Marcia Hines is

In 2004 she blessed our screens with kindness in Australian Idol, then the stage in Jesus Christ Superstar (not to mention her breakout role in Hair the musical in the 70s), now, she’s blowing the disco dust off her sequins to bring Velvet Rewired to life. We sat down (virtually of course) with the one-and-only Marcia Hines to talk about nerves, favourite moments from the 70s, and the secret to ageless beauty.

We’re so excited to hear you are heading to Brisbane’s Wynnum Fringe Festival in November with Velvet Rewired! How are you feeling about the show? I’m very excited! It’s always wonderful working in the Spiegeltent, it just has a very magical vibe about it.

What makes it ‘Rewired’? First, there was Velvet and a few years later Velvet Rewired was created. Somewhat the same as Velvet but further on in time, it’s slightly different and extremely exciting.

There’s no doubt the show oozes a euphoric dose of disco – what’s your favourite memory of the 70s music scene? My favourite memory of the disco era was coming home from being on tour, hooking up with my girlfriends and exchanging clothing for a night out on the town.

What is it like performing with the other vocalists, aerialists, and acrobats? Performing with the cast in Velvet Rewired is extremely exciting. Before Velvet or Velvet Rewired I hadn’t worked with circus performers or physical acts before and it’s been a great lesson in kindness, trust, and teamwork.

Marcia Hines is returning to Brisbane with a boogie wonderland in tow.

By FIONA WILLIAMS

What was it like to run away with the circus? I always wanted to run away with the circus – just like most kids I’d say! And lo and behold, here I am! It’s good to hear the oohs and aahs that come from the audience while watching some of the daring acts.

Let’s turn the beat around – from Hair to Jesus Christ Superstar, what is it like performing in this show compared to the others? It’s totally unhinged compared to the theatrical stage shows that I once did. Having said that, I’ve learnt so much from all the shows that I’ve done.

What is your favourite way to energize the audience? There’s a lot to be said about the energy that exudes from an audience and it’s terribly contagious in the sense of when the audience is having a great time, I’m having an even better one. I’m reflecting their own energy back at them.

You’ve been working since you were 16, what are the biggest career lessons you have learned along the way? My biggest career lesson has been that you get out of work what you put in.

Do you get nervous before going out on stage? In my humble opinion, if you don’t get nervous before you do anything that’s important to you, something’s wrong. I’m quite pleased to say that yes, I do get very nervous before I go on stage. I find a quiet place to be for a while beforehand. What is something that people generally wouldn’t know about you? I make mosaics. I smash things up and put them back together in my own way!

You have been called The Queen of Pop for harnessing incredible performances… we would like to award you the queen of flawless skin for appearing to not age a day! What are your beauty secrets?! Thank you for your compliment! I think one of the most important things is to start taking care of your skin around the age of 14. I was always taught this, and I never go to bed with makeup on however tired I am. I use soap and water, nothing special, and I drink lots and lots and lots of water. I’m a pescatarian, I’m not a drinker or a smoker, and exercise is a very important thing in my life.

What are you most looking forward to about the Wynnum Fringe Festival and opening Velvet Rewired in the Spiegeltent? I’m looking forward to spending some time with my friend Tom Oliver who was the creator of the Wynnum Fringe Festival last year and I couldn’t be prouder of him. Not to mention getting some beautiful Queensland sun rays while I’m there.

And finally, where will we find you in Brisbane when you’re not performing? (any places you’re looking forward to visiting?) I look forward to visiting Kangaroo Point and the shoreline areas of that part of Brisbane. You guys have a beautiful city!