Tassie’s Prior engagement

Marina Prior is one of those performers with a supremely perfect name. Marina is the Latin name meaning ‘from the sea’, and Marina with her curly mane of bewitching dark hair has the beautiful voice of the mythological mermaids that would entrance sailors, causing them to forget their duty, seduced by the siren. Marina’s surname is perfect too … Prior meaning preceding and Marina precedes all others in that she is arguably Australia’s first lady of song.

Marina has been entrancing Australia annually at Carols by Candlelight and now Tassie is going to see some of that musical magic first hand as Marina is headlining performers like Australia’s got Talent winner Jack Vidgen and new Young Talent Time host Rob Mills at Carols on the Bay this year.

It won’t be the first Tasmanian visit by Marina as she has previously worked with the Australian Phiomonic in Tassie as well as performing at the Derwent Entertainment Centre.

I recently talked to Marina about her sparkling career and future ambitions.

There never was another choice of career for Marina who is a bright lady and possesses a degree in music. As well as her beautiful voice Marina can also play piano, flute and guitar although singing is her passion.

Marina has had a very versatile career ranging from opera, musical theatre, straight theatre and television. She has played Cosette in ‘Les Mis’, Maria in ‘West Side Story’, played opposite Richard Harris in ‘Camelot’, toured with José Carreras and has worked with Australian theatre royalty in Barry Otto and Nancy Hayes. Perhaps we most associate Marina with Christine from ‘Phantom of the Opera’, a character she played alongside both Anthony Warlow and the late Rob Guest. Marina has also played the biographical role of Irish harpist Mary O’Hara in the ‘Harp and the Willow’.

Marina said one on her favourite roles was Miss Adelaide in ‘Guys and Dolls’.

With such a striking resume behind her Marina still has many ambitions to fulfil.

For one she would like to do a live recording of a concert, play Mrs Lovett in ‘Sweeney Todd’ and would also like to expand her film and television work. At the moment Marina is working on a new CD planned for release early next year which will include songs of the 1930s including Irving Berlin and also cover some Joni Mitchell songs.

But that is next year, right now Marina is set to take the stage at Tassie’s Carols by the Bay.

You can see Marina perform at Carols by the Bay on 18th December at Sandown Park, Sandy Bay at 8pm
Paula Xiberras