The conductor, pianist and famous Cessnock son will be joined by musical theatre star Geraldine Turner to perform The Maestro and The Diva, to launch the season on February 9, 2019.

The evening is set to be peppered with music and song, wit and banter.

Brian will on his formative years in Cessnock and his illustrious career in Opera.

Geraldine sings and shares anecdotes from her years on stage, starring in shows like Anything Goes, Sweeney Todd, Company, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Guys and Dolls, and Call Me Madam.

Both are multi-award winners and true legends of the stage, and together they shine brightly.

They will reflect and reminisce – regaling the audience with stories from both behind and in front of the lights – true stories, moving, poignant and hilarious!

The Maestro and The Diva celebrates composers from Porter to Gershwin, Sondheim to Weill, Berlin to Lloyd Webber. Expect to laugh, be enthralled, surprised, even touched, by the talents and tales of these two celebrated Australian artists.

The evening will begin with a selection of canapés and wine served in the foyer at 7:15pm, followed by these two dazzling performers at 8pm in the auditorium.

And later that month, the fantastic entertainment continues at Cessnock Performing Arts Centre with Tony Briggs’s The Sapphires on February 26.

Four young Aboriginal women from regional Australia, who like singing country music, suddenly get the chance to change their tune and their lives.

Wearing uniforms of sequins, armed only with microphones they find themselves trying to spread joy in the hell of the Vietnam War. 

The Sapphires is a funny, heart-warming tale inspired by the true story of writer Tony Brigg’s mother. It tells of the incredible journey of a singing group of four Yorta Yorta Women, who sing Motown soul hits against the backdrop of personal change and massive social upheaval.

The Sapphires is one of Australia’s best-loved stories. Winning multiple awards as a play, film and soundtrack album, there was one challenge left and that was a national tour of Australia. 

The show bring the raw energy, fun and emotion of this story directly to stages like CPAC and across the nation.