Carlotta (born 2 September 1943)
is the
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
of Carol Byron , a
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
Australian cabaret performer and television personality. She began her career as an original cast member of the long-running
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
-based male revue ''Les Girls'' (pronounced ''lay-girls'') cabaret show, which had an international following, starting in 1962 in Sydney's
Kings Cross. Carlotta performed spot-numbers as a singer and comedian, and eventually became the show's
compere and lead attraction.
Although best known as a cabaret performer, she appeared in the television series ''
Number 96'' in 1974 as Miss Robyn Ross, in a comedic storyline as the girlfriend of Arnold Feather (
Jeff Kevin
Jeff Kevin (born 1944) is an Australian actor and theatre director best known for portraying Arnold Feather in 338 episodes from 1972-1977 in television soap opera ''Number 96'', his character was involved in numerous iconic storyline's inclu ...
) who unbeknown to him, she reveals that she is transgender, her appearance in the show is the first time a transgender actress played a transgender TV character anywhere in the world, in the series she was credited as ''Carole Lee''
In 2021, she announced that she is retiring from the industry after 62 years.
In a statement from the newspaper ''
Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
'', they cited Carlotta as much as an Australian legend in the vein of
Don Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...
and
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...
.
Biography
Early life and personal life
Carlotta is the stage name of Carol Byron
'
[Cockington, James 2003, published by Pan McMillan "Carlotta: I'm Not That Kind of Girl"] in
Balmain,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, in 1943. As a child, she was taught song-and-dance routines by her mother. Neither her mother nor her stepfather approved of her subsequent transgender performing career.
[McMahon Jeannette. 7 July 2014,]
Carlotta's journey from schoolboy to sequins
. ''ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
'' Newcastle. Retrieved 31 March 2018 She had
sex reassignment surgery in 1971 which, though not the first such procedure in Australia, was the first to receive major publicity.
In 2018, she revealed she had bladder cancer. She says it was discovered early and had the tumor surgically removed.
Career
Les Girls cabaret
Her stage name was sourced from that of Empress
Carlota of Mexico.
Managed by impresario
Lee Gordon, who had toured to Australia such stars as
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
and
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
, she began her career as an original cast member of the long-running stage male revue Les Girls (pronounced ''lay-girls'') cabaret show, which started in 1962
in the purpose-built nightclub building owned by
Abe Saffron
Abraham Gilbert Saffron (6 October 1919 – 15 September 2006) was an Australian hotelier, nightclub owner and property developer who was one of the major figures in organised crime in Australia in the latter half of the 20th century.
For sev ...
in the heart of Sydney's
Kings Cross. The revue was performed exclusively by males in
drag costume, and Carlotta performed spot-numbers as a singer and comedian. She eventually became known as "The Queen of The Cross" as the show's
compere and lead attraction, performing also in
Leagues clubs while touring with the show.
She also appeared in the 1970 film ''
The Naked Bunyip.''
''Les Girls'' and Carlotta became an attraction for visitors to Sydney. Carlotta departed in 1992. Inspired by the film ''
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'', she mounted a revue,
"Carlotta & Her Beautiful Boys", planning to tour Australia. This was not a financial success, bankrupting her, after which she mainly appeared as a one-woman performer.
Television personality
Carlotta (credited as "Carolle Lea") appeared in the soap opera ''
Number 96'' in 1973 as Robyn Ross, the new girlfriend of Arnold Feather (portrayed by
Jeff Kevin
Jeff Kevin (born 1944) is an Australian actor and theatre director best known for portraying Arnold Feather in 338 episodes from 1972-1977 in television soap opera ''Number 96'', his character was involved in numerous iconic storyline's inclu ...
). In the story it was soon revealed that Robyn was in fact a
transsexual showgirl, a revelation that led to the end of her romance, meaning she left the show. It is the first time anywhere in the world a trans TV character would be played by a trans actress.
From 1997, Carlotta became a regular panellist on the talk show ''
Beauty and the Beast'', hosted by
Stan Zemanek
Stan Zemanek (29 May 1947 – 12 July 2007) was an Australian radio broadcaster, television presenter, radio producer and author who presented a night-time show on The Macquarie Network station 2UE in Sydney and which was networked across part ...
. Between 2013 and 2018, she made regular appearances as a panel member on morning show
Studio 10.
Biographical telemovie
A 90-minute telemovie, ''Carlotta'', was screened in June 2014 with
Jessica Marais
Jessica Dominique Marais (born 29 January 1985) is a South African-born Australian actress best known for her roles on Australian television in '' Packed to the Rafters'' and '' Love Child''. She also co-starred on the American drama series '' ...
acting the title role. The film "presents a romanticised perspective that offers only hints of the harsher realities of Byron's complex life."
[
]
Stage shows
In 2005, she presented her own half-million-dollar stage production, ''Carlotta's KingsX'', in the Big Top at Luna Park, Sydney, based on her 2003 book ''I'm Not That Kind of Girl.'' Produced by Brett Elliott
Brett Elliott (born June 11, 1982) is an American football coach and former player. He is the co- offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Linfield University. He was previously the quarterbacks coach at Texas State Univers ...
and Richard Bernardo, the 90-minute show consisted of classic storytelling, stand-up comedy, lavish costumes, and "Les Girls" dance performances throughout. She has also toured with her one-woman show ''Carlotta: Live and Intimate''. She toured, performing such songs by Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
and her late friend Peter Allen, performing with a three-piece band headed by Michael Griffiths in 2019.
Awards and honours
Carlotta was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AM) on 26 January 2020 for services to the performing arts and the LGBTIQ
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics (such as genitals, gonads, and chromosome patterns) that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies". They are substantially more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, ...
community. She has also been awarded The Kings Cross Award for services to tourism, the Drag Industry Variety Award, and the Australian Club Entertainment Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, a bronze sculpture was dedicated to her in Kings Cross, where she also has a star on the pavement.
Books
Carlotta has published 2 books, and featured in the photo book ''Birds of the Cross''
Photo Book
(source:Carlotta was a featured artist in this photo book of Kings Cross Legends, as referenced in "He Did It Her Way" (see below)
* ''Birds of the Cross'' written by Carl Reuben (1937-2013) with photography by Michael Elton, published 1969, in Sydney, Australia by Stag Publishing Company
Publications
* ''He Did it her Way: Carlotta, legend of Les Girls'' with James Cockington. 1994 Chippendale 033027483X
* ''Carlotta: I'm not that kind of girl'' as told to Prue MacSween
Prudence Gay MacSween is an Australian television and radio personality, journalist, social commentator, and public relations director. She is the public relations director of Verve Communications, as a media commentator, MacSween has made a numb ...
published 2003 by Pan Macmillan 073291194X
References
External links
Carlotta's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlotta
Transgender actresses
Living people
Australian LGBT actors
1943 births
People from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Transgender women
Members of the Order of Australia
21st-century LGBT people