Jenni Ivins will soon appear in Beauty and the Beast.By Jim Mynard
PAKENHAM’S Jenni Ivins has been cast to play Mrs Potts in the Cardinia Performing Arts Company (CPAC) production of Beauty and the Beast.
Jenni said she was over the moon at being given the opportunity to play one of her dream roles.
She will sing the show’s theme song in this timeless classic.
Jenni has always had an interest in performing whether as part of a chorus or reciting poetry.
She also has a passion for writing, drawing and photography.
Jenni’s writing went public in the Pakenham Gazette where her regular articles portrayed life at Officer Primary School.
Her poetry and short stories have won competitions, including the Positive Words Poetry Competition, Yakkerboo Poetry and Yakkerboo Short Story prizes Yellow Moon Tanka Competition, Red Cross Poetry Competition, the Berwick Pakenham Gazette Mothers’ Day competition, the Red Pen Challenge and the Red Room Word Slam.
Jenni is a regular performer at the Poet Tree, formerly the Red Room, where she has appeared as a paid guest.
She has graced the stage at the opening of the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Montsalvat, Cafe Arts, The Dan O’Connell Poetry Sessions, Poemes, Dandenong Fine Writers, Drouin’s Ficifolia Festival, the Overload Poetry Festival, Culture Creek, On the Edge Arts Festival, the Victorian Writers’ Centre, Doris Leadbetter Cup and various cafes and pubs.
Her work has also been heard on 3SER and 3MDR.
Along with performing on stage, Jenni has worked backstage in many CPAC productions as well as singing in the choir at the Cardinia Carols by Candlelight.
More than six million people have seen Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. CPAC is one of the first amateur companies in Victoria to bring this production to life on stage.
Countless hours have gone into rehearsing, making costumes and sets and the end product is expected to be quite a spectacle.
The show will run from Friday 18 August to Saturday 2 September at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham.
Matinees will be presented on both Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets are available from the Cardinia Cultural Centre on 1300 887 624 or the CPAC secretary on 04 0709 0354. Bookings are essential. Family tickets for two adults and two children are also available.
