Adelaide Festival's Centre Presents 2013 Season

Join in the 2013 celebrations as Adelaide Festival Centre celebrates its 40th ruby anniversary and 100th anniversary for the grand old dame Her Majesty's Theatre with a year-long season of theatre, dance, music, festivals and party celebrations. The 2013 program boasts 240 performances and 71 individual shows with a number of panel discussions, exhibitions and of course some special anniversary events around these extraordinary milestones.

The 2013 season begins in magical style as The Illusionists see in the New Year with seven of the world's greatest magicians. Making its Adelaide debut, this spellbinding production features thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions. Don't miss this superb family entertainment over the summer holidays, 31 December – 12 January, Festival Theatre.

Music makes the world go round, and to get the party started over summer Sessions is the Festival Centre's summer music series will include some smooth grooves and an explosion of eclectic beats featuring 21 artists from the USA, France, Spain, New Zealand and Australia in 22 performances, 4 January – 9 February, Space Theatre. The Prophet sees The Song company and Joseph Tawadros perform together in a unique collaboration based on excerpts from the literary classic The Prophet by Khalil Gibran; it is a unique musical language that defies categorisation, 4 – 5 April, Dunstan Playhouse. Two of Australia's most loved artists – songstress Katie Noonan and classical guitarist Karin Schaupp – will perform music close to their hearts in Songs Of The Southern Skies, 26-27 July, Dunstan Playhouse.

In 2013 Her Majesty's Theatre will play host to some of the most beloved stars to grace the stage, including Barry Humphries in his Farewell Tour, Eat Pray Laugh! See this all-singing all-dancing National Treasure perform from 18 – 27 January. Two of the world's greatest living actors, Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones will appear in a once in a lifetime event in Driving Miss Daisy, 17 May – 2 June.

Some charming and playful works will be presented ensuring children get to experience the magic of live theatre, and what better way to spend the school holidays than to treat the kids to The Listies in The Listies Do Compooters, interactive and off the wall comedy, 23 – 26 January, Space Theatre. Six whimsical tales by much loved children's author Pamela Allen take to the stage in Patch Theatre Company's Mr McGee And The Biting Flea, 16 – 20 April, Space Theatre. Mid-year CDP and Tall Stories bring to Adelaide the enchanting adaptation for stage based on the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler Room On The Broom 16-20 July, Dunstan Playhouse.

Perennially popular Something On Saturday runs from 4 May – 7 September, and the program continues to delight and entertain more than 15,000 people every year, with many South Australian children aged 3 to 10 enjoying their first theatrical experience. Whilst Little Big Shots International Film Festival for Kids, 10 – 12 October, presents a selection of children's films aimed to inspire discussions of world culture and is guaranteed to make kids, laugh, think and create.

Ode To Nonsense is an opera for families, bringing together children's theatre company Slingsby and State Opera of South Australia for the world premiere, 26 April – 4 May, Her Majesty's Theatre and The Pinjarra Project will perform a thought provoking play Bindjareb Pinjarra, as part of the 2013 Come Out Festival, 25-26 May, Dunstan Playhouse.

RBS Morgans International Piano Series 2013 brings the world's most revered pianists to Adelaide to perform in this piano recital series, with Russian pianists Yevgeny Sudbin 6 May, Space Theatre, Nikolai Demidenko 22 July, Space Theatre and Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin, 22 September, Festival Theatre.

In 2013 Adelaide Festival Centre and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra will together present two magnificent events. Sarah Blasko will team up with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra to perform I Awake, songs from Sarah's fourth album of the same name. Sarah's sublime and mesmerising voice is sure to make this a performance to remember, 1 February, Festival Theatre. In November to celebrate Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra will present his iconic anti-war masterpiece War Requiem for one night only, 2 November, Festival Theatre.

Lovers of contemporary dance will see Sydney Dance Company make a welcome return with Rafael Bonachela's work 2 One Another, 8 – 11 May, Her Majesty's Theatre. As part of the Adelaide Festival, patrons have the opportunity to witness the Australian premiere of Belgium's Ultima Vez' What The Body Does Not Remember, this confrontation of dance and music is a remount of a work that changed contemporary dance forever, 7 – 10 March, Dunstan Playhouse. In a fat dose of funny with a visionary dance aesthetic, Happy As Larry by Shaun Parker & Company is an uplifting free-flowing mix of ballet, break-dance, acrobatics and highly physical contemporary dance.

Following highly acclaimed seasons on the West End and Broadway and having its Australian Premiere is Kneehigh Theatre's adaptation of the Noel Coward's classic Brief Encounter, 10-28 September, Dunstan Playhouse and Maggie Stone a powerful new Australian play that will be performed 8 – 30 November, Space Theatre.

The Australian Ballet returns with an exquisite new production of Swan Lake, the classic tale of a troubled prince and tragic swan queen, 5-11 July, Festival Theatre.

Adelaide Festival Centre's CEO and Artistic Director, Douglas Gautier is pleased to announce that Kate Ceberano will continue as Artistic Director beyond 2013 for the 2014 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. As part of the celebrations the Variety Gala Performance, which has become synonymous with the opening of the Festival, will toast the Festival Centre's 40th anniversary with two gala performances and a line-up that is sure to open the Festival in spectacular style. As an early treat we are announcing four acts that will appear in this year's Cabaret Festival, starting with two International Artists - Broadway sensation and Tony Award winning performer Idina Menzel, 22 June, Festival Theatre and from the US two-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. Cabaret gents and stars of Australian stage and screen Tom Burlinson and Eddie Perfect will return. Tom will honour The Kings Of swing with his show Now We're Swingin' and Eddie will premiere a new concert presentation of Shane Warne The Musical, complete with a 24 piece orchestra. The full Adelaide Cabaret Festival program will be launched on 6 April.

Those that missed Bernadette Robinson's legendary performance of Songs For Nobodies at last year's Cabaret Festival will be able to ensure they witness her theatrical alchemy on stage when she returns early in the year, 14 – 24 February, Dunstan Playhouse.

OzAsia Festival, 13-29 September will feature the Australian Premiere of Super Everything, a pioneering live performance by The Light Surgeons featuring Ng Chor Guan, Hands Percussion and Rhythm in Bronze, 25-28 September, Space Theatre. No OzAsia Festival would be complete without the beautiful Moon Lantern Festival which will once again take place in the heart of Adelaide bringing the community together under the full moon as Elder Park is lit by the spectacular Moon Lantern Parade, 19 September.

Since its opening in 1973, the Festival Theatre has been Adelaide's preeminent venue for the world's finest artists, while also providing a venue of international standard for countless performances, community events, and local companies. To celebrate this milestone, there will be a number of anniversary events including the Festival Theatre 40th Anniversary Concert. For two nights only 31 May – 1 June, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, will reprise the Festival Theatre's grand opening night with a performance of Beethoven's magnificent Choral Symphony Number 9 in D Minor. The concert will also premiere Fanfare Festiva – a fanfare for the next 40 years, commissioned by Adelaide Festival Centre for the concert and composed by renowned Adelaide composer, Graeme Koehne.

To celebrate the 40 years, every night in June Adelaide Festival Centre will be radiant with projections from internationally acclaimed artists Electric Canvas. House Lights will illuminate the distinctive white roof of Adelaide's iconic building with a changing palette of images that embody the spirit of the Adelaide Festival Centre's 40 fabulous years. The anniversary wouldn't be complete without a return of the '80s/'90s hub the Fezbah. The late night Fezbah will be revised and reinvigorated to one big celebratory weekend from 31 May – 1 June, free in the Piano Bar.

Her Majesty's Theatre has hosted some of the greatest performers to have ever graced the stage including Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Judi Dench, Edward Woodward, Luciano Pavarotti, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Robert Helpmann, Victor Borge and countless others. In honour of her treasured history we will be celebrating Her Majesty's 100th birthday with a Centennial Gala Concert Fundraising Event on Friday 6 September and Saturday 7 September. Her Majesty's Centennial Gala Concert will pay tribute to this cherished theatre and all the incredible companies and performers who have contributed to its rich heritage with fundraising to ensure she shines bright for another 100 years.

Christmas Proms completes the year round program of theatre, dance and music and will once again bring the festive spirit to the Festival Centre with plenty of carols and laughs to be had, some very special guests and led by Mr Christmas himself Timothy Sexton and his 24 piece Adelaide Art Orchestra, 13-14 Festival Theatre.

Bring your friends, both old and new to a performance as part of our Morning Melodies program, great daytime entertainment at an affordable price.

Adelaide Festival Centre's 2013 Exhibition Program plays a pivotal role, offering a diverse program of curated exhibitions across the Festival Centre, including the Performing Arts Collection founded in 1979 is home to many prestigious and unique collections that embody over 200 years of South Australian performing arts history. Details of these significant exhibitions, some that highlight the Festival Centre's rich history, are included in our 2013 program.

The Festival Centre's GreenRoom program (16-30 year olds) and centrED program (primary and secondary students) will continue to give young people the opportunity to participate in a number of workshops, events and forums. The Student Tix program offers discounted tickets, enabling younger audiences to access the arts. This is supported through the generous donations of the Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation.