Toni Lamond and More Join The Sydney Cabaret Festival Line Up

Sydney Cabaret Festival Director Trevor Ashley today announced that Australian Showbiz royalty Toni Lamond will emerge from retirement to perform at a special closing night Showqueen event at the Festival, alongside performances from many of the international Festival guests. Tickets to this one-night only special event, hosted by Trevor Ashley, are on sale from tomorrow at www.sydneycabaretfest.com.au

Ashley also announced the line-up for the nightly Moët & Chandon Piano Bar, the hub of this year's inaugural Sydney Cabaret Festival. Running from 5-14 July, Sydney Cabaret's Moët & Chandon Piano Bar will be nestled inside the festival hub at the Seymour Centre, with a plethora of pop up performances slated to entertain audiences each evening. Tickets to these nightly performances will be available at the door.

Resident maestro Steven Kreamer will tickle the ivories nightly and accompany some of the country's most exciting entertainers including Rhonda Burchmore, Tom Sharah, Cath Alcorn, Genevieve Lemon and Trevor Ashley himself. Accompanied with a tantalising tipple from the Moët & Chandon Piano Bar, these outrageous shows will leave audiences truly embracing the night.

"I'm overwhelmed that my dear friend and idol Toni Lamond has agreed to close the Festival," said Ashley. "We have an extraordinary collection of artists performing this year, artists at the top of their game, starting with the incredible Jennifer Holliday and closing with Toni Lamond. I have no doubt music lovers will be there every night to not only see the diversity of the cabaret shows, but to relax afterwards in the Moët & Chandon Piano Bar and be surprised with the pop up performances. Get your tickets soon before they sell out."

The 2019 Sydney Cabaret Festival features the legendary Tony Award-winning Jennifer Holliday, appearing for the first time on Australian soil, alongside local legends like Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins, to New York downtown darling Natalie Joy Johnson. UK's most famous duo Frisky and Mannish return after a ten year hiatus, as does the thrilling diva Alison Jiear, described as having a "bring down the house voice" by the New York Times. Sydney favourite Tim Draxl will appear in a world premiere of his new show, along with shows from Kim David Smith, Reuben Kaye and Brian Nash. Circus and variety show Cheeky Cabaret, direct from their home in Brunswick Heads, plays nightly featuring acrobat and aerialist Ben Lewis, comedienne Helen Cassidy, Hula Hoop Queen Eloise Green, born showman Mario, Queen of the Circus, and others. Australian pop culture fan Tim Benzie returns to Sydney with the hilarious Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote. The Festival sees the Grand Final of the restored Sydney Cabaret Competition as well as masterclasses with Jennifer Holliday and Alison Jiear.

In the immortal words of Fred Ebb: What good is sitting alone in your room? Come to the Cabaret.

Bookings and more information at sydneycabaretfest.com