Review: Caroline O'Connor's MY MUSICAL LIFE Sparkles at Green Room 42
The beloved Broadway, West End, and Australian musical theater doyenne had the audience in the palm of her hand from start to finish.
On Sunday evening, The Green Room 42 was graced with theatrical royalty as beloved Broadway, West End, and Australian musical theater star Caroline O’Connor lit up the stage with her solo show My Musical Life. What unfolded was nothing short of an electrifying masterclass in storytelling, showmanship, and star power!
The evening began with a spirited overture from musical director and one-man orchestra Daniel Edmonds (himself an Aussie), setting the perfect tone before O’Connor made her grand entrance. Dressed in a dazzling black sequined number, she immediately owned the stage, striking that unmistakable Velma Kelly silhouette as Edmonds vamped the opening bars of "All That Jazz." Having played the role both on Broadway (2004) and in Australia (1998, 2010), O’Connor once again proved why her Velma remains definitive - sultry, sharp, and utterly magnetic.
Between numbers, O’Connor shared stories from her remarkable career with warmth and humor. The child of Irish immigrants, she began as an Irish dancer before falling head over heels for ballet, and ultimately, musical theater. Her reminiscences of discovering Broadway legends on vinyl at home were particularly charming, especially her early obsession with Ethel Merman, which segued into a knockout performance of "De-Lovely." She recalled auditioning for the film De-Lovely alongside Kevin Kline, who famously told her, after hearing her belt "Anything Goes": “Caroline, I think you have a direct line to Ethel Merman!” Judging from her radiant rendition that night, it’s hard to disagree.
The program then shifted to the genius of Stephen Sondheim, a composer with whom O’Connor has a rich history. Having performed in Assassins and Into the Woods, she also relived her triumph as Mrs. Lovett in a Paris production of Sweeney Todd. Her deeply moving "Not While I’m Around" showcased both her interpretive sensitivity and crystalline vocals.
O’Connor spoke candidly about her first principal role in Mack and Mabel - a part that led her to a nomination at the Olivier Awards. She shared that immediately after losing to Judi Dench, she had to perform the torch song "Time Heals Everything," a bittersweet story made poignant in her telling and performance.
For this reviewer, the standout was O’Connor’s breathtaking Édith Piaf medley. Having portrayed the French icon for Melbourne Theatre Company, O’Connor channeled Piaf with astonishing authenticity. She was raw, passionate, and heartbreakingly human. The room was spellbound, as though Piaf herself had somehow materialized at The Green Room 42.
The evening built to a rousing close with two encores, including a truly special “Over the Rainbow/Waltzing Matilda” medley, which O’Connor had performed just a week earlier at the Australian Theatre Festival’s Cabaret. To hear it again was a gift, and the audience responded with a thunderous standing ovation.
Caroline O’Connor’s My Musical Life was not just a concert. It was a vibrant journey through a storied career, infused with glamour, grit, and that rare, intangible magic that only a true star can conjure. Judging by the rapturous reception, the audience would happily have stayed all night.
For more on Caroline O'Connor, head to her website
You can find more shows at The Green Room 42 here
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