Jay Houhlias
She was a musician before she was even born, with her family steeped in music. Mahalia Barnes, blues and soul vocalist, has been a thriving musician for years, collaborating with artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen to George Benson.
She is taking a new turn into musicals, and specifically, Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock score set during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Sydney Observer caught up with Mahalia for the latest.
“Life is absolutely crazy for me at the moment! I’m obviously in rehearsals for JCS but I’m also on tour with Cold Chisel and doing a bunch of other stuff in the background. An average day at the moment has been spent rehearsing and doing media, then several nights I’m flying or driving to do Chisel shows, then back early for the next rehearsal!”
“I’m new to this world, so I’m still figuring out how it all feels, but the really big difference that I know and I’m actually looking forward to is that I’ll be in one place for an extended period of time!”
“In the rock and roll touring world we spend a night here, sometimes a few nights, and then we move on to the next city. We stay in different hotels every night. For this show I’ll be in Sydney for a few months, in Perth for a month, in Melbourne for a few months and in Brisbane for a month or so. It’ll be nice I think!”
Mahalia is used to a different kind of schedule. She loves what she does, but she knows it’s not for everyone and can be challenging. Juggling family time and being flexible are all part of it. She says, “You learn how to make it work… It’s all I’ve ever known and I’m grateful I get to do it… best job in the world for me!”
“The other thing for me that I’m learning in this rehearsal process is how to be part of an ensemble/cast as opposed to a band… I had to do some choreography – I’ll clarify that I am not dancing (thankfully as I am not a dancer), but just learning where to be and when, how to get there, why, being a part of a bigger picture and story.”
“I’m really just trying to learn what I need to do properly so as to not be in the way of the incredible ensemble who are working so hard and singing and dancing the whole time! I’m enjoying it.”
Able to switch seamlessly between genres and connect with audiences, we asked Mahalia if her musical inclinations all come from the same place.
“I love a wide range of music, but primarily I do connect most with Soul, Blues and Rock’n’roll… but really my role in singing songs is to find a way to connect to the story and emotion and deliver that, connecting to the audience. I love interpreting songs… and these are great songs!”
“The songs and the music are the centre of this show and I love Mary’s songs! When I sing it always comes from the same place, my heart, my soul, my experience, my compassion, my empathy, what I see, what I dream, what I feel.”
For those wanting to live the performer life, Mahalia had some words of advice.
“It’s tough and there’s no one right way to do it all, or a clear straight path… but it’s the most rewarding job if you love it. Work hard, do it for yourself and connect to the music you make, whether it’s your own, or someone else’s, as a band leader or a musician for hire you can bring yourself to it.”
“And I think it’s important to remember,” she added, “that if you believe in what you do and love what you do, it will connect with others, but that doesn’t mean others will always love it! There will always be critics. Music is personal.”
The Olivier Award-winning reimagined production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in now! It then heads to Perth’s Crown Theatre from February and Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from March. Head to www.jesuschristsuperstarmusical.com for more info.
