Paulini: ‘I thought people wouldn’t want to work with me’
Australian Idol alumnus Paulini opens up about earning back the public’s respect after a humiliating brush with the law.
Stellar
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Paulini Curuenavuli is one of those unfortunate humans whose default “cry face” makes her appear to have a big, beaming smile.
And that very same grimace/grin was plastered across her face as she left a Sydney courthouse in December 2017 after pleading guilty to bribing a government official to unlawfully obtain a driver’s licence, for which she received a six-month suspended sentence.
“When I get really nervous or I’m about to cry, I’m the person who looks like I am fake smiling,” the singer — who goes by her first name — tells Stellar.
“I would read people saying I was smiling, [that] I wasn’t taking [the offence] seriously, and I’m like... ‘No, I’m about to cry.’”
Paulini completed her sentence last June, putting an end to a regrettable chapter in her life as well as her career, which took off when she placed fourth in 2003’s inaugural season of Australian Idol.
While her income lifeline of corporate gigs did take a hit, her newfound family in the musical-theatre world — including Prinnie Stevens and Kip Gamblin, along with her partner Brock Hunter, relatives and management — stood firm in their support of the talented artist.
She completed a headlining stint on the stage in The Bodyguard: The Musical in August 2017, a dream role she hunted down after seeing the West End production. She just prayed it wouldn’t be her last.
“The Bodyguard was reintroducing me to the public and reminding people who I am,” she says.
“I had a lot of plans for after the season to capitalise on the show but because of [the bribery charge], I did lose work. To be honest, I thought people would not want to work with me.
“Every time I would get in front of a crowd, all I could think about was how people would judge me. My company manager told me not to look at social media — to just do my job.
“But I did read what people were saying... I’m human, of course I would look! And the whole time I was out on the stage, all I could think was, ‘You don’t deserve to be out here.’”
She wasn’t just seeking the forgiveness of the audience and potential future employers. Paulini was also grappling with what the fiasco taught her about life under a microscope.
“I learnt a massive lesson,” she says. “Just do it right! One thing I have to remember is that even though no-one wants to be an example like this, if you are going to be in the public eye, everyone is looking — and the right thing is always the thing you must do.
“I definitely think twice now about my actions because even though I don’t feel like a role model, my nieces and nephews are watching and I don’t want them to ever think, ‘Oh if you did wrong, it’s OK.’ Before I went with the easiest option, now I won’t.”
And as she poses for a Stellar photo shoot ahead of her latest musical gig in Saturday Night Fever, which will have her working alongside one-time Idol mentor Marcia Hines, her smile seems genuine — and not at all a nerve-racked grimace.
Paulini is excited to be back onstage, and recalls that she and her five brothers and sisters used to harmonise the soundtrack’s world-famous Bee Gees songs.
For now, at least, those childhood renditions will have to stay in the memory bank. “We are trying to stay true to the original arrangements,” she explains.
“There will be no vocal gymnastics; the fans want to hear the songs the way they were recorded. But singing in musical theatre, you come to appreciate the lyrics aren’t just words... there’s a story behind them now, and there’s something magical in that.”
Another life lesson afforded by her theatrical reinvention is discipline. Paulini jokes she remains in constant battle with her inner clock, which runs on what she calls “Fiji time”.
And the experience of fronting a show eight times a week has also taught the 36-year-old how to take better care of her voice and wellbeing.
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“I am always late, but I am changing slowly,” she says laughing.
“You have to look after yourself while you are doing these shows because you can’t afford to get sick or lose your voice. I love the consistency of theatre — waking up in the morning knowing exactly what you are doing for the day, and not having to worry about the next gig; this is such a blessing.”
As she prepares for the show’s debut later this month, Paulini is also tending to her songwriting and proudly shares with Stellar a handful of her compositions that have been recorded by artists in France, Spain and the Philippines.
She wants to release a single after the musical completes its run but is making her next move carefully, as operating as an independent artist brings unique financial burdens.
And while the sequinned glamour of a show set in the disco era offers performers the thrill of shimmying into a great costume every night, she is aghast at the suggestion she might use the opportunity to rewrite the most controversial chapter of her entertainment career.
She lets out a mock groan when asked if she would ever wear a ruched gold-lamé dress to reclaim as her own the infamous moment Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson was pilloried after making disparaging comments about an outfit she wore on the show.
“Every single time I talk to anyone the gold dress is the first thing that comes up,” says Paulini.
“I feel bad... and not because of me but more from Dicko’s point of view. After all these years, people are still holding that against him.”
Saturday Night Fever opens at Sydney Lyric Theatre on March 27; ticketmaster.com.au.
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Originally published as Paulini: ‘I thought people wouldn’t want to work with me’
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