Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 17 June 2022
Matthew, Mark, Luke…and Marcia? Marcia Hines graced Her Majesty’s Theatre on the evening of Friday 17 June, bringing with her a few of her own gospel truths. The Gospel According To Marcia was part of this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Sadly, like most shows in the Cabaret Festival, Marcia was only here for one night, but the highly appreciative audience hung onto every note she sang.
Marcia Hines is a national treasure. Her career, spanning over five decades, has included 22 albums, selling 2.6 million copies, and countless chart-topping singles and multi-platinum records globally. She is constantly reinventing herself and setting industry benchmarks. Marcia moved from Boston, Massachusetts to Sydney at just 16 to star in the Australian production of Hair, and then went on to be the first person of colour to star in Jesus Christ Superstar. In recent years, Marcia appeared as a judge on the TV series Australian Idol.
The Gospel According To Marcia was a celebration of memories of her childhood growing up in Boston and the influence of accompanying her blind aunt, Florence James, to church each Sunday. Opening with a breath-taking a cappella rendition of Amazing Grace, Marcia’s power-house voice filled Her Majesty’s. It was apparent throughout the night how well Marcia has looked after her voice over the years. Her voice has developed a wonderful warmth, but her trademark belt is still as strong as ever. Each piece was carefully selected and arranged to allow Marcia to share her musical roots with the audience.
The set list featured a cross section of gospel songs that have helped pave her career through the guidance and vocal tutelage of her aunt. Marcia also performed numbers from key moments in her career, which has spanned over five decades. The spine tingling arrangement of I Don’t Know How To Love Him was met with thunderous applause, as was James Taylor’s Fire and Rain. This song holds a very special place in Marcia’s heart as it was on the music charts when she first left Boston and was the first piece of music she heard on the radio after arriving in Australia.
Under the music direction of Joe Accaria, Marcia was backed by a 4 piece band (piano, guitar, bass and Joe on the drums) and her 4 back up singers. Joining them on stage was Adelaide’s own Gospo Collective, adding their unique, and spellbinding flair to round out the musical feast that was The Gospel According To Marcia. The real magic in the evening was the shared love of music and performing that each person on the stage shared with each other. Their energy lifted the whole evening. It was also very apparent how much Marcia appreciates her loyal fans. She has phenomenal stage presence and this natural ability to connect with every audience member through her songs and storytelling.
In my humble opinion, there is no one who quite comes close to Marcia Hines. She is music royalty and all could take a lesson or two from The Gospel According To Marcia Hines.
Reviewed by: Ben Stefanoff
Twitter: @theartsislife
Season Ended – One Night Only
Rating out of 5: 5
Photo Credit: Claudio Raschella
#Adelaide #AdCabFest #livetheatreadelaide #supportthearts #marciahines
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