It’s understandable that when asked to describe the past year, Prinnie Stevens’ first word is ‘blur’.
Since lockdowns lifted, it’s been ‘full throttle’ for the lifelong Narrabeen local, travelling the country delighting audiences with her moving mix of soul, jazz, and musical theatre.
“I became more of a producer,” the 39-year-old reveals.
“I’ve always performed, so I knew that the next transition for me was producing shows, putting the money back into myself and into others, and creating shows and safe places.”
This focus has seen her join forces with close friends and fellow performers Paulini and Fasika for Ladies’ Night – an evening dedicated to the all-time divas and their hits – as well as write, produce, direct and star in her poignant solo show, Lady Sings the Blues.
“It’s very important for me to create safe places for women [and] women of colour, and just a safe place where we get to create and sing what we want to sing,” Prinnie says.
“And I find it becomes truer, because it comes straight from your heart not [from] somebody that was sitting at a desk that went, ‘Oh, I think they should sing this song’ when it doesn’t actually resonate with the artist.”
And while she’s been determinedly ‘taking back the reins’ so often lost to the powers-that-be in the music world, it’s also allowed her to re-write the narrative on female friendship in the cut-throat industry.
“I’ve known Paulini since we were 13,” she explains.
“And it’s funny, prior to The Bodyguard (2017 Australian production) you either booked her or you booked me. Not in a bad way, but we were never put on the same job.
“There were a lot of things that happened, where they tried to kind of make it like a sing off and make it competitive, but we’re both very much Island women and this show (Ladies Night) really stemmed from our friendship.”
Though one could assume this desire to reclaim her power might come, at least in part, from years of reality shows such as The Voice Australia and Australian Idol, the star says she remains an ‘advocate’ for the programs as launching pads for local talent.
In fact, she’s even worked as a music producer on both shows as well as Australian version of The Masked Singer.
“I always say to people, you have to go in knowing who you are and what you’re doing with your career and with your life, because they sure as hell make it up for you if you don’t know.
“Sometimes I find it really hard to be on the other side of the camera, but it’s necessary – as a woman, as a woman of colour or just another voice that isn’t just thinking about TV. Someone who is thinking about the artists.”
In truth, the motivation largely comes from raising her two daughters, Sania (17) and Hope (4) and watching them pursue their own dreams – Sania all the way to the USA, where she plays competitive basketball.
“I think when you show them that anything is possible [in your own career], it makes anything possible,” Prinnie says.
“No matter what they do, it’s just learning the incredible hard work that goes into it for the two minutes when you’re on stage.”
The hard work is evidently paying off, with Prinnie’s first show of Lady Sings the Blues for Sydney Festival at the Wharf selling out in record time.
The cabaret performance, which she entirely devised and staged, spans 100 years of music, showcasing the soul and struggle of female performers from Billie Holiday to Beyonce.
“If I could call it ‘Lady Sings Their Pain’ I would, but it doesn’t sound as good,” she jests.
“It’s an ode to women and to the women who have left a legacy of music. And it’s hit after hit.
“It was really important to me that people got to know me a little bit better through the show, what I’ve been through in this country and how the American music has influenced me. But also, how I’m very proud of where I’m from as an Aussie. It really does have an evolution at the end, where I try to de-Americanise the story and make it our own.”
And while there’s no plans to slow down, with a second Sydney Festival show added, a cookbook on the way and her Music for the Soul performance returning to the Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club in February, she’s also set on finding time to enjoy life on her beloved Northern Beaches.
“It keeps me grounded. I think it’s really important to have that,” she says.
“My life is so crazy, it’s nice to come back to that zero. I’ll never leave.”
At the time of writing, tickets are still available for the matinee performance of Lady Sings the Blues on Thursday 12 January at 1pm. Visit the Sydney Festival website for more details. Tickets are also still available for Music for the Soul at Ryde-Eastwood Club on Saturday 18 February via the TryBooking website.
Special thanks to Glen Street Theatre, hosts of Prinnie’s front cover photoshoot. 2023 members tickets are on sale now at glenstreet.com.au.