choice of shows.

No deck would be complete without the Jokers and this year get set to laugh till it hurts, starting with the irrepressible Bob Downe paying tribute to the troop shows of yesteryear in World War Bob. The high energy Every Film Ever Made and comedy sensation Axis of Awesome will entertain with rapid fire wit and charm and don't miss the hilarious ladies of comedy brimming with naughtiness, Julia Morris and Jackie Loeb in their one woman shows. Back by popular demand will be the memorable Carpenters From Kempsey, from France, Duel will battle it out using bow and keyboard as their weapons of choice, and from Canada Cabaret Decadanse is camp, cool and quirky, a puppet show for adults! Gutenberg! the Musical is a comic musical featuring two men, a piano and thirty roles. For a memorable night out join Sydney's most wicked BINGO hosts Mitzi and Naomi for loads of laughs and prizes at Bingay - a ball dropping fundraiser for Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.

Hugh Sheridan is one of the Kings of Diamonds, as he pays a musical tribute to the great Anthony Newley, a world premiere at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Other gents set to shine are Hayden Tee from New Zealand, delving into his Generation whY? And Tyran Parke one of Australia's leading men of musical theatre dons a sword and becomes the Knight errant of cabaret. It's not just the ladies that can belt out those Broadway numbers, as the charming Nick Christo pays homage to The Fabulous Frances Faye. Examining the differences between two generations of gay men will be Phil Scott and Vincent Hooper in The Twink & The Showgirl and one of New York's most prolific songwirters, John Bucchino will reveal his inspiration for songwriting and perform with some well-known friends. Tex Perkins and his Ladyboyz will dazzle you in their white suits performing timeless classics.

If diamonds are a girl's best friend then Courtney Act and Trevor Ashley in Gentlemen Prefer Blokes will drag you in for one night only. Other ladies set to lend a little sparkle to the 2009 program include Trace Canini singing Gospel Groove, along with the sassy sounds of Ali McGregor and making her Australian premiere and direct from the U.S. is Ukulele Chanteuse Janet Klein and her Parlour Boys, who will transport audiences to a bygone era of nostalgia and charm. Also from the U.S. comes Simply Barbra, Steven Brinberg will channel the well-known diva through a collection of popular ballads and crowd pleasers. Everybody's Got Something to Hide take on The Lennon and McCartney Songbook while Avigail Herman takes a trip down musical memory lane in Fingerprints. One of Australia's shining stars Ursula Yovich sings the blues in her own story Magpie Blues and inspired by their appearance on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope mother and daughter duo Mary and Melinda Schneider share the stage and their family stories in their brand new show Schneiderville.

Back by popular demand is Sing Your Own Musical, with Michael Morley and friends for another sing-along around the piano, free in the Piano Bar. While you are at the Festival make sure you go to the Artspace Gallery and check out the free exhibition by Brooklyn based photographer Jerry Dantzic.

The ‘Bring a Friend Free on Wednesday' offer, thanks to Minter Ellison will again be a feature of the Festival ensuring it is as accessible to as many people as possible.

Be decadent and book five or more shows and automatically become a member of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Top Deck Club to receive special offers.

Douglas Gautier said "David Campbell's first program as Artistic Director is diverse and fun, glamorous, engaging and thoughtful.

Audiences will be spoilt for choice with his first offering with Broadway divas, Australian Chanteuses, rock legends, comedy favourites, songwriters, musical mimicry, variety glamour, high camp and living legends - we present it all at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival."

Full program details 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

Tickets on sale now around the country from BASS Dial n Charge 131 246 or online www.bass.net.au Interstate guests call BASS Special Events on (08) 8400 2222 for details of accommodation packages.

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