Gorge 09

GORGE ‘09 is a bold and interactive mini fest of performance and spoken word – and it’s not for the jelly-hearted!

Each night offers a new theatrical world, Different writer. Different script. Different performers.

It’s raw, it’s immediate and dramatically different. Live dangerously and immerse yourself in the process of making live performance.

Writers Nicki Bloom, Matthew Cormack and Alirio Zavarce have each penned a ten minute script, commissioned especially for GORGE ‘09, and are now waiting to see what is served up between 19-21 November by the GORGE ‘09 performance companies: Daniel Clarke, Aidan Munn, Stone/Castro, Real Time Collaborators, TheimaGen and Unreasonable Adults.

GORGE ‘09 isn’t one of those theatrical experiences where you sit back and wait to be entertained. You have to engage and enGORGE!

GORGE ‘09 is loud and gets louder. Your voice is vital to the fun and laughter each night as you are serenaded by the sassy songbird, Libby O’Donovan, mellifluous Mistress of Ceremonies, accompanied by the incomparable king of the keyboard, Matthew Carey

And, yes, it’s more fun if you come on all 3 nights…

You’ll meet the artists, engage in conversation with them and watch the stage transform again and again in a series of different interpretations. We’ll open up the floor to questions and debate, challenge the writers’ intention and question the performers’ interpretation. Or simply sing their praises!

Join us and be GORGEd!

THREE NIGHTS ONLY! 19-21 November 2009Space Theatre7.30pm

WRITERS Nicki Bloom, Matthew Cormack & Alirio Zavarce PERFORMANCE COMPANIES Aidan Munn, Daniel Clarke, Real Time Collaborators, Stoone/Castro, TheimaGen & Unreasonable Adults MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES Libby 0′Donovan PIANIST Matthew Carey ARTISTIC DIRECTORS Daisy Brown & Chris Drummond PRODUCER Kay Jamieson

Book at BASS on 131 246 or www.bass.net.au

Season Pass for all three nights: $67.50 or $61.50 for Brink Privilege Card Holders.
Or buy single tickets to attend 1 or 2 nights Adult: $30 P/S/U and Fringe Benefits: $25 Brink Privilege Card Holders: $23.50 Green Room $19.95

Gorge is an original concept by Daisy Brown [The Misery Children]

New Cabaret Confessional Site

I haven’t posted much on this site lately, but I have been working on getting a forum for the Australian Cabaret Community up and running at www.cabaretconfessional.squarespace.com

I know the url is a little long at the moment, and I’m working on that.

Will post here again soon. In the meantime I’m in Sydney this weekend playing with the fabulous Lillias White from NYC. We’re at the Playhouse in the Opera House Thurs Jul 2-Sat Jul 4. Bookings can be made via the Opera House website.

Have a look over at the Cabaret Confessional site and I’ll see you back here soon!

Bernadette Peters

Interview with Bernadette Peters in The Australian ahead of her headlining performance at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

More Metro Street Reviews In

After a Good Friday off, Metro Street is back today with another two performances and then another two weeks in which Adelaide audiences can see Matthew Robinson’s new Australian musical. As a friend of mine mentioned yesterday, there aren’t many new Australian musicals, so this is (in Adam’s words) part of Australian theatre history!

Verity Hunt-Ballard steals the show as Kerry, the loud country bogan with (predictably) a heart of gold.
Read the review from the Messenger News.

Impeccable cast, staging and music hit all the right notes.
Review by Murray Bramwell in The Australian.
“But it is Byrnes’s spine-tingling solo, Dignity, Sue’s overwhelming cry from the heart at her impending death, that especially reveals Robinson’s ambition and his memorable achievement.”

For years now, Australian movies have been obsessed with the grit and grime of everyday life. Now, music theatre gets in on the act with Metro Street, a modern musical about suburban angst.
Review from IndependentWeekly.com

From Australian Stage Online – Metro Street is a stellar new show that propels Australian musical theatre into a new galaxy.

To book tickets, phone BASS on 131 246 or book online following this link.

Metro Street Reviewed

Review by Samela Harris on the AdelaideNow.com website this afternoon.

Stars old and new twinkle and dazzle with equal brilliance over Metro Street. There’s luminous Nancye Hayes, mighty Debra Byrne, ethereal Jude Henshall, heart-throb Cameron Goodall and thrilling Verity Hunt- Ballard…read more.

Cabaret Prediction

I’ve just been sent an invite to see Julie Wilson perform in Sydney on June 14. Given that date, I’m predicting that at Wednesday’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival launch they’ll announce that Julie will perform in Adelaide as well.

I’ve got a friend in New York who is a close friend of Ms Wilson, and I had the privilege of seeing her perform in Sydney a number of years ago at the Sydney Cabaret Convention. I can’t remember the song she sang, but I do remember her mesmerising me with the feather boa she used during her act!

Also to appear in the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival – Bernadette Peters and songwriter John Bucchino.

Metro Street

After weeks of rehearsal in the depths of the Adelaide Festival Centre while the Playhouse was being renovated above, this week we’ve moved into the theatre and are currently ‘teching’ Metro Street. All seems to be going well – the cast are fantastic, the band sounds great and all the elements are fitting together as planned! Looking forward to our first performance this Friday April 3.

Secret Show!

I don’t know much, but I know I love a good secret. So lean in close and I’ll whisper the details I DO know…
Date: Tonight – Friday Feb 20, 2009
Venue: Spiegeltent – Garden of Unearthly Delights (Rundle Park, Adelaide)
Time: 10pm
Performers include: 2 of my favourites – Libby O’Donovan & Catherine Campbell
Tickets from: Fringetix at the entrance to the Garden.

Tell your friends – but quietly…remember “sshh…it’s a secret!”

10 Audition Tips for Actors

From a blog called The Producer’s Perspective written by Ken Davenport. Read it here.

Burt’s Back!

A recent article at Yahoo News reports that Burt Bacharach has a new album in the US Billboard Top 200 Album chart.

Titled “Live at the Sydney Opera House”, it debuted on the Billboard chart at number 72 last week, making it his highest charting album in 37 years.