Marney McQueen, a 46-year-old musical theatre actress, juggles two demanding careers: performing on stage in Sydney and running a pub on the NSW Central Coast. After a seven-year break, she's returned to the stage with a new production. Her experience as a publican has unexpectedly enriched her acting, teaching her valuable lessons about connecting with audiences.
Marney McQueen's life takes in two extremes as she switches between treading the boards on a Sydney stage to pulling beers at a NSW Central Coast pub. After a seven-year hiatus, which included becoming a publican in Wyong, the 46-year-old musical theatre actress has returned to the stage, this time with a whole new legion of fans.Titanic, with the twist being Celine Dion tells the story through her songs.'Every week there's more and more.
'She once played the role of Marion in the stage production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The character runs a pub in a county town and encourages her friends to perform shows to bring a level of culture to the venue. 'I never thought this would become my real life, but when Frank suggested we buy a pub, I was absolutely up for the adventure,' Ms McQueen said. 'We'd never run a pub before and I'd never even heard of Wyong before but we took a leap of faith and I just can't believe how beautifully it's worked out.'The experience of running a pub has come with lessons that transition to the stage. 'Whether at the front bar of a pub or watching a show at the Sydney Opera House, everyone has the same needs,' Ms McQueen said. ' want to relax and be transported to a place where they don't have to worry about whatever's going on in their lives.'She said the venue had changed and patrons had enjoyed the injection of culture in what was once more of a 'rough and tumble' style of venue. Wyong resident Trish Doyle said she would never have dreamed of setting foot in the pub until she heard about Ms McQueen's Friday night cabaret shows. 'We started going to the shows and having the best of times and you walked out of there on such a high,' Ms Doyle said. 'I don't think it used to have entertainment other than lingerie waitresses on a Friday night and it wasn't a place that I was interested in.'Ms McQueen has had to step away from the pub to perform eight shows a week in Sydne
ACTRESS THEATRE MUSIC PUB BUSINESS
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