Whether or not “feeling fairly” in West Aspect Story, strolling the French streets in Les Miserables, or performing Little Drummer Boy at Melbourne’s Carols by Candlelight, Marina Prior has sung her approach into the highest tier of Australian expertise – a place she plans to maintain.
With a number of awards and over 30 lead roles to her identify, Australia’s main woman of musical theatre is able to stun the nation two instances over, starting subsequent yr along with her return to the “theatre masterpiece”, Mary Poppins.
Marina Prior prepares for her return to the Mary Poppins stage in 2023.Credit score:Scott McNaughton
“The chance to be in a manufacturing like that is one thing that you’d by no means flip down … It’s an iconic present,” Prior stated, earlier than shortly admitting disdain for the over-used descriptor.
“Everybody says iconic, however it’s … It has unbelievable manufacturing values, it’s simply gob-smacking. However on the coronary heart of it, it’s the story a few fractured household who truly discover themselves lastly again collectively once more, by the magic of this Mary Poppins.”
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Having performed Mrs Banks – mom of the younger firecracker duo Jane and Michael – in its 2011 Melbourne season, the soprano singer will grace the Poppins stage as soon as once more, however in solely totally different garb and with double the characters.
Testing her performing skills, Prior, now 58, will make her comeback as each Miss Andrews – Mr Banks’ depraved former nanny who replaces Mary Poppins throughout the second act – and the Chook Girl, “an angel dressed up as a homeless lady”. The 2 characters couldn’t have much less in widespread, however Prior was ready for the problem, viewing it as a part of her profession’s pure development.
“I began within the trade 40 years in the past subsequent yr enjoying ingenues and romantic heroines, the nice lady and the soprano and all that kind of factor,” Prior stated, leaning ahead in her chair as she seemed again on the challenges she overcame.
“I needed to struggle actually arduous to maneuver into character roles and comedic roles as a result of individuals have been kind of like, ‘No, no, no. You keep the place you’re.’ However I wished to evolve.
