Variety Gala & Bernadette Peters Opens The 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival

After a successful opening weekend for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, with the Variety Gala on Friday night and the incredible performance of Broadway headliner Bernadette Peters, audiences were left wanting more. From her poignant version of ‘No-one is Alone' (Into The Woods) to her steamy version atop a Steinway piano of Otis Blackwell's ‘Fever', this Broadway star lit up the Festival Theatre like never before. Bernadette Peter's Sunday performance was filmed by principal partner FOXTEL and will air on Saturday 27th June on the Ovation Channel. If you couldn't make it to the festival this year be sure not to miss this astonishing performance from one of Broadway's most loved cabaret stars.

Other highlights from the weekend included virtuosos Duel, who had audiences stunned by their comedic brilliance and skill, Argentine songstress Barbara Luna who led her audience from the Space Theatre right into the heart of South America with her seductive rhythms and one of New York's most prolific songwriters, John Bucchino, who received a standing ovation for his music and lyrics in John Bucchino and Friends.

With the second week almost upon us, Minter Ellison's ‘BAFFOW' (Bring A Friend Free on Wednesdays) is sure to have the Festival Centre abuzz with a number of sold out shows and a wonderful line-up to entice audiences to come in out of the cold and enjoy a show in one of the Festival Centre's cabaret venues.

This week's line-up includes grand dame Julie Wilson, the extraordinary talents of Cabaret Decadanse, John Bucchino, Hayden Tee, Hugh Sheridan, Mahalia Barnes & The Soumates, Robyn Archer, Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz, Artistic Director David Campbell performing with Jimmy Barnes in The Dad & Dave Show, Grace Knight, Tina Harrod, Mr Percival, Victor Valdez & The Real Mexico Band and the incredible grooves of the world's number one female beatboxer Butterscotch. There will be laughs aplenty from the hilarious Jackie Loeb, Julia Morris, Phil Scott and Vincent Hooper, Courtney Act and Trevor Ashley, Gutenburg! The Musical, Every Film Ever Made and Bingay (Bingo as you've never seen it before)! Music lovers won't want to miss The Cat Empire's Harry James Angus, Avigail Herman, Tyran Parke or gospel star Trace Canini.

Between shows, venture upstairs from The Playhouse to the Artspace Gallery to view the FREE exhibition Close Enough For Jazz, featuring an array of photographs of many of the 1950s and 60s jazz icons, including Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday.

Late Nights in the Piano Bar is the hub of entertainment after a Cabaret show featuring a constantly changing line-up of local and interstate artists and bands who will have the tunes pumping and the dance floor crowded well into the night! Entry is $10, or free with a ticket to any performance that evening.

Artistic Director David Campbell says, "We are over the moon with the response we've had from audiences and blown away with the talent in the venues, and that was just the first weekend" These next four days promise to be just as exciting with a superb line-up in store".

A wide variety of food and beverages are available in the undercover Festival Centre Plaza area (just outside the Piano Bar), including hot beverages, doughnuts, pizza, pasta and curry. The Bistro (downstairs in the Dunstan Playhouse), the Foyer Café and bars and the Elder Park Café will be open for meals also.

Tickets on sale now from BASS on 131 246 or www.bass.net.au - tickets start from $10. For a free copy of the Festival brochure, call the Adelaide Cabaret Hotline on (+61 8) 8216 8901 or go to www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com

To post a comment, you must register and login.