Marina Prior
{{Short description|Australian soprano and actress}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Marina Prior
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|AM}}
| image = Marina Prior in 2008.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Prior on New Year's Eve 2008 in Melbourne
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|10|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Port Moresby, Territory of Papua and New Guinea, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Melbourne State College
| nationality = Australian
| other_names =
| occupation = Soprano, actress
| spouse = Grant Piro
| website =
| known_for =
}}
Marina Prior {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 18 October 1963) is an Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly in musical theatre. From 1990 to 1993, she starred as the original Christine Daaé in the Australian premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, opposite Anthony Warlow and later Rob Guest.
Early life
Prior was born in Port Moresby in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, Australia,{{cite news | url = http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/marina-prior-is-australias-leading-lady/story-fn3o6wog-1226639273165?nk=ebf8b90348e8f8a16b25440deb1dc0b4 | title = Marina Prior is Australia's leading lady | last = Nunn | first = Louise | work = The Advertiser | publisher = News Corp Australia | date = 11 May 2013 | access-date = 22 October 2014 }} where her father was working in the shipping industry. Her parents were members of the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society. The family returned to Australia when she was a young child and she grew up in Melbourne, where she attended Syndal South Primary School and Korowa Anglican Girls' School. She began to take singing lessons at the age of twelve and also learnt piano, flute and guitar.
In 1982 Prior started studying for a Bachelor of Music degree at the Melbourne State College (which later became a faculty of the University of Melbourne). To raise money, she worked in coffee shops and tried busking. In September 1983 she auditioned for the Victoria State Opera production of The Pirates of Penzance. She was cast as "Mabel" and this started her career in musical theatre.{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116409315 | title = From busker to leading lady in two weeks|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=29 September 1983|access-date=21 October 2014|page=7|publisher=National Library of Australia }}{{cite web | url = http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/713 | title = Contributor: Marina Prior | publisher = AusStage (Jenny Fewster) | access-date = 21 October 2014 }} Initially she had tried out for the chorus, she reflected "When they told me it was 'Mabel' I nearly fainted ... I could not believe it ... It was like a fairy tale". She deferred her studies due to performance and "touring commitments".
Theatre career
In 1984 Prior was "Guinevere" in the Australian production of Camelot with Richard Harris. In 1985, she performed the dual roles of "Jellylorum" and "Griddlebone" in the Australian premiere production of Cats. In 1987, she appeared as "Josephine" opposite Paul Eddington in Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore, as "Kathy" in The Student Prince at the Lyric Opera in Brisbane and as "Hope Harcourt" in Anything Goes. This was followed by "Cosette" and the Australian premiere production of Les Misérables opposite Normie Rowe, Philip Quast, Simon Burke, and Anthony Warlow in Melbourne. She later played "Fantine" in the same musical in Sydney.
From 1990 to 1993, she starred as the original "Christine Daaé" in the Australian premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, opposite Warlow and later Rob Guest. This was followed by roles in many major productions, including "Maria" in West Side Story, "Lily" in The Secret Garden opposite Warlow and Quast (1995), "Magnolia" in Show Boat (1998) and the title role in The Merry Widow (1999).[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/13/1052591786750.html "There's life in the old widow yet"] by Frank Van Straten, The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 May 2003
Other appearances include "Miss Adelaide" in Guys and Dolls (2000); the title role in Annie Get Your Gun (2004), both in staged concert versions with The Production Company;[http://www.theproductioncompany.com.au/shows/annie.html Annie Get Your Gun (2004)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702120102/http://www.theproductioncompany.com.au/shows/annie.html |date=2 July 2007 }} in 2003 in John Misto's play Harp on the Willow ("Mary O'Hara") at the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney;[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/09/1065676092845.html?from=storyrhs Harp on the Willow] as "Jane Smart" in The Witches of Eastwick (2002);[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/09/1031115998389.html Devilishly hard to get just right] and as "Belinda Blair" in Noises Off (2003). Prior performed in the Australian premiere of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with the Melbourne Theatre Company and later with the Sydney Theatre Company.[http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/Performance.asp?pID=200 Sydney Theatre Company] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702211551/http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/Performance.asp?pID=200 |date=2 July 2007 }} She appeared as "Miss Adelaide" in Guys and Dolls at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in March 2008{{cite web
|url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22397421-5006785,00.html
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20121215175910/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22397421-5006785,00.html
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 15 December 2012
|title = Musical is no gamble after dicing with dunnies
|access-date = 11 September 2007
|last = Westwood
|first = Matthew
|date = 11 September 2007
|work = The Australian
|quote = They will join … Marina Prior as Miss Adelaide.
}} and with the Melbourne Theatre Company in The Hypocrite in November 2008.[http://www.mtc.com.au/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=428 The Hypocrite – Cast] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001122552/http://www.mtc.com.au/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=428 |date=1 October 2008 }}, Melbourne Theatre Company; retrieved 1 November 2008 She reprised her role in Guys and Dolls from March 2009 in Sydney.
Prior toured Australasia in 1994 with José Carreras. She has performed concerts with many Australian symphony orchestras. She is a regular performer at Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight and regularly appears at Opera in the Alps with David Hobson. She also appeared with Hobson at Opera by the Lock in Mildura, Victoria, in 2008.[http://www.australianmusicevents.com.au/tass-opera-by-the-lock-2008.htm Opera by the Lock] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829034918/http://www.australianmusicevents.com.au/tass-opera-by-the-lock-2008.htm |date=29 August 2007 }}
In 2011, Prior appeared as Mrs Banks in the Australian production of the musical Mary Poppins. In 2012, she performed with David Hobson and James Morrison at the Leeuwin Estate Concert Series.
In 2014, Marina played Grizabella in the world's largest production of Cats (musical) which featured over 800 performers on stage and played at the Brisbane Convention Centre. {{cite web |date=5 July 2014 |title=Cats - Harvest Rain breaks records |url=https://www.aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/cats |accessdate=5 July 2014 |website=AussieTheatre}}
Prior performed in the most recent Australian production of The Sound of Music as Baroness Schraeder.{{cite web |url=http://soundofmusictour.com.au/cast/marina-prior/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613050801/http://soundofmusictour.com.au/cast/marina-prior/ |archive-date=13 June 2015 |title=Marina Prior - The Sound of Music}} The production began its national tour in Sydney on 13 December 2015 and closed in Perth on 7 October 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.crownperth.com.au/getmedia/a03c377b-e4b1-4172-bf99-66a0965514fc/Crown-Perth-Media-Releases-The-Sound-Of-Music-Crown-Theatre-September.pdf.aspx |accessdate=26 January 2022 |title=PERTH IS ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC |website=www.crownperth.com.au | date=5 May 2016 }}
From May 27 to 11 June 2017, Prior played the lead role of Dolly Levi in The Production Company's production of Hello, Dolly!.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/hello-dolly-review-marina-prior-tackles-classic-musical-with-gusto-and-brilliance-20170531-gwh17p.html |title=Hello, Dolly! review: Marina Prior tackles classic musical with gusto and brilliance |date=May 31, 2017 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald | author=Cameron Woodhead |accessdate=29 December 2021}}
She then joined the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of Hay Fever from 23 September to 1 November 2017, starring as Judith Bliss.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/season-2017/hay-fever/#unit-production-info |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160906153038/http://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/season-2017/hay-fever |archive-date=6 September 2016 |title=Hay Fever {{!}} MTC 2017}} Following the closure of this production, it was announced that Prior will join the Melbourne cast of Dream Lover as the dual role of Polly Darin and Mary Douvan. She begins performing these roles from 27 December 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.noise11.com/news/marina-prior-joins-cast-of-dream-lover-20171018 |title = Marina Prior Joins Cast Of Dream Lover — Noise11.com {{!}} News {{!}}| website=noise11.com | date=18 October 2017 }}{{Update inline|date=December 2018}}
In November 2019 Prior was announced to headline as Violet Newstead in the Australian debut production of 9 to 5 The Musical whose premiere engagement - set for Sydney in April 2020 -{{cite web | url=https://artsreview.com.au/lead-cast-announced-for-9-to-5-the-musical/ | title=Lead Cast announced for 9 to 5 the Musical | date=10 November 2019 }} would in fact, due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns, be delayed for two years, the production premiering with a February to May 2022 engagement at Sydney's Capitol Theatre with subsequent engagements through the summer and autumn at the Lyric Theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Melbourne's State Theatre, and the Festival Theatre at the Adelaide Festival Centre. {{cite web | url=https://www.aussietheatre.com.au/news/four-weeks-remaining-in-sydney-for-dolly-partons-hit-9-to-5 | title=Four weeks remaining in Sydney for Dolly Parton's hit 9 TO 5 | News | date=12 April 2022 }} Prior then co-starred in the dual role of Miss Andrews and the Bird Woman in the engagement of Mary Poppins which opened January 29 2023 at Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre where it is scheduled to run til April 2.{{cite web | url=https://www.theaureview.com/arts/theatre-review-mary-poppins-is-a-dazzling-practically-perfect-musical/ | title=Theatre Review: Mary Poppins is a dazzling, practically perfect musical | date=6 February 2023 }}
In the spring of 2025, she's set to portray Madame Thénardier in the Australia performances of the Arena Spectacular World Tour of Les Misérables.[https://www.westendtheatre.com/259066/news/les-miserables-the-arena-spectacular-sets-australia-dates-matt-lucas-to-join-the-cast/ Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular sets Australia dates, Matt Lucas to join the cast]
Television and recordings
In the 1990s, Prior recorded three albums accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Leading Lady, Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber (which reached received an ARIA nomination) and Somewhere – The Songs of Sondheim and Bernstein.
Prior was a judge on both the 2006 and 2007 Seven Network reality television series It Takes Two.[http://au.yahoo.com/it-takes-two/judges/marina-prior/ Judge on It Takes Two] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903050635/http://au.yahoo.com/it-takes-two/judges/marina-prior/ |date=3 September 2007 }}
In 2012, Prior released her fourth studio album, Both Sides Now, which peaked at number 42. This was followed by Encore and Candlelight Christmas in 2013 and a live album in 2014 Marina Prior Live.
In 2015, Prior starred in the television opera The Divorce.
In April 2016, Prior released Together with Mark Vincent. This has become her first top 5 album on the ARIA Chart.
Discography
= Studio albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10m;"| Certifications |
| scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:85%"| AUS Peaks in Australia:
|
|---|
| scope="row" | Leading Lady
|
| 15 |
|
| scope="row" | Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber
|
| 22 | |
| scope="row" | Somewhere – The Songs of Sondheim and Bernstein
|
| 74 | |
| scope="row" | Both Sides Now
|
| 42 | |
| scope="row" | Encore
|
| — | |
| scope="row" | Candlelight Christmas
|
| 46 | |
| scope="row" | Together {{small|(with Mark Vincent)}} |
| 5 | |
= Compilation albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of compilation albums, with selected details ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Album details |
| scope="row" | All I Ask of You
|
|
|---|
| scope="row" | The Essential Marina Prior
|
|
| scope="row" | Songbird
|
|
| scope="row" | Leading Lady: The Ultimate Collection
|
|
=Live albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of live albums, with selected details ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Album details |
| scope="row" | Marina Prior Live
|
|
|---|
= Cast recordings =
- Cats (1985)
- Anything Goes (1989)
- The Secret Garden (1995)
- Mary Poppins (2010)
- The Divorce (original soundtrack) (2015)
Other
Prior was appointed 1996 Queen of Moomba by the Melbourne festival's committee.[http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/PDFs/Moomba/History%20of%20Moomba.pdf "Moomba: A festival for the people"] by Craig Bellamy, Gordon Chisholm, Hilary Eriksen, pp. 17–22 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070308131625/http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/PDFs/Moomba/History%20of%20Moomba.pdf |date=8 March 2007 }}
Marina Prior has been the Goodwill Ambassador for Samaritan's Purse Australia since 2005. In this capacity she has visited several development projects in Asia, including schools, water projects and distribution of Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.[http://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/marinaprior_bio.htm Marina Prior biography]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at Samaritan's Purse In 2009 she featured in "A Short Film About Shoe Boxes" to promote Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child.{{YouTube|iL8IaN3SppQ|A short film about shoe boxes – Operation Christmas Child 2009}}
Awards and nominations
Prior was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to musical theatre as a singer and performer".{{cite web |title=King's Birthday 2023 Honours - the full list |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/king-s-birthday-2023-honours-the-full-list-20230609-p5dffh.html |website=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co |access-date=11 June 2023 |date=11 June 2023}}
Prior has received numerous awards; these include three Green Room Awards (Les Miserables in 1990, The Phantom of the Opera in 1991, and Kiss Me, Kate in 2005) and in 1993 the Advance Australia Award for her contribution to the performing arts.
Prior was inducted into Australia's 100 Entertainers of the Century.[http://www.varietyvic.org.au/content/content.aspx?content_id=6cbf03a1-dfcd-425d-a9f9-13de4652423c Variety Victoria] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905035922/http://www.varietyvic.org.au/content/content.aspx?content_id=6cbf03a1-dfcd-425d-a9f9-13de4652423c |date=5 September 2007 }}
=Helpmann Awards=
The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001.{{cite web | title=Events & Programs| website=Live Performance Australia | url=https://liveperformance.com.au/events-programs/ | access-date=4 October 2022}} Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
{{awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| 2003
| Marina Prior - The Witches of Eastwick
| Best Female Actor in a Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2006
| Marina Prior - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
| Best Female Actor in a Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2008
| Marina Prior - Guys and Dolls
| Best Female Actor in a Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2011
| Marina Prior - Mary Poppins
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2018
| Marina Prior - Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical
| Best Female Actor in a Musical
| {{nom}}
|-
{{end}}
=Mo Awards=
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Marina Prior won three awards in that time.{{cite web|url=https://www.moawards.com.au/awardwinners|title=MO Award Winners|website=Mo Awards|access-date=16 March 2022}}
{{awards table}} (wins only)
|-
| 1990
| Marina Prior
| Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year
| {{won}}
|-
| 1994
| Marina Prior
| Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year
| {{won}}
|-
| 2008
| Marina Prior
| Brian Stacey Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year
| {{won}}
|-
{{end}}
Personal life
From 1991 Marina Prior was married to Peter Lowrey, also a musical theatre actor: they have three children;[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/marina-priors-roller-coaster-year/story-e6frf96f-1226227406763 "Marina Prior's roller-coaster year"] by Colin Vickery, Herald Sun (21 December 2011) by 2012 she had married Grant Piro, an actor.[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/stars-shine-for-annie-premiere/story-fn6bn80a-1226367874689 "Stars shine for Annie premiere"] by Luke Dennely, Herald Sun (27 May 2012)
Prior became a devout Christian in the late 1990s, she has worked for charity organisations, Samaritan's Purse (on their Operation Christmas Child) and Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight.{{cite journal | url = http://www.signsofthetimes.org.au/items/marina-prior-making-a-difference | title = Marina Prior Making a Difference | last = Winfield | first = Shane | date = December 2009 | journal = Signs of the Times | publisher = Adventist Media Network | access-date = 21 October 2014 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
=Further reading=
- [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/08/17/1029114031004.html "Don't call me nice"] by Lily Bragge, The Age, 18 August 2002 (profile and interview)
- [http://www.smh.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/10/09/1065676092845.html "Harp on the Willow"] by Stephen Dunne, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 October 2003
- [http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/kiss-me-kate/2005/07/21/1121539089152.html "Kiss me, Kate"] by Jim Murphy, The Age, 22 July 2005
- [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/15/1055615671554.html "An absolute farce"] by Robin Usher, The Age, 16 June 2003
External links
- {{Facebook|marinapriormusic}}
{{Marina Prior}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prior, Marina}}
Category:People from the National Capital District (Papua New Guinea)
Category:Australian expatriates in Papua New Guinea
Category:Actresses from Melbourne
Category:Australian musical theatre actresses
Category:Australian operatic sopranos
Category:University of Melbourne alumni
Category:Singers from Melbourne