Dreamgirls star Jennifer Holliday to headline Sydney Cabaret Festival

Broadway star Jennifer Holliday hopes to "blow the roof off" when she performs in Australia at the inaugural Sydney Cabaret Festival in July.

Holliday, one of the stars of the original award-winning musical Dreamgirls, is in Sydney to announce the launch of the festival, where she will make her Australian debut.

Dreamgirls star Jennifer Holliday is the headline act in the Sydney Cabaret Festival.Credit:Nick Moir

Music from Dreamgirls – which Holliday remains "proud to sing" almost 40 years later – will feature heavily in her show, with excerpts of her own experiences woven in.

"I always like to talk about my journey, just to let people know – especially who've never heard me sing before – just who I am," she says. "I like to use a few of the songs to introduce myself, say where I am in life [and] make sure that people have hope and a sense of positivity about their own lives.

"My voice is an instrument and I just want to be able to sing towards the sky and blow the roof off."

Led by artistic director Trevor Ashley, the festival is set to feature local talent such as Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins, Alison Jiear, Kim David Smith and Reuben Kaye. The UK's Frisky & Mannish will also perform, making their return to Australia.

Ashley said he is "thrilled" to present Holliday to Australian audiences for the first time.

"Starting a cabaret festival and having this wonderful woman come out here and sing her signature tunes and inspire us as she does – it's so incredible," he said.

"We're just really excited that she's the headliner in our first year because I think it gives such promise for the years to come."

The inaugural Sydney Cabaret Festival will run from July 5 to July 14.

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