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DATE: Tuesday 21 April 2015
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP ANNOUNCED
Queensland Cabaret Festival is presented by Brisbane Powerhouse, Queensland Cabaret Foundation and Queensland Centre for
Performing Arts.
Mary Wilson (The Supremes), Tex Perkins, Rob Mills, Abby Dobson, Storm Large, Tyrone Noonan and Tom
Burlinson are just some of musical talent on offer at Queensland Cabaret Festival 2015 from 10-20 June 2015.
According to co-artistic director Kris Stewart, this year’s festival offers a smorgasbord of cabaret with a variety
of home-grown and international stars.
“Queensland Cabaret Festival is a great excuse to grab your friends and go out for a night on the town.
Whether you’re into the rock’n’roll-meets-cabaret sounds of Storm Large and Tex Perkins, the comedy of Dirty
Sexy Politics or UnPC, or hearing the standards reinvented by Melissa Western and Tyrone Noonan, there is a
whole world of cabaret just waiting for you.”
Queensland Cabaret Festival’s line-up includes Australian musical-theatre stars Geraldine Turner, Rob Mills,
Michael Falzon, Bobby Fox, Tom Burlinson and Michael Griffiths.
Triple-threat Marney McQueen brings her Russian beautician character Rosa Waxoffski to the festival for Hair
to the Throne and in UnPC audiences will meet Sasha Meijers (performer Cienda McNamara), a late-night talk
show host who will help everyone navigate contemporary etiquette in a comically honest fashion.
Opera stars Kanen Breen and Jacqui Dark take to the cabaret stage in Strange Bedfellows for a raucous
evening of bawdy jokes and songs, and anyone nostalgic for the 90s will enjoy Tom Sharah (I Will Survive) in
That 90s Show.
Queensland performers featured in this year’s festival include Lizzie Moore, Rebecca Grennan, Bradley
McCaw, nu-folk duo Warmwaters (David Megarrity and Bridget Boyle), Bethan Ellsmore, Jessica Papst and
Ellen Reed.
Opening night show Voices of Vice will feature a variety of local performers, and established and emerging
performers will also hit the stage for Cabaret @The Cremorne: Open Mic Night, Con2TheCabaret and Ripen
Ready.
Queensland Cabaret Festival will be performed at Brisbane Powerhouse, QPAC, Cairns Civic Theatre, Judith
Wright Centre, Ipswich Civic Centre’s Studio 188 and the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre.
DATE
VENUE
INFO
-ENDS-
Wednesday 10 June – Sunday 20 June 2015
Various
queenslandcabaretfestival.com
Tuesday 21 April 2015
DECADENCE AND DEBAUCHERY DELIGHT THE SENSES
FOR OPENING NIGHT GALA
Queensland Cabaret Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse present Voices of Vice
Voices of Vice will feature a variety of Queensland Cabaret Festival (QCF) performers including Tyrone
Noonan, Alison St Ledger, Sandro Colarelli, Bethan Elsmore and Cienda McNamara performing songs of
dissipation, debauchery and decadence at Brisbane Powerhouse on Wednesday 10 June 2015.
Produced by QCF Co-Artistic Director Alison St Ledger, Voices of Vice promises everything from AC/DC to Kurt
Weill, along with a Tom Waits sing-along and comedic originals from Dirty Sexy Politics and Warmwaters.
“I’m monumentally pumped to be presenting an opening night gala for this year’s Queensland Cabaret Festival.
For me it’s a chance to gather together the best cabaret performers in the country on one stage for one night of
playful mischief,” says St Ledger.
“For the audience it's a chance to taste test what the 2015 program has in store with Bethan Ellsmore, Cienda
McNamara, Tyrone Noonan, Lizzie Moore and Rebecca Grennan all bringing their unique brand of cabaret to
the Brisbane Powerhouse stage.
“There will also be some special guests like Sandro Colarelli and Greg Bird and maybe even a surprise guest
spot or two from our visiting interstate artists.
“As the show title suggests, expect songs of crime, salaciousness, sinfulness, stalking, smoking, drinking,
gambling and just general licentiousness.”
Voices of Vice will be backed by a four-piece band including Musical Director Kym Ambrose on drums, Dave
McGuire on guitars, Andrew Shaw on acoustic and electric bass and Sallie Campbell on piano, violin and
mandolin.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOW:
DATE
Wed 10 Jun 2015
TIME
7.30pm
VENUE
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$45 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Tuesday 21 April 2015
THE SURPREMES’ MARY WILSON JOINS QUEENSLAND CABARET
FESTIVAL FOR FIRST EVER QUEENSLAND SHOWS
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Cairns Civic Theatre and Mackay Entertainment & Convention
Centre present Mary Wilson: Up Close
“One singer brought the house down…glory be to the heavens, Mary Wilson’s luxuriously exquisite voice rang ‘like a bell’
as they say, and peeled through the cavernous Festival Theatre auditorium so clearly, so beautifully, it brought tears to the
eyes.” Australian Stage
Cultural ambassador and iconic entertainer, Mary Wilson (The Supremes) will be playing her first ever
Queensland performances as part of Queensland Cabaret Festival in June. The star takes to the Brisbane
Powerhouse stage on Thursday 11 June 2015.
As the longest reigning original member of The Supremes, Wilson recently commented that her passion for
singing and performing is still burning as brightly as ever.
“It’s a great thing to find what you like in life; it’s a special blessing. When I was 12-and-a-half or 13 years old, I
fell in love with singing and knew I never wanted to do anything else. Everything else that’s come along since
then—my books, being a lecturer—it’s all just a part of what I do. Fifty-some years later, I still haven’t left the
stage.”
Mary Wilson: Up Close will feature hits by The Supremes such as “My World Is Empty Without You”, as well as
Wilson’s own impeccable versions of standards such as “New York State of Mind”, “I Am Changing” and “Both
Sides Now”.
The Supremes were the most successful vocal group in American history, with 12 #1 singles on the Billboard
Hot 100, countless international tours and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band also received
Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Following Wilson's own departure in 1977, The Supremes disbanded, she has since released three solo
albums, five singles and two best-selling autobiographies, Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme, and Supreme
Faith: Someday We'll Be Together. Wilson is also a musicians' rights activist, musical theatre performer and
organiser of various museum displays of The Supremes' famed costumes.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOWS:
DATE
Wed 10 Jun 2015
TIME
7.30pm
VENUE
Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre
TICKETS
$68(f), $62(c), $60(groups)
INFO
07 4961 9777 / mackaytix.com
DATE
TIME
VENUE
TICKETS
INFO
Thu 11 Jun 2015
7.30pm
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
$69 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
DATE
TIME
VENUE
TICKETS
INFO
Fri Jun 2015
7.30pm
Cairns Civic Centre
$65(f), $54.90(c, group 10+)
1300 855 835 / ticketlink.com.au
-ENDS-
Media release April 2015
Queensland Cabaret Festival 2015
“Bendigo to Broadway” by Bradley McCaw
co-presented by Queensland Cabaret Festival Brisbane Powerhouse and An Old fashioned Production Company
“McCaw’s versatility is actually astounding… without a doubt the
most fun you’ll have in the cabaret classroom..." XS Entertainment
"Bradley McCaw showed us a glimpse of why he is off to take on
New York..." Stage Whispers
Multi-Award winning artist Bradley McCaw brings the
world premiere of ‘Bendigo to Broadway’ to the
Queensland Cabaret Festival on June 11th.
Part rock concert, part cabaret and featuring a live ten piece
band, Bendigo to Broadway finds Bradley McCaw sitting
backstage after a sold out performance on Broadway’s 42nd
street, wondering how on earth he had gotten there!?
Returning from sell out season at the 2014 Wonderland
Festival, join Bradley as he retraces the steps of his international performing career, song by song.
Beginning in his home town as a young ‘wannabe lawyer,’ before going on to establish himself as a
regular on the Queensland musical theatre scene with acclaimed performances in Rent and Les
Miserables. Then after touring internationally with ‘The Ten Tenors’ and writing his own musicals
Becoming Bill and The Oasis, he won the 2013 International Cabaret showcase and travelled to
Broadway’s 42nd Street with a sold-out performance of Cabaret: The Complete Unauthorised
Biography.
Helping him tell the tale are award winning country artist Megan Cooper, award winning Jazz
composer and performer Rafael Karlen (with his Quartet), and musical theatre star Kathryn
McIntyre (Ladies in Black) who will join Bradley live on stage with new renditions of some of his
music, backed by a live ten piece band who move effortlessly between musical theatre, rock,
cabaret, gypsy jazz, soul, calypso and even some country.
‘I’ve been writing songs since I was sixteen, and in all different styles… It’s always been a hobby of mine. I’d
pretend I was writing a song that I’d send to Willie Nelson, and then another to Frank Sinatra, some were
great, and some were pretty bad… but I’ve never stopped writing. It’s so exciting to know some of these
songs, that have never been heard, will be given life by some of Queensland’s finest artists.’ Bradley
McCaw 2015
Presented by Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and An Old Fashioned Production Company
Featuring: Megan Cooper, Rafael Karlen Quartet, Kathryn McIntyre.
Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre Thursday 11 June 7pm
All ages, $35 + transaction fee ($3 single ticket/$6 multiple tickets)
Brisbanepowerhouse.org or 07 3358 8600
-ENDSContact:
Bradley McCaw 0416187332 [email protected]
www.bradleymccaw.com www.oldfpc.com
13 April 2015
FALZON AND FOX BACK TO BACHARACH
Fall in love again when musical theatre stars Bobby Fox and Michael Falzon join
forces at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on Wednesday 10
June 2015 to perform the legendary Costello and Bacharach album, Painted From
Memory – The Music of Bacharach and Costello.
Accompanied by a nine-piece orchestra Michael Falzon (We Will Rock You, Hedwig
and the Angry Inch, Rock of Ages) and Bobby Fox (Jersey Boys, The Fantastic Mr.
Fox) along with special guest Luke Kennedy promise outstanding vocals and
emotional surprises in a showcase of internationally adored music.
In the late nineties Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello joined forces to create the
remarkable and timeless album Painted From Memory featuring classic Bacharach
songs such as I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself and I’ll Never Fall in Love
Again. These and other timeless tunes are recreated in Painted From Memory on the
Concert Hall stage, with musical direction from Isaac Hayward.
After unanimous critical acclaim as ‘Galileo’ in We Will Rock You, Michael
Falzon continued to make his mark on Australian and international stages, starring
in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and as ‘Stacee Jaxx’ in Rock of Ages. Falzon has
toured arenas in Australia, Europe and the UK in Jeff Wayne's The War of the
Worlds and also appears frequently as a soloist with many Australian symphony
orchestras.
Bobby Fox is the zany, smooth and dazzling stage and recording star who “owes a
little bit to Franki Valli and the Four Seasons”. Known lovingly as The Fantastic Mr.
Fox, this charming groover is a four times World Irish Dance Champion, solo artist,
and man of the stage with productions like Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, Leader of the
Pack, and We Will Rock You under his star-studded belt.
Season two runner up on television’s The Voice Australia and former Ten Tenors
member Luke Kennedy is a versatile recording and performance artist, who has
achieved a number one single on the iTunes charts and a Top Ten hit in the ARIA
charts. Most recently Luke toured Australia as a special guest on Ricky Martin's national
tour and opened the Ashes in 2013 for Cricket Australia singing the national anthem.
Together at QPAC for one night only, Falzon and Fox with special guest Kennedy will
perform a unique reimagining of this classic album along with other memorable
Bacharach and Costello hits.
Painted From Memory – the Music of Bacharach and Costello is presented by QPAC
in association with Queensland Cabaret Festival, Asia Theatricals and Good Egg
Creative. Book now via qpac.com.au or call 136 246.
-ENDS-
...cont
...2
QPAC in association with Queensland Cabaret Festival, Asia Theatricals and Good
Egg Creative present
Painted From Memory – the Music of Bacharach and Costello
Starring:
Michael Falzon
Bobby Fox
With Special Guest Luke Kennedy
To download a high resolution image – click here
WHEN:
WHERE:
TICKETS*:
BOOKINGS:
Wednesday 10 June 2015
Concert Hall, QPAC, Cultural Precinct,
South Bank, Brisbane
Refer to qpac.com.au for current
pricing
qpac.com.au or 136 246
For further information, images or interviews please contact: Inga Tracey,
Publicity Manager QPAC ph (07) 3840 7984, mobile 0478 406 459 or
[email protected]
22 April 2015
CREMORNE THEATRE TURNS CABARET AT QPAC
Glamour, sizzling songs and colourful characters will be on offer at Queensland
Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) with Cabaret @ The Cremorne from 11 to 20 June
2015.
Presented in association with Queensland Cabaret Festival, Cabaret @ The
Cremorne showcases a stunning line-up of local Brisbane cabaret artists in a series
of brand new cabaret shows. The series will feature some familiar faces and some
new stars on the rise.
The performers will be kicking up their heels, ‘puttin’ on the ritz’, dancing barefoot
and maybe even taking their shirts off to bring you cabaret that’s cool, classic and
quirky.
The Cabaret @ The Cremorne program will also feature an Open Mic Night on
Wednesday 17 June at 7.30pm. Hosted by Queensland’s Queen of Cabaret Alison
St Ledger, this night invites emerging and established cabaret artists to perform their
party pieces and try daring new acts in a dazzling night of entertainment. Visit
qpac.com.au to find out how you can get involved.
Cabaret @ The Cremorne is a great option for a fun winter night out. Gather your
friends and enjoy an exhilarating world of cabaret that will take you from the sublime
to the ridiculous and back again!
Please go to qpac.com.au to see the full show line-up and entertainment packages.
-ENDS-
WHEN:
WHERE:
TICKETS*:
BOOKINGS:
11 – 20 June 2015
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, Cultural
Precinct, South Bank, Brisbane
Refer to qpac.com.au for current
pricing
qpac.com.au or 136 246
For further information, images or interviews please contact: Cindy Ullrich
Publicity Manager QPAC ph (07) 3840 7589 or mobile 0434 366 038 or
[email protected]
MEDIA RELEASE
CELEBRITY BIKINI WAXER ROSA WAXOFFSKI RETURNS TO TRIM BACK THE BUSHY
HEDGES AT THIS YEAR’S MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL WITH HER
COMEDY CABARET EXPOSE, HAIR TO THE THRONE
PLAYING BRISBANE POWERHOUSE ON 11 JUNE 2015
This year’s Queensland Cabaret Festival welcomes Marney McQueen as Celebrity Bikini Waxer ROSA WAXOFFSKI, who can guarantee the full body experience at her show HAIR TO THE THRONE at Brisbane Powerhouse on Thursday 11 June 2015. Her comedy cabaret performance will delight audiences as she takes you on a prickly journey which details her childhood in Leningrad, spills the sequins from the pages of her high profile celebrity appointment book and shares with you her campaign to represent Australia in Eurovision. Back by popular demand is a guest cameo from Russia’s Biggest Pianist, Boris Longschlongadongski, and Karen Barnes, the overly efficious border security officer. McQueen’s stable of characters has led Jacki Weaver to describe her as “a true chameleon entertainer” and after receiving praise from Barry Humphries who claimed, “she has the goods”, McQueen is no stranger to sell-­‐out crowds after receiving rave reviews following her debut show Rosa Waxes Lyrical. Expect quick wit and audience interaction as Rosa urges her “hunnies” to “honour their bikini wax” at HAIR TO THE THRONE. NIDA graduate Marney McQueen is Australia’s darling of the comedic cabaret circuit. Not only is she uproarious as ROSA WAXOFFSKI but McQueen also boasts an outstanding voice that has stunned many in her lead roles in musical theatre (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Hairspray, Moonshadow). She is a theatrical triple threat, with the ability to sing, act and dance. On top of that she can make you cry with laughter. She will leave you cheering for more waxing know-­‐how. Rosa Waxoffski is available for interview, guest appearances and all other fabulous media opportunities, hunnies. LISTING DETAILS WHAT: MARNEY MCQUEEN’S HAIR TO THE THRONE DATE: THURSDAY 11 JUNE 2015 TIME: 8:30PM COST: $30 For all media enquiries contact: Chantel D’Innocenzo | 02 8084 3663 | [email protected] MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Tuesday 21 April
Former george frontman premieres tour de force solo show at Queensland Cabaret
Festival.
“Soaring vocals. His phrasing would do credit to a veteran … exquisite.”
Tony Hillier, Rhythms Magazine Australia
“Tyrone Noonan enforces his right to be considered one of Australia’s most talented jazz practitioners” Ian
Paulin, IndieCds.com
“Australia, you sometimes want to shout, have a look under your nose”
Noel Mengle, The Courier Mail
Told through the blue eyes of ailing Australian cabaret and vaudeville performer Tommy Francis, his
life story is revealed as a bittersweet cocktail that, once upon a time, was shared with some of the 20th
Century’s greatest nightclub entertainers and lounge singers.
The story weaves a songbook of retold standards, bookmarking Tommy’s “almost famous” brushes
with super stardom.
With one foot in the Antipodes and one foot in Vegas, the show follows Tommy’s perennial quest for
his day in the sun, his pot of gold, or as Tommy says “the whole enchilada”.
The cavalcade of characters showcases Noonan’s stunning vocal mimicry.
The concept for the show draws on the oft overlooked cultural contribution of what was known as the
Tivoli circuit, including Brisbane venues Cloudland and His Majesty’s Theatre.
“As a fourth generation board treader, I feel a rich connection to this important part of our cultural
history, with both my father’s parents and several other relatives having been Tivoli stars in their own
right and working with greats such as Mo Mckackie (Roy Rene) and George Wallace,” said Tyrone.
Tyrone Noonan is an ARIA award-winning composer and singer, internationally renowned DJ,
composer and producer.
This event will sell out. It’s for one night only at Queensland Cabaret Festival this June.
Vegas! Standards Reborn
Directed By Damien Cassidy
Musical Direction By Tyrone Noonan
Accompanied By Catherine Lynagh
Presented By QLD Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Frontal Lobe Productions
Brisbane Powerhouse
Turbine Studio, Thu 11 June, 9.15pm $34 + transaction fee
($3 single tickets/$6 multiple
tickets) Bookings: brisbanepowerhouse.org 07 3358 8600
- ENDS –
For interviews and images please contact: 0468 745 351 [email protected]
Media Release
For Immediate Release
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Political Correctness Challenged in Comedy Cabaret UnPC
“She certainly knows how to make an entrance – and she definitely knows how to get a laugh.” Stage
Whispers
“For pure entertainment you can't look much further than the hilarious Cienda McNamara... She's jovial,
animated and a real delight to watch." Stagediary.com
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and NBDILM productions present UnPC
Meet modern-day soothsayer and Late Night TV host Sasha Meijers, your hilarious guide
helping you navigate the muddy waters of modern society.
Matilda Award winner Cienda McNamara presents her newest cabaret creation, Sasha Meijers in
UnPC at The Queensland Cabaret Festival for one night only on 12th of June 2015.
Are leggings pants? Is that baby ugly? Would “getting rid of” Kim and Kanye be considered a
public service? Find out with Sasha in UnPC, a show that takes a riotous look at life’s taboo topics
and advises you on how to over-step the mark on just about anything.
UnPC is a variety/game show designed to test the limits of what is acceptable and talk about the
things that ordinary shows are afraid to go near. Fusing stand-up comedy, cabaret and gameshow
format, UnPC questions society's tendency to steer clear of our opinions in fear of ridicule,
retribution and cheeky libellous suits.
Cienda is a Brisbane based performer and director who has presented work all over Australia
including Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania as well as regional Queensland. In January 2014 Cienda
presented her show, Hardly The Portrait of a Lady at Short+Sweet Cabaret Festival in Sydney,
receiving awards for Best Female Performer, Best Script and Best Comedy. She has appeared in
TROUBLE at the Tamarama Rock Surfers, Drunk Shakespeare at the Anywhere Theatre Festival
and at the Tasmanian Cabaret Festival as part of the Festival of Voices. Most recently Cienda
appeared in A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Lally Katz and directed by Steven
Mitchell-Wright- presented by La Boite Theatre Company and Brisbane Festival, for which she won
a Matilda Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Directed by Catarina Hebbard
Musical Direction and Arrangements by James Dobinson and Heidi Loveland
Original Compositions by James Dobinson and Samuel Valentine
SHOW INFORMATION
Date: 12th of June 2015
Time: 6pm
Tickets: $30 ( booking fees apply)
To Book : Website: brisbanepowerhouse.org
Box Office: +61 7 3358 8600
Ages: 18+
Venue: Brisbane Powerhouse
-ENDSFor information please contact: Cienda McNamara [email protected] or 0416 268 285
Brisbane Buskers Tackle Sex, Politics, and Cabaret on the Powerhouse Stage
"A must-see for all political buffs" - Weekend Notes
"Ridiculously talented multi-instrumentalists" - Suzy Goes See
"Topical, fresh, eccentric... with a side order of gratuitous nudity" - Aphramag
Vaudevillian roustabouts, Tom and Sam bring their seductively cruel, multi-award winning cabaret
to this year's Queensland Cabaret Festival. Fresh from the Melbourne International Comedy
Festival, 'Dirty Sexy Politics' poses the question, "What would you give to be in charge?" and
answers with a night of multi-instrumental mayhem as two washed-up political aspirants attempt to
seize control of the nation the only way they know how: unbridled, sex-driven chaos.
From humble beginnings performing on the mean streets of Brisbane, Tom and Sam have taken
their passion for politics, their keen eye for satire, and their rather unusual instruments and created a
unique musical comedy with bite.
The show's front-man, Samuel Valentine explains: "Music has this way of breaking down barriers,
giving you the liberty to address things that people aren't usually comfortable talking about. That's
one of the real strengths of cabaret. The most important thing to us is creating a public ethos of
scrutinizing the government, and we'll do that with the audience stomping their feet all the while."
After picking up a swathe of awards at the Short+Sweet Cabaret Festival 2014 in Sydney (Best
Original Music and People's Choice) and Brisbane (Best Overall Production), and attracting critical
acclaim at this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Dirty Sexy Men have returned
to their home town and are on the hunt for fresh blood.
Co-writer and performer, Thomas Albert comments on the pair's new ideas for this season: "Politics
is never stagnant, it's always changing, so the show does too. We're currently brainstorming a new
song to go between our love ballad to Charles Manson and our Gina Reinhardt beat-poem. Stay
tuned."
How can you stroke your electorate for optimum results? What other uses can be found for the
Party Whip? These answers, along with other suppositories of wisdom, will be revealed in the most
intimately entertaining 60 minutes of your life.
Venue: Turbine Platform, The Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm QLD 4005
Dates: Fri 12 June
Tickets: $25 Full
Times: 6:30pm
Bookings: brisbanepowerhouse.org or (07) 3358 8600
suitable for patrons 15 years and older
-ENDPRESS CONTACT
Samuel Valentine, [email protected] or 0452 219 992
MEDIA RELEASE
BE SHAKEN AND STIRRED
BY THE BRITISH HITS THAT MADE THE SIXTIES SWING
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL presents COOL BRITANNIA
"Lizzie Moore sings like a dream and delivered a beautiful performance" - STAGE DIRECTIONS
"...honest, enthusiastic and extremely charismatic...a wonderful example of cabaret at its finest." AUSSIETHEATRE.COM,
for ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS
After the sell-out success of last year’s ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS, Lizzie Moore returns to the
Queensland Cabaret Festival with her brand new show COOL BRITANNIA for one night only at the
Brisbane Powerhouse on Friday 12 June, 2015.
Featuring the music of female solo pop legends like Petula Clark, Lulu, Cilla Black and Dusty
Springfield, as well as the women who been inspired by their look and sound like Amy Winehouse,
Duffy and Adele, COOL BRITANNIA captures the sound of the 1960’s Swinging London.
Moore said the show is a celebration of an era when London was a musical and fashion epicentre the world capital of cool.
“I grew up listening to the music of this era and have always loved the energy of the Brit Girls. There
is such a youth-driven positivity to these women who forged solo paths (in their white boots and
mini skirts) straight down Carnaby Street and on to the world stage.”
“I am excited to bring this music of these British legends to both those who know and love them,
and to a new audience who are perhaps more familiar with the latest wave of singers who they have
inspired”
Lizzie Moore is a singer and actor who has appeared on stage in London, New York and throughout
Australia. An experienced band and concert performer, Lizzie appeared in the Broadway musical
[TITLE OF SHOW] at the Seymour Centre in Sydney and in the TROCADERO DANCE PALACE at the
2011 and 2012 Sydney Festival. In New York, Lizzie appeared Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway
and presented her cabaret show at The Duplex.
Her previous one woman cabaret show ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS: THE ERIN MINOGUE EXPERIENCE
played to sell out houses at the 2014 Queensland Cabaret Festival, 2014 Adelaide Cabaret Festival
and at BL_NK in London.
Presented by Queensland Cabaret Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse
DATE:
Friday 12 June 2015 at 7pm
VENUE:
Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS:
$32 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets/$6 multiple tickets)
INFO:
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDMEDIA ENQUIRIES:
[email protected]
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Enda Markey present
GERALDINE TURNER in TURNER’S TURN
Australian showbusiness icon brings her acclaimed show to Brisbane.
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
Friday 12 June 2015 at 7.30pm
Bookings: 07 3358 8600 or brisbanepowerhouse.org
Tickets: $50 + transaction fee ($3 single/$6 multiple)
“Chutzpah, Swagger: Geraldine is back!”
Sydney Morning Herald
Geraldine Turner is a true icon of Australian show business. Throughout a career that spans four
decades, she has earned her place in the Australian Theatre as one of this country's most legendary
leading ladies.
While her roles in the stage musicals Anything Goes, Chicago, Oliver, Into The Woods, Company,
Cabaret, A Little Night Music, Call Me Madam and Sweeney Todd established her as an award-winning
musical theatre star, Geraldine has also won enormous acclaim for her roles in plays such as Steel
Magnolias, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Don's Party; on television in House Husbands, Home
and Away, All Saints and the films Careful He Might Hear You, Summerfield and The Wog Boy. Her
extensive recording output includes the first solo Sondheim album, which gained her worldwide acclaim.
Appearing at the Queensland Cabaret Festival for ONE NIGHT ONLY, Turner’s Turn is a celebration of
Geraldine’s incredible life on stage and marks Geraldine’s first cabaret appearance in Brisbane in more
than ten years. This intimate evening of songs from her celebrated career, peppered with show business
anecdotes and stories (and there are some great stories to tell), is a rare opportunity to see one of
Australia’s most beloved stage performers, up close and personal, in an intimate setting.
www.queenslandcabaretfestival.com www.geraldineturner.com
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
Friday 12 June 2015 at 7.30pm
Bookings: 07 3358 8600 or brisbanepowerhouse.org
Tickets: $50 + transaction fee ($3 single/$6 multiple)
- ENDS Contact: Tracey Whealey – The Shock Factor Pty Ltd – [email protected]
0417 146 552
MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 21 April, 2015
RIPEN READY
HARVESTING THE NEXT CROP OF QUEENSLAND CABARET ARTISTS
Image: Robyn Mill Photography
Queensland cabaret royalty Alison St Ledger is set to hand-pick the most delicious new talent for Brisbane
audiences to discover when she curates Ripen Ready with Ethan Watson this June.
The Women in Voice veteran and co-director of the Queensland Cabaret Festival has an insatiable hunger for
developing talent and will work with Ethan to help young cabaret artists polish their performances for a Festival feast
over two delectable evenings at the Judith Wright Centre.
“There are lots of fantastic opportunities for young people to get training in the arts and to gain valuable performance
experience in competitions and showcases, but I just thought...where do they go from there?” explains Alison.
“I have a real passion for mentoring and passing experience along. I want to empower young performers to be selfsufficient, creative and unique, to find their own characters and voices.”
Alison first worked with Ethan (co-director of Harvest Rain’s Bye Bye Birdie) on the 2012 Brisbane Cabaret Festival
and she is also looking forward to mentoring the emerging producer in the delivery of the Ripen Ready performances.
“He has so much potential as a director and producer; extraordinary people skills, great ideas and loads of passion.
I’m excited about selecting the artists together and guiding him through the whole process of putting on a show.”
Rather than endure auditions (“people feel too judged”), prospective Ripen Ready participants will be asked along to a
‘show-and-tell’ session, with a dozen fresh faces then given the chance to hone their skills through an intensive
workshop series where they will craft two very different productions.
“Queensland Cabaret Festival audiences are invited to the Ripen Ready table to experience two nights of variety-style
cabaret where anything goes,” says Alison. “The one thing I can guarantee is that it will be gob-smackingly good!”
While cabaret is one of the most varied and free artforms, Alison and Ethan firmly believe there are three key qualities
any artist needs to chew on when developing the concept for a show.
“Your work needs to have an emotional truth, individualism and offer excellent engagement with the audience.”
Applications for interested artists are open until Sunday 10 May via queenslandcabaretfestival.com, with selected
artists announced on Friday 15 May. Tickets to experience Ripen Ready are on sale now via judithwrightcentre.com
Dates Friday 19 and Sat 20 June
Time 7:30pm Duration 120 mins, inc interval
Tickets $25 - $20
Venue Shopfront, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
420 Brunswick St (Cnr Berwick St), Fortitude Valley
Bookings www.judithwrightcentre.com or 07 3872 9000
For further information, images and interview opportunities, please contact
Amanda Lawson, Marketing Manager I Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
07 3872 9005 I [email protected]
BIOGRAPHIES
Alison St Ledger is best known for her stellar performances in Women in Voice, as well as critically-acclaimed
performances at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival including Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Vive Jacques
Brel and the Matilda award-winning Tom Waits for no Man. She has appeared several times as a guest vocalist with
legendary Australian band Powderfinger and has recorded a swath of new songs for her latest collaboration with
Sallie Campbell and Dave McGuire - The Switch. She is currently co-director of the Queensland Cabaret Festival.
Ethan Watson is a graduate of the class of 2013 Harvest Rain internship. He was co-director of their 2012 Production
of Bye Bye Birdie at the Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse and gave a star turn as Edna Turnblad in Prima’s 2014
production of Hairspray. He has since been winning fans with his video blogging alter ego Selma Soul dispensing
spurious tips on fashion, culture and life’s little mysteries.
For further information, images and interview opportunities, please contact
Amanda Lawson, Marketing Manager I Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
07 3872 9005 I [email protected]
21 April 2015
FROM THE COPA ROOM TO QPAC
TOM BURLINSON PERFORMS SINATRA AT THE SANDS
Australian star of the stage and screen Tom Burlinson will serenade audiences with
Sinatra at the Sands in Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC’s) Concert Hall
on Friday 12 June 2015.
Accompanied by his All Star Big Band, Tom Burlinson will sing all the wonderful
songs from Sinatra at the Sands, the sensational recording of Sinatra in his prime,
including such hits as Come Fly With Me, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, One For My
Baby, and many more.
Renowned for his smooth style and astonishing performance skills, Tom Burlinson
has proven that he is one of the best in the world at Sinatra-inspired singing.
The 1966 album, Sinatra at the Sands was recorded live at the Copa Room of the
Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It was accompanied by Count Basie and his
orchestra and conducted and arranged by Quincy Jones.
The album has been described as ‘brilliant’, ‘incredibly exciting’, and ‘simply the best’
by critics across the world, and this special performance by Tom Burlinson promises
to be nothing short of a swinging sensation.
Don’t miss this wonderful new show as Burlinson brings back all the everlasting
songs and pays tribute to the marvellous musical legacy of Frank Sinatra.
Sinatra at the Sands is presented by QPAC in conjunction with Queensland Cabaret
Festival one night only on Friday 12 June at 8.00pm. To book go to
www.qpac.com.au or phone 136-246.
-ENDS-
PRESENTED BY QPAC IN ASSOCIATION WITH QUEENSLAND CABARET
FESTIVAL:
TOM BURLINSON PERFORMS SINATRA AT THE SANDS
WHEN:
WHERE:
TICKETS*:
BOOKINGS:
Friday 12 June 2015 at 8.00pm
Concert Hall, QPAC, Cultural Precinct,
South Bank, Brisbane
Refer to qpac.com.au for current
pricing
qpac.com.au or 136 246
For further information, images or interviews please contact: Cindy Ullrich Publicity
Manager QPAC ph (07) 3840 7589 or mobile (0434) 366 038 or [email protected]
Please click here for Tom Burlinson image and career outline please click here
Warmwaters to make a folk-comedy splash
at the Queensland Cabaret Festival
Comedy folk duo Warmwaters present their first ever full show on Friday June 12 at
the Brisbane Powerhouse’s Queensland Cabaret Festival, singing songs that are
sweet, sour and saucy.
Lena and Luke Warmwater have been described as “…the southern hemisphere’s
most inspirational nu-folk duo.” Never heard of them? What is going on in your life?
Lena and Luke Warmwater, live in 2015 photo: Mal Lloyd
Launching their first eponymously self-titled album, Warmwaters invite you to their
own two-person folk festival, featuring their distinctively arousing brand of acoustic
music – a sackful of love songs, protest songs and classics you know and love tunes that will put a smile on your face and get you all tingly down below.
If you love folk music, you will love this show. If you hate folk music, you’ll love it
even more. Everyone enjoys good roots, and Warmwaters stand ready to folk you
right up with their songs of romance and other issues. They’ve got a lot of issues.
“raucous and irrepressible.” The West Australian
“full of inspired silliness” Kamuke
Links
Website: https://lenaandlukewarmwater.wordpress.com/
Sounds: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/warmwaters/id984148045?uo=4
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warmwaters/252231901494820
-ENDSPresented by Queensland Cabaret Festival and debase
Featuring David Megarrity and Bridget Boyle
Brisbane Powerhouse Turbine Studio Friday 12 June, 9.45pm
$27 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets/$6 Multiple tickets) brisbanepowerhouse.org
Contact [email protected] 0416 103 799
Media Release
Con2TheCabaret: Fire & Ice
Be dazzled, hoodwinked and scandalised by some of cabaret’s newest stars!
The Musical Theatre students of Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University will lie to
you, cheat on you and after it’s all said and done, beg you to forgive them in this intriguing
self-crafted cabaret.
Con2TheCabaret is the perfect blend of traditional, contemporary and never-before heard
arrangements of some of the world’s most evocative and treasured songs, devised and
directed by award-winning composer/playwright Megan Shorey.
“It’s an up-close and personal show – in every sense!” she promises.
“In developing the show’s content, the students were asked to reflect on the theme of Fire &
Ice, and bring repertoire to the table that evokes and represents how they feel about this.
“We then take this repertoire from all genres and eras and play with it – taking familiar songs
in their truest form and turning them on their head for a fresh perspective, while working in
new and original pieces.”
“The cabaret is being crafted and brought together in our black box theatre, which is an
exciting venture for us, as we transform the space into a secret club!” she says.
Megan is working closely with Australia’s emerging triple threat stars to generate the unique
cabaret performance, which will be proudly presented by the Queensland Cabaret Festival
2015.
For Paul Sabey, who leads the Bachelor of Musical Theatre at the Queensland
Conservatorium, the show presents another opportunity for the students to learn the skills
required to enter professional life as creative and flexible contemporary performers.
“Working with professionals like Megan and performing as part of an incredible event such as
the Queensland Cabaret Festival is a wonderful opportunity for the students to experience
life on stage,” he says.
“It’s real-life, intensive training in acting and improvisation, speech, voice, singing, dance and
movement - and best of all, it allows Brisbane audiences the chance to see the next rising
stars in the musical theatre scene.”
Con2TheCabaret will be presented in eight shows at the Queensland Conservatorium Burke
Street Studios, 8 Burke Street, Woolloongabba. Tickets available from qtix.
Friday 12 June at 7.30pm
Saturday 13 June at 7.30pm
Tuesday 16 June at 7.30pm
Wednesday 17 June at 7.30pm
Thursday 18 June at 7.30pm
Friday 19 June at 7.30pm
Saturday 20 June at 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Please note: This production contains adult themes and strong language.
MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Marino, 0418 799 544, [email protected]
Tuesday 21 April 2015
AUSTRALIAN FRENCH-LANGUAGE DUO ABBY DOBSON AND LARA GOODRIGE
SEDUCE AND EXCITE AS BABY ET LULU
Queensland Cabaret Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse presents Baby Et Lulu
“Très charismatic pairing of sexy songstresses” The Australian
“Two lovesick songbirds in a melancholic pas de deux. Superb" Australian Stage
"It is impossible not to be charmed by the hypnotic voices of Baby and Lulu" Arts Hub
Australian French-language chanteuses Abby Dobson (Leonardo’s Bride) and Lara Goodrige (FourPlay)
perform hits by French icons Edith Piaf, Camille, Serge Gainsbourg, Brigitte Bardot and more as Baby Et Lulu.
The duo will perform for one night only in Brisbane as part of Queensland Cabaret Festival on Saturday 13
June 2015.
From romantic songs about strolling along the Champs Élysées to a much loved Cole Porter jazz standard—
Baby et Lulu will perform a wide range of the French songbook. Audiences can also anticipate a French
language rendition of the platinum-selling, “Even When I’m Sleeping”, originally sung by Dobson herself in
Leonardo’s Bride.
Under the guise of alter-egos Baby (Dobson) and Lulu (Goodridge), the pair presents a heady combination of
witty banter and romantic chansons sung in French.
According to Goodrige, Baby et Lulu allows the duo to express and explore their love affair with French culture.
“Baby et Lulu allows us the exhilaration of stepping into two sassy and playful characters in homage to, and
celebration of, la vie Française.
“I’ve been infatuated with France for as long as I can remember. Their music, cuisine, and cinema all present
themselves with their own distinct flavour and character.”
Dobson agrees, sighting the culture’s ability to express their emotions as an alluring inspiration to her work.
“Parisian aesthetics are so captivating; they are not a culture uncomfortable with intensity, passion or
melancholy. I was able to explore these aspects of myself without inhibition when I lived there as a young
woman. Making music with Baby et Lulu affords me the same avenue of exploration and succour.”
Having released their self-titled debut album in 2012, Baby et Lulu have been touring the east coast over the
past year performing at venues and festivals including Melbourne Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Cabaret
Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, WOMADelaide and The Capital Jazz Project
at The Street Theatre in Canberra.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOWS:
DATE
Sat 13 June 2015
TIME
5pm
VENUE
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$45 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Tuesday 21 April 2015
MICHAEL GRIFFITHS GETS PERSONAL IN ADOLESCENT
Queensland Cabaret Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse present Adolescent
“Griffiths is a consummate performer…Go and see this show.” The Advertiser
“Griffiths is extraordinary.” The Age
Following starring roles in Jersey Boys, Pricilla Queen of the Desert and acclaimed homage shows to Annie
Lennox and Madonna, Michael Griffiths returns with his autobiographical show Adolescent. Written and
performed by Griffiths, the show is a self-deprecating hour of song, humour and personal revelation, presented
as part of Queensland Cabaret Festival from Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 June.
In Adolescent, Griffiths tells stories of falling in love, having an identity crisis and how touring in jukebox
musicals has happily kept him emotionally immature. The show features songs from Jersey Boys, Priscilla
Queen of the Desert and plenty of power pop including Culture Club, A-ha, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet.
Inspired by a landmark birthday and his prolonged adolescence, Griffiths said the show is a personal reflection
on his life and his career to date.
“Rather than have a mid-life crisis about turning 40, I figured it was better to poke fun at myself with a show
about why I haven’t quite ‘grown up’ yet.
“It’s also a great excuse to sing some of my absolute favourite songs from the 80s, have some laughs at what’s
it’s really like working in musical theatre and finding out as an adult about my donor conception quite by
accident, all the while behaving like a petulant teenager.”
Griffiths has won the Best Cabaret award at Adelaide Fringe 2014 and has been nominated for two Green
Room Awards and Best Cabaret at Perth Fringeworld. His acclaimed cabaret shows In Vogue: Songs By
Madonna and Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox received five star reviews and standing ovations across
Australia and in New York, London, Hong Kong, Auckland and Edinburgh.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOWS:
DATE
Sat 13 – Sun 14 June
TIME
Sat 5.30pm, Sun 6.30pm
VENUE
Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$38 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Queen of the Night
Media Release 16 April 2015
Bow down as the Red Queen of Cabaret Bethan Ellsmore takes Brisbane under the cover of darkness.
Babushka Cabaret’s Bethan Ellsmore brings her solo cabaret Queen of the Night to the
Queensland Cabaret Festival 6pm Saturday 13th June Turbine Studio to seduce audiences in her
unlikely soiree of Mozart, Portishead, The Strokes and Sia.
Bethan utilises her versatile voice to interpret the furthest reaches of her repertoire to tell stories of
aching hearts and heartfelt abandon, with a flourish of violin and a wry smile. Queen of the Night
traverses the stories of a party girl caught between the sparkling dream of an operatic existence and
the gritty, mundane reality of nightclubs and taxi-ranks.
Reviewers have been effusive about Bethan’s past offerings with Brisbane cabaret darlings
Babushka:
“Bethan Ellsmore offered the standout performance of the evening. Her individual performances
crackled with intensity and I was often transfixed.” XS 2013
“Ellsmore stole the show for me. On stage she is captivating. She has a carefree, take me as I am manner,
which makes me watch her even more. Ellsmore switches from violin to playing the keys to belting her
own original number... to ‘pinging’ top Cs (or higher) with ease.” XS 2012
Queen of the Night is a unique take on the cabaret of yesteryear, with an enigmatic personality
drawing you willingly into an evening of frivolity brimming with fragility. “The title itself is almost
tongue-in-cheek,” says Bethan. “Because in the land of cabaret I am so many things that are human
and connected to reality, and the only way I am Queen is under the cover of darkness and
champagne.”
Splitting her time between Melbourne and Brisbane, Bethan has developed a reputation for both her
striking onstage presence and her ability to move between wildly different vocal styles, often within
a show and sometimes within a song. One third of cabaret powerhouse Babushka, she recently
starred in Women in Voice and launched an EP of her original music under her moniker “La Trav”.
6pm Saturday 13th June
Turbine Studio
All tickets $27
http://brisbanepowerhouse.org/
+61 7 3358 8600
-ENDSMedia Contact:
Bethan Ellsmore
[email protected]
0435030074
www.facebook.com/babushkacabaret
www.facebook.com/bethanellsmoreperformer
www.instagram.com/bethanellsmore
Tuesday 21 April 2015
SEE THE 90S REVIVED BY I WILL SURVIVE STAR TOM SHARAH
Queensland Cabaret Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse present That 90s Show
“A great music-theatre voice. Extremely,delightfully funny.” The Australian
“A breath of fresh air - honest, camp, beguiling and fun.” Sydney Morning Herald
From Alanis Morrisette to R.E.M. and Nirvana to Spice Girls, Tom Sharah is bringing a decade of songs to the
stage in his acclaimed cabaret, That 90s Show. Audiences can see it at Brisbane Powerhouse as part of
Queensland Cabaret Festival on Saturday 13 June 2015.
Backed by a three piece band, Sharah describes the show as “a total 90s music smorgasbord”.
“As the title suggests, it’s a celebration of the 90s. It was the decade that defined me (and many others) in
terms of music and pop culture, so I'm revisiting the classic tunes of the era and putting a new twist on a lot of
them. There's lots of fun stories along the way and the aim of the game is to get everyone partying like it's
1999!
“I'm very proud of this show and I was recently nominated for a prestigious Sydney Theatre Award for Best
Cabaret Performance for it which was a lovely acknowledgement.”
Tom Sharah won the Sydney Cabaret Showcase in 2009 and has since toured his smash-hit one-man shows
Que Sera, Sharah and It’s Raining Me to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Sydney Mardi Gras, Melbourne’s
Midsumma Festival and the Noosa Longweekend Festival, as well as to sell-out theatre and arts centre
seasons all around Australia.
Since coming to wider national attention as a star finalist on the primetime Channel Ten series I Will Survive in
2012, Tom has become a regular contributor to Channel Nine’s Mornings. Most recently Tom performed the
role of Aldolpho in Squabbalogic's production of The Drowsy Chaperone at Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney. His
podcast I Love It But I Hate It But I Love It... with Tom Sharah receives thousands of iTunes downloads every
week.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOW:
DATE
Sat 13 Jun 2015
TIME
7.30pm
VENUE
Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$40 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Tuesday 21 April 2015
TEX PERKINS AND THE DARK HORSES BRING ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
TO QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse present Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses
“A formidable monster of a band… a transfixing and heady performance.” Music Feeds
ARIA award winning Tex Perkins and his critically acclaimed band The Dark Horses will be
bringing their smouldering brand of rock to the Brisbane Powerhouse stage as part of Queensland
Cabaret Festival on Saturday 13 June 2015.
Featuring songs by The Dark Horses and from Perkins’ career-spanning best-of, My Black
Cattledog, the live show promises to be something special.
According to Perkins, audiences can expect an intimate experience when the band shifts from their
usual club surroundings into cabaret mode.
"I always imagined the best way to hear my music was from underwater or in a balloon… but the
next best thing would be the succulent surroundings of the Brisbane Powerhouse at the
Queensland Cabaret Festival.”
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Perkins credentials include fronting iconic rock bands,
The Cruel Sea and The Beasts of Bourbon, albums and tours with Don Walker and Charlie Owen
and the TNT project with Tim Rogers.
In 1996 The Cruel Sea won five ARIAs for their third album, The Honeymoon Is Over. Perkins also
performed the role of Johnny Cash in national tours of the theatre production The Man in Black,
which won him critical acclaim and a new generation of fans. Most recently Perkins has fronted
Australian supergroup, The Ape while also continuing to tour with The Dark Horses.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOW:
DATE
Sat 13 Jun 2015
TIME
8.30pm
VENUE
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$52 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Media Release
SO UNUSUAL: CONFESSIONS OF A LAUPER STALKER
For immediate release
A hair-raising cellblock buster of a show.
Direct from Alcatraz, a ‘caring’ fan tells her story through a Cyndi Lauper catalogue of hit songs,
about her rise to infamy and her colorist brush with fame, fortune and the law.
The daughter of Kingston hairdresser and a musical theatre ‘wiggy’, Sindi Lauper Gibson became
a renowned colourist in a Darlinghurst salon, perfecting her craft and developing an obsession for
an 80’s music goddess. Her talent, persuasion and persistence led her all the way to an
apprenticeship with stylist to the stars, Justin Ware and the opportunity to actually meet and colour
the locks of her idol.
An all-new Cabaret from musical theatre starlet Rebecca Grennan and Troy Armstrong, co-writer
of The Devil Wears Leigh Buchanan. Accompanied by Musical Director Peta Leigh Wilson, hits
include Time After Time, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, She Bop, I Drove all Night, Who let in the
Rain, and Money Changes Everything.
Rebecca Grennan is known for her debut cabaret Half Full, a Voice Over Artist on radio and
performed alongside of Hugh Jackman in the Boy From Oz , performed in Shout, Grease the
Arena Spectacular and in Happy Feet the movie.
‘Stalking can be a positive experience’ Aussie Theatre
‘Here’s a toast to Bex, a great laugh and a good LIE down’ MX
‘Sindi Lauper Gibson was destined to do hair; orange is her new black.’ Time Out
Presented by Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Troy Armstrong
Management.
So Unusual: Confessions of a Lauper Stalker
Saturday 13 June 2015
9.30pm
Turbine Platform, Brisbane Powerhouse
FULL: $34
Now on Sale
www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
Box Office: (07) 3358 8600
ENDS.
For more information and interview requests, please contact Troy Armstrong on 0418 652 900 or
[email protected]
Tuesday 21 April 2015
INTERNATIONAL OPERA STARS BRING PROVOCATIVE NEW SHOW
TO QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Opera Queensland present Strange Bedfellows:
Under The Covers
"... cheeky, wicked, irreverent and profane… this was a fine night’s entertainment." Melbourne Observer
Audiences will be taken on a provocative journey when multi-award winning opera stars Jacqui Dark and
Kanen Breen bring their latest show, Strange Bedfellows: Under The Covers, to Brisbane Powerhouse
on Sunday 14 June 2015.
Featuring musical mash-ups of well known favourites from the Divinyls, Nina Simone, and Peggy Lee,
darker melodies by Amanda Palmer and Hans Eisler as well as original material, Strange Bedfellows
combines classic German cabaret and contemporary tunes with the duos’ signature humour.
According to performer and co-creator Jacqui Dark, the show is a candid account of the pairs’ real-life
experiences.
“With Strange Bedfellows we wanted to explore our relationship and relationships we’ve had with other
people using songs and stories set in and around beds and boudoirs.” continues Dark.
“One song which seems to have resonated strongly is “The IVF Song”, which I wrote to share my
experiences of the perilous jungle that is the IVF process, as it seems a bit of a taboo subject which I feel
should be more openly discussed. Others who’ve been through it find the song by turns hilarious and
heartbreaking.”
Hailed as “simultaneously heart-rending and bone-chilling” by Theatrepress and “dark, decadent and
deliciously bawdy" by Scene and Heard, the duo have received widespread acclaim.
Breen and Dark’s credentials include performances in opera, musicals and cabaret including La Boheme,
Othello and Partenope (Breen) and Don Giovanni, Aida and Salome (Dark). They were both Young
Artists with Opera Queensland and have appeared in shows on Broadway, in Vienna and at multiple
international arts festivals.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOW:
DATE
Sun 14 Jun 2015
TIME
3pm
VENUE
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$47 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Tuesday 21 April 2015
ROB ‘MILLSY’ MILLS IS... SURPRISINGLY GOOD
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre presents
Rob Mills is… Surprisingly Good
Audiences will be charmed by the irrepressible Rob Mills when he reveals his journey from Australian Idol
contestant to acclaimed triple threat with his very first cabaret, Rob Mills is... Surprisingly Good, hitting the
Brisbane Powerhouse stage on Sunday 14 June 2015.
The show features an eclectic array of hits from Taylor Swift to Gavin DeGraw and show tunes from several of
the celebrated musicals in which Mills has appeared in, including Legally Blonde and Wicked.
Describing the production as “part comedy, with the feel of a late night talk show and a smashing band”, Mills
said he is influenced by Adam Hills, Robbie Williams, John Farnham and Michael Bublé. He also commented
that the show is a chance to show some other sides of himself.
“My career started from a massive reality TV program so, for me the show is about what I'm perceived as. For
years the quotes in the papers were always that I was "Surprisingly good". I'm not sure why this is so surprising
and so consistently so! But it's funny and allows me to send up myself in new ways.
“I’m super nervous and excited at the same time, but I feel disgustingly lucky to have reached a point in my
career where I feel I’ve earned the right to have a voice and crack a joke or two. And of course… sing! SO.
MANY. GOOD. SONGS!
“Ultimately is about being myself on stage and sharing who I am. I love story tellers, I have always wanted to be
one. Now's my chance, what's scary is that it's my story.”
Following making it into the top five finalists of Australian Idol (season one), Mills has since had a successful
career in TV and stage productions. Mills won the coveted lead male role of Fiyero in Wicked and continued the
role when it toured around Australia. He has starred in a number of popular large-scale musical theatre
productions including Grease – The Musical Arena Tour, Hair and Legally Bonde. His television credits include
The Mint, Dancing With The Stars, Celebrity Apprentice and hosting Network Ten's revamped Young Talent
Time.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOWS:
DATE
Fri 12 Jun 2015
TIME
7.30pm
VENUE
Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre
TICKETS
$38(f), $35(friend), $32(c + group)
INFO
07 4961 9777 / mackaytix.com.au
DATE
TIME
VENUE
TICKETS
INFO
-ENDS-
Sun 14 Jun 2015
3.30pm
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
$40 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
Press information for immediate release: April 2015
Beauty, brains and a ballsy belt
‘“Western is a force of nature...Great storyteller, feisty, highly enjoyable; … Warm, witty
and supremely talented … captivating …fantastic instrumentalists”
 Broadway Baby
‘When the music stops, there is the longest silence. Then Melissa Western’s voice
reappears, snatching you away again, inspiring a big grin on your face. You knew
she was never gone for long, yet in that silence you still missed her.’
 Three Weeks
At first glance Melissa Western may appear the quintessential sultry diva, but
scratch a little below the surface and you soon find a brainy entrepreneur with
an elastic voice and a particular addiction to research.
The Chermside mother of two holds a first class Honours, Masters of
Philosophy, University Medal, was Valedictorian of her University and soon after
the Queensland Cabaret Festival will travel to the UK to take up her recently awarded
Churchill Fellowship, a prestigious national award reserved for “Australians striving for
excellence”. It’s her enquiring mind that led her to create her cabaret show Oh, Lady Be Good. “I’m
really quite a nerd. I can’t help researching! I’d be learning another tune sung by a gorgeous,
amazing female singer and then want to know more about their life, so I’d dig and dig and be so
surprised to learn about their lives” says Western.
“We are so good at putting people in their boxes, looking at a picture and making an assumption.
The great icons of the past are no different, for instance we think of Marilyn Monroe and we
equate sex symbol, but she was an extraordinary woman who pulled herself from poverty in an
orphanage to become one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. In fact she was the pivot
point for Ella Fitzgerald catching her big break at the Mocambo nightclub in the 50s. Ella says that
without Marilyn’s strategic manipulation of a venue that refused to present black performers, she
would never have gotten a break. No Marilyn, no Ella? For me that’s an exceptional story that
explodes some ingrained stereotypes”.
IMAGE: SIMON WOODS PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s these stories that fuel Western’s feast of jazz and blues, taking you on a tour of the 20th Century with the great divas as your
guides. Of course you know the classic songs of the greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Etta James, Eartha Kitt,
Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Marilyn Monroe, Edith Piaf, Eva Cassidy and more, but do you know their
stories? Did you know: Aretha Franklin had given birth twice by age 14 | Roberta Flack was 15 when she took up a scholarship to
university | Peggy Lee’s friend was ‘Charlie’, a large oxygen tank? These and other fascinating facts abound in Oh, Lady Be Good - a
wonderful cabaret filled with fascinating anecdotes, iconic characters, and most of all, great quality music.
Western says “I love the form of cabaret, because it opens a channel of communication with the audience. Sure you can hear a great singer
and walk away with a nice little buzz, but hearing stories, it’s the way we grow as human beings”. Melissa has also been sharing other
quirky stories in her touring cabaret show with husband Tnee Dyer Sweet, Sour and Saucy which performed to sold out audiences at the
Judith Wright Centre in February and continued to regional Queensland in March and now in April and May. The whole family will travel
with Western to the UK in July for her Churchill Fellowship.
Joining Melissa onstage is a versatile and talented jazz trio featuring some of Queensland’s finest players: Tnee Dyer (keys), Dave Galea
(acoustic bass), Paul Hudson (drums). Oh, Lady be Good has performed to acclaim at The Jazz Bar (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), UK tour
(Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire), Brisbane Jazz Club, Maleny Arts Council, Gold Coast Jazz and Blues. Following the QCF appearance it will
return to the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe.
PRESENTED BY QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL AND BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
Turbine Studio
Sunday 14 June, 4.30pm
$25 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets/$6 multiple tickets)
brisbanepowerhouse.org 07 3358 8600
INTERVIEW, IMAGES, MORE INFO ENQUIRIES
[email protected] | 0414 267 009
www.melissawestern.com
PRESS RELEASE - OTGDY
THEY TRIED TO MAKE HER GO TO REHAB - AND SHE DID. TWICE.
"Get along and see this show. You won’t be disappointed. 4.5 Stars" Charissa McCluskeyGarcia theclothesline.com.au
ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG, in its Queensland premiere, returns from a very
successful season at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, to have you toe-tapping, humming
along and ordering another round to toast the ghosts of Rock ’n’ Roll on Sunday June
14.
From the home of Adelaide Cabaret, La Boheme, to the Turbine Platform at the
Brisbane Powerhouse, Jessica Papst and Shanon Whitelock present the kind of cabaret
you can bring your Dad to. Because, for once, he’ll know the music.
From a book she discovered in an airport lounge to an exploration of the possibilities
and mysteries surrounding the lives of some of history’s greatest musicians, Papst’s
work with ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG is powerful, uncanny and really celebrates the
incredible people who’ve been taken to that “great big band in the sky” far too soon.
"This was a night of wonderful cabaret of songs from “The 27 Club”...Janis, Jim Morrison
and Amy Winehouse along with others who died before their time, her great vocal range
doing them all justice...A Highly Recommended Show." - Nigel Ford fringereview.co.uk
Together with her Greenroom-nominated collaborator, arranger and accompanist,
Shanon Whitelock, Jessica and her band celebrate and re-imagine some incredible
songs, and tell the stories surrounding the artists’ demise and deaths - some of which
will surprise you. There’s Janis Joplin and Southern Comfort, Jimi Hendrix and the
ice-skater, Mama Cass and the ham sandwich…
"Jessica Papst is in possession of a fine, versatile instrument - her own voice - and she
uses this gift in Only the Good Die Young...She also aims to lightly philosophise about the
nature of mortality without losing her (or the audience's) sense of humour." - Anthony
Hawser theatreguide.com.au
With a kick-ass funk-soul-rock groove and a track list for your next road trip, ONLY
THE GOOD DIE YOUNG will round off what will be an incredible opening weekend of
the Queensland Cabaret Festival this June.
Be sure to secure tickets early for this ONE NIGHT ONLY performance of ONLY THE
GOOD DIE YOUNG, presented by the 2014 winner of the Your Theatrics International
Queensland Cabaret Contest, Jessica Papst, and celebrated composer and arranger
Shanon Whitelock of OPRAHFICATION (winner Melbourne Short+Sweet Cabaret Tour
Ready Award and Melbourne Cabaret Festival Excellence Award, 2012, New York
Musical Theatre Festival, 2014).
Jessica Papst in association with Brisbane Powerhouse presents
Queensland Cabaret Festival 2015
ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG : SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2015 5PM
Brisbane Powerhouse: Turbine Platform
Tickets: $30 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets/$6 multiple tickets)
Info: 07 3358 8600/brisbanepowerhouse.org
END
Tuesday 21 April 2015
ROCK MEETS CABARET WHEN INTERNATIONAL SENSATION
STORM LARGE TAKES THE STAGE
Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Adelaide Festival Centre present Taken By Storm
“Storm Large delivers each song with an unwavering, exhilarating intensity and passion that pierces the
air with a controlled recklessness sure to send shivers down your spine…” Edinburgh Festival Magazine
“One of the most powerful rock voices I have ever heard in my life.” Short Back & Sides
She made the finals in the CBS show Rock Star: Supernova, currently co-fronts acclaimed band Pink
Martini and has played sold-out shows around the world—now audiences can see Storm Large in her
Brisbane debut as part of Queensland Cabaret Festival on Sunday 14 June 2015.
In Taken by Storm, Large will be joined by her band Le Bonheur to perform a unique mix of classical,
cabaret and theatrical rock interpretations.
According to Large, “the show is about love, death and madness—things I think about at night.”
“Songs range from standard American Songbook fare, Cole Porter, Jaques Brel, Johnny Cash, Black
Sabbath and Bad Brains.”
“I’ll be twisting some well-known songs, kissing others and setting some ablaze to burn into your psyche
forever altered… hopefully making you hear everything differently.”
Large previously performed her autobiographical musical memoir Crazy Enough at Adelaide Cabaret
Festival in 2011, following playing it to packed houses in Portland, New York and Edinburgh.
Storm Large is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. In 2002 Large founded
her band Storm and The Balls, who developed a cult-like following in US clubs. Large shot to national
prominence in 2006 as a finalist on the CBS show Rock Star: Supernova.
In 2009 she performed her autobiographical musical memoir Crazy Enough to sold-out audiences during
its unprecedented 17-week run at Portland Center Stage. In 2011 Large stepped in to front Pink Martini,
following lead singer China Forbes’ leave of absence. Both Large and Forbes continue to perform with
Pink Martini. Storm has released seven albums and made guest star appearances on at least a dozen
others.
QUEENSLAND CABARET FESTIVAL SHOWS:
DATE
Sun 14 Jun 2015
TIME
8pm
VENUE
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
TICKETS
$49 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets / $6 multiple tickets)
INFO
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
-ENDS-
Media Release
BLUR: THE SONGS OF ELLEN REED
For immediate release
See star singer-songwriter Ellen Reed in a special evening of original songs and poignant covers,
ballads, Blues, Pop and RnB.
Ellen Reed (Boy&Girl2) is one of Brisbane's rising stars with her incomparable voice and her
ability to perform gracefully under pressure; she won Nova FM's National extreme karaoke by
belting out Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” whilst covered in snakes and spiders inside a coffin.
Ellen performed at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Goodwill Games in Brisbane, the
Bach Festival in Oregon, she's sung for Bill Clinton, the Australian Olympic Swim Team, the
Brisbane EKKA and Starlight Charity Dinners.
With a transition of mood and clarity, the line of artist and song blends with Ellen’s uplifting vocal
strength, delivering her original hits from the titled EP now on itunes: Not Tonight, Ask Me to Stay,
Let Go and Blur.
Don't miss this introduction to one of Australia's newest chanteuses.
‘The Wonderful Voice of Ellen Reed’ – aussietheatre.com.au
‘Live performance-meets-theatre-meets-gig’ – scenestr.com.au
http://www.ellenreedmusic.com
Presented by Queensland Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Troy Armstrong
Management.
Written by Ellen Reed and Troy Armstrong
Blur: The Songs of Ellen Reed
Sunday 14 June 2015
8pm
Turbine Platform, Brisbane Powerhouse
FULL: $34
Now on Sale
www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
Box Office: (07) 3358 8600
ENDS.
For more information and interview requests, please contact Troy Armstrong on 0418 652 900 or
[email protected]
Queensland Cabaret Festival 2015 Media Contacts Sheet
Show
Publicity Contact
Phone
Email
Voices of Vice
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Mary Wilson: Up Close
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Bradley McCaw
Bradley McCaw
0416 187 332
[email protected]
Painted from Memory
Cindy Ullrich
07 3840 7589
[email protected]
[email protected]
Cabaret at the Cremorne
Cindy Ullrich
Chantel D’Innocenzo
07 3840 7589
02 8084 3663
[email protected]
Vegas! Standards Reborn
Tyrone Noonan
0468 745 351
[email protected]
UnPC
Cienda McNamara
0416 268 285
[email protected]
Dirty, Sexy Politics
Samuel Valentine
0452 219 992
[email protected]
Cool Britannia
Lizzie Moore
0433 055 580
[email protected]
Geraldine Turner: Turner’s Turn
Tracey Whealey
0417 146 552
Ripen Ready
Amanda Lawson
07 3872 9005
[email protected]
Tom Burlinson
Cindy Ullrich
07 3840 7589
[email protected]
Warmwaters
Robert Kronk
0416 103 799
[email protected]
Con2TheCabaret
Lauren Marino
0418 799 544
[email protected]
Baby et Lulu
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Michael Griffiths: Adolescent
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Queen of the Night
Bethan Ellsmore
0435 030 074
[email protected]
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
So Unusual
Troy Armstrong
0418 652 900
[email protected]
Strange Bedfellows
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Rob Mills is…Surprisingly Good
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Oh Lady Be Good
Melissa Western
0414 267 009
[email protected]
Only the Good Die Young
Jessica Papst
0433 918 272
[email protected]
Taken by Storm
Amanda Doellinger
07 3358 8670
[email protected]
Blur: The Songs of Ellen Reed
Troy Armstrong
0418 652 900
[email protected]
Hair to the Throne
Tom Sharah: That 90s Show
[email protected]