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Australian musical theatre legend Caroline OConnor

by Jo-Anne Hui | 15 Jul 2015

Brassy, bold and all Broadway, Australian musical theatre legend Caroline O’Connor has been bringing magic to the stage and screen for more than 20 years. 

As plucky and exuberant as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, as sassy as Velma Kelly in Chicago and as fiery as Anita in West Side Story, Australian musical theatre legend Caroline O’Connor was born to bask in the spotlight.

And now, after more than 20 years on stage, the multi-award winning triple-threat performer (she has singing, dancing and acting all under her belt) is dusting off her tap shoes to play the role she’s always dreamt of, as nightclub singer Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, alongside fellow entertainer Todd McKenney. 

After all, this is the hit musical that introduced the world to a raft of classic Cole Porter songs, including Anything Goes, I Get a Kick Out of You, De-Lovely and Let’s Misbehave. 

“It’s an all-singing, all-dancing comedy extravaganza with a bit of glamour. When you think of the word ‘musical’, it’s exactly what you hope for when you go to a show – there are a lot of a laughs and it's a great cast,” says Caroline. “It’s going to be great fun.”

Here she is, boys!

As a child growing up in Adelaide, Caroline listened to her father’s albums, which were mostly classical and musical theatre records, featuring artists such as opera singer Mario Lanza and Irish tenor, Josef Locke. Back then, her “strange taste” in music was “a bit like being an old person trapped in a young person’s body”. 

At the time, one of Caroline's favourite performers was American singer and actress Ethel Merman, who she would often imitate in the privacy of her family home

“We had a lounge room that didn’t have a TV – just a record player – that’s where the visitors came and we always kept it nice. I’d sneak in without my parents knowing, put on the records and do my own show for the dog. He was the best audience,” she recalls fondly. “I hadn’t seen any shows, so I had to imagine where the musicals were set and what was happening at the time. I recorded myself quite a lot as a child, too. My mum’s found these tapes of me singing. Listening to myself really freaks me out. I was only 11 and going, ‘Here she is, boys! Here she is, girls! Heeere’s Roxy!’ You can hear it in my voice – I’m totally in the moment. You might think, ‘What an obnoxious child!’ But it was just fun and escapism.”

More than a pretty face


However, Caroline’s first experiences of performing on stage were when her Irish parents took her to Irish dance classes in Sydney.

It wasn't long until they discovered that little Caroline was quite talented and by her 10th birthday, she was crowned Australian Irish Dance Champion. Caroline then went on to compete in the world Irish dance championships, where she placed third. 

While the Irish dance classes have come to an end, Caroline is known to crack out the odd jig at dinner parties – and behind the curtains while waiting to hit the stage. 

“When I did West Side Story, I used to do Irish dancing in the wings because I wouldn’t need to go on stage for ages and I had to keep my energy levels up. I couldn’t just go on after 20 minutes and walk in with really low energy,” she explains. “So I used to dance in the wings during the whole overture to really get my heart pumping.” 

Caroline also studied at The Royal Ballet School in London at 17, but when she realised she wasn’t destined for a life as a prima ballerina, she considered other options. After a chance meeting with a choreographer from Opera Australia who was desperately looking for a performer to fill in for a sick dancer, Caroline scored her first professional gig at the Sydney Opera House, where she also belted out her very first tunes in public. 

From there, Caroline went on to perform in Oklahoma, West Side Story, Cabaret, Chicago, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Bombshells, Mack and Mabel, Piaf, Funny Girl, Assassins and films Moulin Rouge and De-Lovely. Along the way, she has picked up several highly-coveted accolades including the Mo Award for Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year, a Green Room Award and an Olivier Award nomination. In addition, Caroline has recorded several solo albums, such as What I Did for Love, A Tribute to Garland and From Stage to Screen. 

Although Caroline has always been fascinated by musical theatre from a young age, once she entered the industry professionally, being the leading lady was never one of her great ambitions – she was just happy to be part of a production, whether she was a singer, dancer or understudy.

“I always knew I was unusual and I’d never be the legitimate gorgeous leading lady – I’d be something else. I knew I’d be a character actor. There are plenty of pretty girls out there. But do you think those pretty girls are gonna be in this town forever? You should see Funny Girl – I think not!”

A blessed career

While she may be considered by some as a living legend, Caroline still experiences butterflies before each show. Right before she goes on stage (after doing an Irish jig), she heads to the wings relatively early, where she’ll take a peek at the audience from behind the curtains and mentally prepare herself.

“You’ve probably heard it 1000 times, but the audience really are the most important people. And they’ll tell you if you’re doing a good job or not, as brutal or as kind as it may be. I listen to them when I’m on stage – their responses tell me if I’m on the right track,” she says.

It’s been more than two decades since Caroline made her stage debut as Anita in West Side Story in Melbourne and even she is surprised that she is still professionally dancing at 53.

“I’m lucky to still be dancing. I really thought I’d have stopped by now. When I was in Chicago, I was well into my 40s and for a lot of women that age, they’re not dancing anymore. It’s hard work. Once you start rehearsals, you really have to get stuck in – you need stamina.” 

“I feel really blessed because I’ve performed in so many shows that I've always wanted to do and they don’t always come around in your lifetime ... all the roles I’ve done have been played by iconic divas. It’s not fair! Seriously, how do you do Barbra in Funny Girl?”

A highlight of Caroline’s career so far is when she transitioned from stage to screen, when director Baz Luhrmann asked her to audition for the role of Nini Legs-in-the-Air in the glamorous film, Moulin Rouge with Nicole Kidman. 

“I thought I was too old and that Baz wouldn’t want someone like me. All the other younger kids were auditioning, so I decided to not bother going,” she recalls. “I didn't want to humiliate myself, but then he saw me perform on the opening night of Chicago and asked me to do a screen test.”

“Baz is pretty arty. He’s a little out there, but crazy. Interesting crazy. Creative crazy. I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s like a theatre version of Warhol.”

All the world's a stage 

Now based in London, Caroline is rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s leading producers, performers and choreographers.

“I’d hate to think of myself as a big fish in a small pond. I’d hate to not know if I was capable of doing what they do in England or America,” she say. “If you can make it there, you really can make it anywhere! 

“I think you learn a lot by going overseas and seeing how they do it. They have a certain knack to it. I can’t put my finger on it – there’s a certain energy and discipline that’s different. The education of going overseas is just extraordinary, because of the different types of performances and direction that you can see live. It’s a smorgasbord of learning and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

According to Caroline, Australian performers have a great reputation overseas and stack up quite well with their US and UK counterparts. However, Australia does not seem to embrace the arts as wholeheartedly as other countries, she reflects.

“When you go to London, you think, ‘What am I going to see at the West End?’ You don’t just go, ‘I’m going to the cricket or soccer.’ I mean, families do that as well, but there aren’t many who don’t go to a pantomime at Christmas. It’s a wonderful tradition. I think there's something to be said in taking your kids to the theatre to experience something,” she ponders.

“It’s got great storytelling, but nowadays, you’re just worried someone’s going to pick up their mobile phone [during a show]. Don’t do it, people! I can see it shining in your face! I want to say, ‘This show isn’t about you! It’s about us!’”