Interviews

Caroline O’Connor On … Unleashing The Showgirl Within

| London's West End |

20 September 2010

A multi award-winning singer and dancer, Caroline O’Connor has taken on musical roles such as Édith in Piaf, Velma Kelly in Chicago, Anita in West Side Story and Nini in Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar winning film Moulin Rouge. She is also an accomplish actress, her one-woman show Bombshells transferred from Melbourne to a Fringe First winning run at the Edinburgh Festival before a spell in the West End. The two month run at the Arts Theatre won her the Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Solo Performance in 2004.

Caroline is currently preparing for The Showgirl Within which runs from 29 September to 3 October 2010 (previews from 27 September) at the Garrick Theatre. A show which celebrates the culmination of her years of stage experience, incorporating show tunes and other classic songs that have featured in her career to date, it marks her first London stage appearance since On the Town in 2005.

An absolute “triple threat” in the theatre world, Caroline gives us an insight into the ingredients required to unleash The Showgirl Within.

Growing up I used to watch those wonderful women, inspirations and legends of the stage and screen: Juliet Prowse, Shirley MacLaine, Carol Haney. Watching the movies and listening to the albums at home – to me that was what it was all about. I suppose that was my education as to what a triple threat performer was; someone that could obtain a very high level or high standard in all areas, rather than have the weaknesses.

I think being a triple threat has become a real requirement now in all the schools. You see, we didn’t have that when I was growing up in Australia. I had auditions to find two girls and two boys for The Showgirl Within and I could not believe the standard – how extraordinary they were in all areas – from their dance techniques (all of the areas, tap dancing, ballet and jazz) to their singing voices and also being able to step up, chat, speech, play characters, I was blown away.

I trained as a dancer at the Royal School of Ballet and I have to be honest, for many years, being a good dancer did sometimes spoil the opportunities for other roles, because you were considered a dancer, rather than a singer or actor. I think there are times when people look at is as a disadvantage. “Oh, you’re a dancer,” it was almost like a put-down and I found that sort of like “what?”. To overcome that takes patience and perseverance.

I have persevered. I proved to people that I was more than “just a dancer”. I did pieces like Bombshells: 90 pages of dialogue, six characters, two hours. It was the most difficult thing I’ll ever have to do. I had to do it. When I took on Piaf, I didn’t speak French. But I’ve got to learn and challenge myself because in our business I just think I have constantly learnt so much each time I have approached a piece of work. Each time I work with a new director or choreographer I’m learning something new again.

I loved being challenged with songs. I know my style of singing is very Broadway belty. I like the character roles. I know who I am and I think I’ve never tried to do something that didn’t really suit me. I’ve been lucky because there’s so much great material for those types of characters and dancers and singers and actors. We have managed to include Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Herman, Kander and Ebb, Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch’s music in the show.

The Showgirl Within won’t be dance, dance, dance. It won’t be like that. It’s much more of a journey. It’s almost like a journey through my musical life, in a way. And I love the fact that I can still approach stuff I’ve done before or more recently and still get excited about it. I want to talk about that experience: “this was what it felt like, this is what it was like” and go there. I think we’ve found a nice way of getting from one to the other. I’m very excited about it and I don’t like to say too much in case it gives too much away.

We are performing the sorts of numbers, I think, that you don’t often see outside of their original shows. When you go and see cabaret shows or solo shows quite often they’re I suppose more eclectic music or lesser-known perhaps. It’s kind of hard to do a number like that on it’s own – something from a show such as the ones I’ve that have been associated with. Me having this fabulous seven piece band and four dancers allows us to approach these numbers and recreate them on stage. I am a showgirl at heart – the quintessential showgirl, I suppose.

Caroline O’Connor: The Showgirl Within runs from 29 September to 3 October 2010 (previews from 27 September) at the Garrick Theatre.