'Women In Voice' has returned to Brisbane, bringing with it five superlative songstresses.
From its humble beginnings at The Sitting Duck Café in West End, to rubbing shoulders with large-scale international productions at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, 'Women In Voice' has grown exceptionally since it was launched by Annie Peterson over 20 years ago.
Despite increasing significantly in popularity, the show never lost sight of its original impetus – to offer exposure and work for emerging female artists.
Now, the annual event attracts an incredibly broad Brisbane audience, bringing state-of-the-art production values to the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, and frequently selling out weeks in advance.
'Women In Voice' is renowned for being ‘more than another song concert’, combining the enormous vocal talent in Brisbane with hysterical humour, resulting in one of the liveliest, funniest, and most professional shows the city has ever seen.
Countless talents have joined the 'Women In Voice' family over the years, a testament to the courageous concept that offers talented, female vocalists an up-front, uncomplicated opportunity to perform for crowds. Among the starts that have presented include music legends Deborah Conway, Margret RoadKnight, Jenny Morris, Christine Johnston, Jeannie Lewis, Carita Farrer and many, many more.
As per tradition, exceptional new singers will join the mix of beloved favourites, with three recruits joining the 'Women In Voice' ‘Royalty’ in 2016.
One ‘Royalty’ performer is Leah Cotterell, who wowed audiences at the 2015 Women of the World Festival at QPAC. Alicia Cush is new to the 'Women In Voice' bill, a Brisbane-based performer, musical director and independent producer currently touring with Circa Contemporary Circus. Judy Hainsworth will also grace the QPAC stage, well-recognised as one of the most dynamic performers and writers in Brisbane, after earning rave reviews for her cabaret '#FirstWorldWhiteGirls'.
Alicia Cush, Judy Hainsworth, Alison St Ledger and Sahara Beck make up four out of five women in voice.
Alison St Ledger
Best known for her stellar performances in 'Women In Voice', and previously sharing the stage with leading female talents such as Katie Noonan, Kate Miller-Heidke and Chrissie Amphlett, Alison has given critically-acclaimed performances at the Brisbane Cabaret Festival, including 'Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' and the Matilda Award-winning 'Tom Waits for No Man'. She has appeared several times as a guest vocalist with Australian band Powderfinger, and recently recorded a swath of new songs for her latest collaboration with Sallie Campbell and Dave McGuire – 'The Switch'. At present, Alison is co-director of the Queensland Cabaret Festival.
Sahara Beck
Raised in the laid back surrounds of the Sunshine Coast, Sahara wrote and recorded her debut album at the young age of 14, before moving to Brisbane alone to finish school and immerse herself in the collaborative music community. Despite her young age, she prides herself on her ability to stay true, remaining single-minded and grounded in the industry. Working with an ever-evolving crew of musicians, she has toured the country and performed at countless festivals, such as Bluesfest, Queenscliff, BIGSOUND, The Planting and Caloundra Musical Festival all while sharing the stage with artists including Ben Lee, Art of Sleeping, Darren Middleton, Katie Noonan, The Cat Empire, The Beach Boys, and many more.
Alicia Cush
Alicia Cush is a Brisbane-based performer, musical director and independent producer, currently touring with Circa Contemporary Circus. She boasts the title of Creative Director of Little Black Dress Creatives, encompassing BellaDiva and cabaret collective Babushka. Alicia has graced the line-up of numerous prestigious events, bringing her ensemble to the Brisbane Festival, Queensland Cabaret Festival, and Queensland Music Festival. She recently finished an 18-month Fresh Ground Artist-In-Residence program at the Judith Wright Centre, plus, has been the Music Producer of the 2High Festival and toured internationally with 'Il Ritorno' by Circa in the past.
