Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2020 has been cancelled following the South Australian Government’s declaration of a public health emergency.
The ban on non-essential gatherings of 100 people or more has made the festival untenable in what would have been its 20th year.
The current travel bans would affect artists coming from interstate and overseas to South Australia as well as the plans of interstate patrons who visit for this significant event on South Australia’s calendar. The programme for the June festival was packed with talented artists and amazing shows, was ready to be launched in full this month.
Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director, Julia Zemiro, said, “This year was to be the 20th anniversary of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. In my final year as Artistic Director I could not have been more thrilled to be at the helm of this celebration. Sadly, it can’t be. This is truly one of those moments for me where you realise how you take things for granted: Like putting on a show, inviting people along and raising a glass.
“I want to thank the wonderful cabaret teams and crews at Adelaide Festival Centre and the international and local artists who have already put in so much work in putting their shows together.
“We are now working on ways to take the cabaret platform online – cabaret has always been a way for artists to express political commentary and satire in a way that uplifts audiences and perhaps that’s what we need at this time.
scenestr's preview of the 2020 Adelaide Cabaret Festival promised an homage to all things French and chic. "The Adelaide Cabaret Festival presents 'A French Soiree'. The event will take place in the middle weekend of the festival, and will focus on celebrating France as the motherland of cabaret.
"The headlining act for that same weekend will feature an Australian premiere, with a star-studded amalgamation of top tier performers from Broadway, the West End, and Australia, all gathering to celebrate the music of legendary musical theatre composers, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg in 'Do You Hear The People Sing?'
"The exclusive concert will include hits from 'Les Miserables', 'Miss Saigon', 'Martin Guerre',' The Pirate Queen', and France's first rock opera 'La Revolution Francaise'. 'Do You Hear The People Sing?' will star internationally renowned tenor, Alfie Boe, and award-winning musical theatre star, Lea Salonga – known for her performances as Princess Jasmine and Mulan in timeless Disney classics 'Aladdin' and 'Mulan'.
"'RocKwiz' returns in 2020 for 'RocKwiz Salutes New York'. Join in the madness as fabulous cabaret and rock musicians bring the house down with some of New York and Broadway's finest tunes. Not to mention, the big quiz, itself!"
A statement released by Adelaide Festival Centre said, "The Adelaide Cabaret Festival team is exploring ways to support our valued cabaret artists and share digital content with audiences; we look forward to sharing more details about this shortly."
