Bio & Credits

  • Caroline began her professional career after studying at the esteemed Royal Ballet School in London. She went on to perform extensively throughout the UK and Europe, most notably making her West End leading lady debut in 1995 as Mabel Normand in Jerry Herman's Mack and Mabel, earning her first Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

    Caroline came to world attention in 2001 as tango dancing 'Nini Legs in the Air' in Baz Luhrmann's Academy Award winning film Moulin Rouge. In 2002, Caroline made her Broadway debut as Velma Kelly in Chicago at the Shubert Theatre.

    Back in the UK, Caroline has starred in The Rink, Gypsy, Assassins and in the English National Opera's production of On the Town in the West End and Paris. She also had the honour of headlining both the BBC Proms' Hooray for Hollywood concert, and Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall. Stepping into 2011 Paris production of Sweeney Todd with less than a month's rehearsal, Stephen Sondheim declared Caroline the best 'Mrs. Lovett' he had ever heard…

  • More recently on Broadway, Caroline has work-shopped new musicals with Woody Allen and Hal Prince, and originated roles in Anastasia and A Christmas Story: The Musical, performing the musical's showstopper "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" at The 67th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall.

    Back at home, Caroline's credits are firmly stamped in Australia's theatrical history. In addition to the recognition she received for her roles as Velma Kelly in Chicago (Mo Award, Green Room Award, Australian Dance Award), Anita in West Side Story (Mo Award, Green Room Award) and Reno in Anything Goes (Helpmann Award), Caroline also garnered accolades for her peerless interpreting of Edith Piaf in Piaf (Helpmann Award, Green Room Award) and Judy Garland in the world premiere of End of the Rainbow (Helpmann Award, Sydney Stage Award) at the Sydney Opera House…

  • The one-woman play Bombshells, written for Caroline by award-winning playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, played seasons in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Toronto, before touring to sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Festival, where Caroline won the coveted Fringe First Award. It also played at the Arts Centre in the West End, where Caroline received her second Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

    In a role she seemed destined to play, Caroline was cast as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely (2004), and starred in the Australian film Surviving Georgia. Caroline has recorded four solo CDs and appeared on numerous cast recordings and television variety programs. She has delighted audiences worldwide with her solo concerts and cabarets. 💐

See a full listing of Caroline's credits here (click to expand):

  • Theatre credits
    • Anna, in The Rink (Southwark Playhouse LONDON) Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevich in Anastasia (Broadway, Broadhurst Theatre/Hartford Stage) Drama League & Outer Critics Circle Award nominee
    • Polly / Mary Douvan in Dreamlover (Lyric Theatre, Sydney)
    • Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne)
    • Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (Sydney Opera House, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, QPAC Theatre, Brisbane) Helpmann Award Best Actress
    • Life of the Party (Menier Chocolate Factory, London)
    • Rose in Gypsy (State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne & Curve Theatre, Leicester)
    • Tony Awards 2013, Radio City Music Hall, New York
    • Miss Shields in A Christmas Story the Musical (Broadway; Lunt Fontanne Broadway, Bushnell Theatre Connecticut, Wang Theatre Boston, Madison Square Garden)
    • Sarah Jane Moore in Assassins (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre)
    • Phyllis in Follies (Chicago Shakespeare Company) Jeff Theatre Award, Best Actress
    • Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd (Chatelet Theatre, Paris)
    • Velma Kelly in Chicago (Broadway; Schubert Theatre & Ambassadors Theatre. Her Majesty's Theatre Melbourne, Lyric Theatre Sydney, His Majesty’s Theatre Perth, Leicester Haymarket Theatre, Oldham Coliseum and Baalbeck Festival in Lebanon) Mo Award, Green Room Award, Australian Dance Award.
    • Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (Regent Theatre, Melbourne and Lyric Theatre, Sydney)  
    • Hildy Esterhazy in On the Town (London Coliseum Theatre and Chatelet Theatre, Paris) London Theatregoers Choice Award
    • Mabel in Mack and Mabel  (Leicester Haymarket Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, London, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne) Laurence Olivier nomination Best Actress in a Musical
    • Josephine / Monica in Romance, Romance (Gielgud Theatre, London)
    • Ellie-May Chipley in Showboat (Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North)
    • Anita in West Side Story (Leicester Haymarket Theatre and Australian National Tour). Mo Award, Green Room Award
    • Lizzie in Baby (Forum Theatre)
    • Lola in Damn Yankees (Birmingham Repertory Theatre)
    • Salt of the Earth (Leicester Haymarket Theatre)
    • LuLu in Cabaret (Strand Theatre, London)
    • Cassie in A Chorus Line (UK National Tour)
    • Consuelo in Matador (Queens Theatre, London)
    • Lulu in Budgie (Cambridge Theatre, London)
    • Mavis in Hot Stuff (Leicester Haymarket Theatre and Cambridge Theatre, London)
    • Hold Tight it's 60's Night (Oldham Coliseum)
    • Mae Jones in Street Scene (London Coliseum Theatre)
    • Oklahoma (Her Majesty's Theatre Melbourne, Theatre Royal Sydney, His Majesty’s Theatre, Brisbane)
    • Angel in The Rink (Cambridge Theatre, London)
    • Me and My Girl (Leicester Haymarket Theatre and Adelphi Theatre, London)
    • Is There Life after High School (Donmar Warehouse)
    • The Witch in Into the Woods (Forum Theatre)
    • Julie in Talent (Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke)
    • Piaf in Piaf (Ensemble Theatre Sydney, Melbourne Arts Centre) Helpmann Award and Green Room Award
    • Harriet in The Hat Pin (Seymour Centre, Sydney and New York Musical Theatre Festival)
    • Bombshells, a one woman play, written for Caroline by Joanna Murray-Smith (Melbourne Theatre Company, Seymour Centre Sydney, Adelaide Festival Centre, Edinburgh Festival, Harbourfront Festival Toronto , Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Arts Theatre, London) Green Room Award, Fringe First Award, Laurence Olivier Nomination Best Actress in a Play, London Theatregoers Award.
    • Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow World Premiere. (Sydney Opera House, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne, Edinburgh Festival) The Stage Acting Excellence Award, Helpmann Award, Sydney Theatre Award
    • Scarlett in Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot, a play written for Caroline by David Williamson (Melbourne Theatre Company)
    • Caroline is the recipient of the Australian Show business Ambassador of the Year Award and the Variety Club Humanitarian Heart Award
  • Film credits
    • Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge
    • Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter Biopic, De-Lovely
    • Georgia in Surviving Georgia
  • Television credits
    • Carlotta (ABC TV) BBC Proms
    • Hooray for Hollywood
    • Sondheim at 80 (Royal Albert Hall)
    • From Stage to Screen (ABC TV)  
    • Radio Roo (BBC)
    • Infinity Diner (BBC)
    • Big Women (C4)
    • Jack’s and the Beanstalk (BBC)
    • Lowdown (ABC TV)
  • Solo recordings
    • What I Did for Love
    • Stage to Screen
    • A Tribute to Piaf
    • A Tribute to Garland
  • Concert credits
    • The Showgirl Within (Garrick Theatre, London)
    • From Stage to Screen (Sydney Opera House)
    • A Musical Life (Adelaide Cabaret Festival)
    • Caroline O’Connor at the Town Hall (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra)
    • The Girl from Oz (Birdland, New York)  
    • An Evening of Gershwin with the Sydney and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras (Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Festival Centre)
    • Bernstein’s New York with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Sydney Opera House)
    • Night of 1000 Voices Salute Kander and Ebb (Royal Albert Hall)
    • Holders International Arts Festival (Barbados)
    • A Tribute to the Musical (Palermo, Sicily)
    • Hollywood Symphony (Lille, France)
    • Charlie Chaplin’s Smile (Amsterdam)
    • Chicago the Musical’s 10th Anniversary Concert (Schubert Theatre, New York)
    • Stephen Sondheim’s 8oth Birthday Concert (Royal Albert Hall)
    • John Wilson’s Hooray for Hollywood Concert (Royal Albert Hall)
    • Lincoln Center’s American Songbook, Andrew Lippa and Friends
Stacks Image 141

© 2018 Caroline O'Connor Contact Me

Our site uses cookies to help provide the best possible experience. By continuing to browse our site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To learn more about how we use cookies, see our Privacy Policy for more information.