Caroline O’Connor is an internationally acclaimed artist, highly regarded and respected in the entertainment industry. After starring as ‘Velma Kelly’ in the 1998/1999 Australian production, (Green Room Award, Mo Award and Australian Dance Award) Caroline then made her Broadway début in the musical Chicago, and was invited back to New York and London to take part in the star-studded tenth anniversary Gala performances.
Most recently she played ‘Hildy Esterhazy’ in the English National Opera production of On The Town at the London Coliseum and the Chatelet Theatre in Paris.
Caroline has achieved tremendous success with sell-out productions in Sydney and Melbourne portraying Judy Garland in the world premiere of End Of The Rainbow, directed by Wayne Harrison. She received Best Actress at The Sydney Theatre Critics Awards, and The Helpmann Award in Australia, also collecting Best Actress internationally when produced at the Edinburgh Festival (London’s ‘The Stage’ Award) Bombshells, a one-woman play, commissioned by the MTC and written for Caroline by Melbourne playwright Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Simon Phillips, has played to packed houses in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. (Green Room Award for Best Actress) Then on to the Toronto Harbourfront Festival, the Edinburgh Festival (Fringe First Award) and at The Arts Theatre in London’s West End, where Caroline received the London Theatregoers Choice Award and was also nominated Best Actress in a Play at the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards. It has been recorded and screened on ABCTV.
Australia’s most prolific playwright David Williamson wrote the play, Scarlett O’Hara at the Crimson Parrot for Caroline, which was produced at the MTC in 2008.
West End/UK productions include: ‘Mabel Normand’ in Jerry Herman’s Mack and Mabel (Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical), Romance, Romance, Street Scene (ENO), Hot Stuff, Matador, Budgie, The Rink, Cabaret, Me and My Girl, Showboat (RSC), Damn Yankees, Baby, Into the Woods, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Talent and Salt of the Earth.
Roles in Australian productions include ‘Anita’ in West Side Story, (Green Room and Mo Award) ‘Edith Piaf’ in Piaf, (Green Room, Helpmann and Mo Award) Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and for the Production Company : Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and Mabel in Mack and Mabel.
Caroline has performed on a number of occasions with the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, and her own show, From Stage to Screen, has been presented in Adelaide, Melbourne, and at the Sydney Opera House and was subsequently screened on ABC TV. Caroline’s film work includes ‘Nini Legs in the Air’ in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge and ‘Ethel Merman’ in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely.
She has recorded four solo CD’s What I did for Love, Stage to Screen, A Tribute to Piaf, and most recently, A Tribute To Garland.
Please visit www.carolineoconnor.com for more information.
Caroline would like to dedicate this performance to the loving memory of her father, James.
Sharon Millerchip's reputation for versatility is certainly well earned.
At 17 Sharon began her musical theatre apprenticeship, understudying multiple roles in the mega musical Cats before winning the role of Demeter on the show's original Australian tour. She was then cast as ballerina Meg Giry in the hugely successful original Australian production of The Phantom of the Opera and received a Mo Award nomination for her performance. For the Sydney Theatre Company Sharon played played Cordelia in Falsettos (Green Room Award) and Red Ridinghood in Into the Woods for which she won a Mo Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and was nominated for a Sydney Critics Award and Mo Award for Performer of the Year.
Sharon received her second Mo Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of the beauty, Belle in Disney’s lavish production of Beauty and the Beast and she danced up a storm as the fiery Anita in Westside Story. Other performances include Sofia in Satango (Aust Dance Award nomination), Mae in Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party, Bella in Rags for Opera Australia, Sonia Walsk in They’re Playing Out Song for the Production Company and she was part of an impressive line up of women for the Australia's Leading Ladies national concert series.
In 2001 Sharon was honoured to receive the inaugural Helpmann Award® for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Velma Kelly in Chicago. Sharon played Velma in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Hong Kong and Singapore and is honoured to be amongst the very few women in the world to have performed the coveted roles of both Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart.
Away from the Musical Theatre stage Sharon is a busy voice over artist and has recently completed recording the children's animated series Zigby as Celeen the Hippo. Sharon comprised one third of the popular cabaret trio Combo Fiasco who performed extensively throughout Australia and the USA where they received a MAC Award nomination for Best Vocal Comedy Act in New York City and performed live across America on the NBC today Show to promote their debut album, Combo Fiasco - Here.
In 2007, Sharon played Catherine in Kookaburra’s inaugural production Pippin at the Sydney Theatre and starred as Charity Hope Valentine in The Production Company's Sweet Charity. Sharon was nominated for Helpmann Awards® for both of these roles. Most recently she played zany tap dancer Columbia in the hit production of The Rocky Horror Show for which she won the 2008 Helpmann Award® for Best Supporting Actress.
Sharon favourite role however, is as mother to her beautiful children Eloise and Fergus.
Truly versatile and completely unpredictable, Craig McLachlan is one of Australia’s most talented performers. From the larrikin Henry Ramsay in the television series Neighbours, which won him the top Australian TV accolade, the prestigious Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Australian Television Personality, and Grant Mitchell in the ever popular Home & Away, to the transvestite mad scientist in suspender belt and fish net stockings Frank ‘n Furter in The New Rocky Horror Show and his acclaimed dramatic performance as Stuart Diver in Heroes Mountain; his roles are as varied as his talents.
A truly gifted vocalist and guitarist, his debut album Check 1-2 soared up the Australian and British charts and the single, Mona, received the Australian Recording Industry Association’s (ARIA) Award for the Highest Selling Single. It reached No. 2 in the UK charts. His second album Hands Free went on to emulate much of the success of the first, this time showcasing Craig’s strong rock vocals and electric guitar mastery. He continues to develop his musical talents and recently completed the entire score for the Australian feature film Savages Crossing.
Craig has had leading and notable roles in many telemovies and series over the years, including Heroes II – The Return, Superfire, Bugs (UK), Cubby House, Tribe, My Husband My Killer, Heroes Mountain, McLeod’s Daughters, Through My Eyes, Supernova, Blackjack, City Homicide and Packed to the Rafters all of which attracted huge audiences. 2009 will see him return to the Seven Network’s top rating Packed to the Rafters and finds him in the much anticipated new ABC series – The Cut. Australian television audiences would have also recently laughed along with his self effacing Sony High Definition Blu-ray TVC.
He has also been well covered on celluloid, with films including Absent Without Leave, Catherine the Great, Let’s Get Skase, Backlands, Hating Alison Ashley, The Great Raid and to be released this year the US independent feature Tierra de Tigres (Land Of Tigers) and the Australian suspense thriller Savages Crossing, alongside Wolf Creek’s John Jarrett.
His musical theatre performances have left audiences and critics alike stunned at his diversity: His hilarious portrayal of Frank ‘n Furter in the New Rocky Horror Show, his unique interpretation of Danny Zuko at the Dominion Theatre launching the record breaking Grease The Musical on London’s West End. Of course we saw him reprising the role to over a hundred large arena audiences in Grease – The Arena Spectacular in 1998 & 2005, the too-cool-for-school Fonz, in another hit Australian Arena production, Happy Days – The Arena Mega Musical, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK) and most recently the debonair crooner Bob Wallace in the breathtaking White Christmas (UK), which became the most successful show ever at the Mayflower Theatre.
A performer from the age of 12, when she sang on stage in her home town, Bendigo, Colleen Hewett was taken to Australia’s heart in 1970 when she recorded Day by Day, from Godspell, in which she played Mary Magdalen. Top of the hit parade, the song went Gold and led to her being voted Queen of Pop for two successive years. She went on to co-star, with Johnny Farnham, in Pippin, and then had a leading role in Tommy.
At the same time she was busy acting in such Seventies TV classics as Homicide, Matlock Police, Carson’s Law, Division 4, Cop Shop, Prisoner and Flying Doctors. More Gold recordings came with Dreaming My Dreams With You and Wind Beneath My Wings.
Her 2006 Boy From Oz Helpmann Award, for Best Supporting Female Role in a Musical, meant a lot to Colleen. ‘I knew Peter Allen in the early days and have fond memories of him from my first Bandstand appearance. The producer was rushing me through rehearsal and Peter went to him and said: “Give her a fair go mate. Plenty of time.” I never forgot that.’
Damien’s introduction to the world of music theatre began at the relatively late age of 17. Being the youngest child of a very large and musical family there just wasn’t any room in the spotlight until he joined the cast of Les Miserables. From that point on, he set about accumulating an impressive portfolio of experience ranging from music theatre, major charity events, Australian premier performances, cabaret, and even treading the boards for corporate Australia. His performance credits reflect a great passion for music theatre and his great joy when working with the myriad of talent Australia has to offer.
Damien has been awarded for his performances as Alfred P Doolittle in My Fair Lady and as the Pharaoh, Jacob and Potiphar in Joseph. A Sydney resident, Damien has worked extensively in his adopted home playing such roles as Darryl Van Horne in the Sydney premier of Witches of Eastwick, Barrett in the Australian premier of Titanic, Javert in Les Miserables, and Anatoly in Chess.
More recently Damien was a cast member of the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, and The Commissioner in the Production Company’s production of Damn Yankees. He also delighted his hometown fans as a guest artist for the Canberra Symphony Pops Orchestra.
Damien’s proudest and most enlightening journey has been as a founding cast member of Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical which, after a sensational premier in Sydney, moved to Melbourne, New Zealand and back to Sydney. Who would have thought that playing a bottle brush would have been such a joyous experience. He covered the role of Miss Understanding and twice a week he kicked off his heels to play the role of Bob understudying such icons as Michael Caton and Bill Hunter.
Damien is thrilled to be joining the talented cast of Chicago in the role of Amos and would like to thank his family, friends and girlfriend for their never ending love and support.
D.C Harlock’s career in the entertainment industry is emerging as one of diversity. In earlier years Deidre and Robyn Slater were instrumental as singing teachers introducing D.C to choirs, performances and the G.S.O.D.A juniors where the world of music theatre, stage craft and entertainment were learnt. Graduating in 2002 from Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts’ Music Theatre Course was also another valuable step in honing skills to becoming a professional performer.
Following university D.C was honoured to be involved in touring with Ozact Theatre Company, an environmental Shakespeare company. Shows included Hamlet, King Lear, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth. The entertainment store also saw D.C in many various and intriguing roles from the Queen of Hearts to the Easter Bunny! Performing a season as the lead singer at Dracula’s Theatre Restaurant opened the world of close audience interaction and the life of a vampire rock star.
D.C also delved into the world of children’s entertainment performing characters from pirates to fairies to magicians with ‘Fairy Fields’ and ‘Over the Moon Entertainment’. The Taking of Ramsay St ‘Theatre in Decay’ , The White Cat ‘Sophie Serese’ and Hamlet ‘Eaglesnest Theatre Company’ revealed the wonders of fringe theatre and the heart, soul and dedication of theatre at grass roots. Other performances over the years include On the Town, The Wild Blue, Chicago, Aladdin, Peter Pan and Working.
D.C recently had the privilege of working for the Starlight Children’s Foundation playing the role of Captain Starlight. Cheering up the lives of sick children and their families across Victoria was rewarding and challenging. Presenting TV shows, interviewing guests, sound, lighting and camera work were just a few skills learned at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
D.C would like to thank and dedicate the performance to Mum and Dad for their constant advice, guidance and support.
