Caroline O'Connor

Infobox actor


caption =
birthdate = birth date and age|1962|9|2
birthplace = Oldham, Lancashire

Caroline Ann O'Connor (born September 2 1962) is an Australian singer, dancer and actress.

O'Connor was born in Oldham, Lancashire England, to Irish parents and subsequently raised and trained in Sydney, Australia. She trained at the Royal Ballet School in London.

O'Connor’s film work includes the featured role of Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann’s film "Moulin Rouge!", and as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic "De-Lovely". She also featured on the De-Lovely soundtrack, singing "Anything Goes".

In 2003 O'Connor made her Broadway debut as Velma Kelly in "Chicago". Her West End theatre performances include Mabel in "Mack & Mabel" for which she received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. O'Connor was a member of the original 1986 revival cast of "Me and My Girl" at the Adelphi Theatre.

O'Connor's other UK theatre credits include "A Chorus Line", "Hold on Tight it’s 60’s Night", "Chicago", "Damn Yankees", "West Side Story" and as Ellie May in "Showboat" for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North.

In 1998, O'Connor returned to Australia as Velma Kelly in "Chicago" for which she won a Green Room Award and the Mo Award for Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year. Other Australian productions include the one woman play "Bombshells" written especially for Caroline O'Connor by playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, "West Side Story", "Man of La Mancha", "Oklahoma!" and concert productions of "Funny Girl" and "Mack & Mabel". She has since filmed "Bombshells" for ABC Television. Her portrayal of Edith Piaf in Pam Gems's "A Tribute to Piaf" gained her three Australian theatre awards.

"Bombshells" toured to sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Festival (where she won the coveted Fringe First Award), London’s West End at the Arts Theatre (for which she received her second Laurence Olivier Award nomination), and at the World Stage Festival in Toronto, Canada. O'Connor starred as Judy Garland in the 2005 world premiere of Peter Quilter’s play "End of the Rainbow" at the Sydney Opera House. Following its Sydney and Melbourne seasons, Caroline recorded the CD "A Tribute to Judy Garland", and reprised her Helpmann Award winning role in Sydney at the Theatre Royal in 2006.

She starred in the premiere production of the musical "The Hatpin", which opened in Sydney on Date|2008-02-27 to critical acclaim. In June 2008, she played the title role —a role specifically written for O'Connor— in the premiere of David Williamson's 2008 play "Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot" at the Melbourne Theatre Company. [cite web
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23799237-16947,00.html
title = Into the rhythm of love
accessdate = 2008-06-03
last = Higson
first = Rosalie
date = Date|2008-06-04
publisher = The Australian]

O'Connor has recorded four solo CDs ("What I Did For Love", "A Tribute To Piaf", "From Stage to Screen", "A Tribute to Garland"), and has featured on numerous cast recordings and compilations.

References

*cite web
url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/26/1077676877684.html
title = Caroline O'Connor comes back for more
last = Webb
first = Carolyn
date = Date|2004-02-7
publisher = The Age
* [http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=15291 Caroline O'Connor Returns as Star of ENO's On the Town (BroadwayWworld)]
* [http://www.cinema.com/people/009/050/caroline-oconnor/index.phtml Cinema.com]
* [http://www.allegromusic.com.au/index.php?option=com_directory&task=profile&lid=118 Allegro Music]

External links

* [http://www.carolineoconnor.com Caroline O'Connor's Official Website]
*imdb name|0640266
* [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1802439774 Movies, Yahoo]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/stories/s1097380.htm ABC Sydney] Dead link|date=June 2008