Carlotta AM | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1943-09-02)2 September 1943 (age 82) Balmain, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other names | Carol Byron, Carole Spencer, Carole Lea[1] |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1959–present |
| Known for | Les Girls (stage revue) |
| Television | [2] |
CarlottaAM (born 2 September 1943)[3][1] is thestage name ofCarol Byron, also known asCarol Spencer and credited briefly on television asCarole Lea,[1] atransgender Australian cabaret performer and television personality.
Carlotta began her professional career in 1959 as aBridgette Bardot-like performer,[3] as an original cast member of the long-runningSydney-based male revueLes Girls (pronouncedlay-girls) cabaret show, which had an international following, in Sydney'sKings Cross. Carlotta performed spot-numbers as a singer and comedian, and eventually became the show'scompere and lead attraction.
Although best known as a cabaret performer, in 1974 Carlotta appeared briefly on the television seriesNumber 96 as Miss Robyn Ross, in a comedic story line that saw her coming out as transgender to the surprise of her boyfriend Arnold (Jeff Kevin). Her appearance on the show marked the first time worldwide that a transgender character was portrayed by a transgender actor.[4]
As a TV presenter, Carlotta was a featured panelist on the talk showBeauty and the Beast, as well as a regular guest on the entertainment programStudio 10.[1]
In 2021, Carlotta announced her retirement from the industry after 62 years.[5] In response, theSydney Morning Herald cited Carlotta as an Australian legend in the vein ofDon Bradman andCate Blanchett.[6]
Carlotta was born inBalmain, New South Wales on 2 September 1943, to mother Evelyn Byron, who worked for the Australian Arm of theInternational Red Cross and an unknown father[1]'[7][8]
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, and she found solace in a woman she affectionately called her "Aunty Hazel".[3][9] She hadsex reassignment surgery in 1971.[citation needed]
In 2024, she lived inSurfers Paradise, Queensland.[10]
Carlotta's stage name was sourced from that of EmpressCarlota of Mexico.[11] Managed by impresarioLee Gordon, who had organised tours to Australia byElizabeth Taylor,Frank Sinatra andJudy Garland, she began her career as an original cast member of the long-running stage male revueLes Girls (pronouncedlay-girls) cabaret show, which started in 1962[2] in the purpose-built nightclub building owned byAbe Saffron in the heart of Sydney'sKings Cross. The revue was performed exclusively by males indrag costume, and Carlotta performed spot-numbers as a singer and comedian.[12] She eventually became known as "The Queen of The Cross" as the show'scompere and lead attraction, performing also inLeagues clubs while touring with the show.[1]
Carlotta also appeared in the 1970 filmThe Naked Bunyip.[2]
Les Girls and Carlotta became an attraction for visitors to Sydney. Carlotta departed in 1992. Inspired by the filmThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, she mounted a revue[11]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.[1]
Carlotta (credited as "Carolle Lea") appeared in the soap operaNumber 96 in 1973 as Robyn Ross, the new girlfriend of Arnold Feather (portrayed byJeff Kevin).[13] In the story it was soon revealed that Robyn was in fact atranssexual 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.[citation needed]
From 1997, Carlotta became a regular panellist on the talk showBeauty and the Beast, hosted byStan Zemanek.[14] Between 2013 and 2018, she made regular appearances as a panel member on morning showStudio 10.[15]
A 90-minute telemovie,Carlotta, was screened in June 2014 withJessica Marais acting the title role.[16][17] The film "presents a romanticised perspective that offers only hints of the harsher realities of Byron's complex life."[1]
In 2005, she presented her own half-million-dollar stage production,Carlotta's KingsX, in the Big Top atLuna Park, Sydney,[18] based on her 2003 bookI'm Not That Kind of Girl.[19] Produced byBrett Elliott 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 showCarlotta: Live and Intimate.[20][21] She toured, performing such songs byIrving Berlin,Rodgers and Hart,Stephen Sondheim and her late friendPeter Allen, performing with a three-piece band headed by Michael Griffiths in 2019.[22]
Carlotta was awarded theMember of the Order of Australia (AM) on 26 January 2020 for services to the performing arts and theLGBTIQ community.[23] 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.[24] In 2018, a bronze sculpture was dedicated to her in Kings Cross, where she also has a star on the pavement.[25]
In 2018, in an exclusive interview withNew Idea, Carlotta stated she was suffering from a urinary tract infection, which subsequently caused bladder cancer, but doctors had discovered it early and were able to successfully surgically remove the tumour.[26]
Carlotta has published two books:
As of 2013, these biographies and memoirs have been out of print.[3]
Additionally, Carlotta was a featured artist in the 1969 photo bookBirds of the Cross.
| External videos | |
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 One Plus One: Carlotta, One Plus One,ABC News |