Anna O'Byrne (born 20 September 1987) is an Australian actress and soprano singer best known for her portrayal of

Christine Daaé Christine Daaé is a fictional character and the female protagonist of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel '' The Phantom of the Opera'' and of the various adaptations of the work. Erik, the Phantom of the Opera and Viscount Raoul de Chagny both fall ...

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musical ...

's ''The Phantom of the Opera'' and the original Australian production of Lloyd Webber's sequel, ''Love Never Dies'', for which she was nominated for a

Green Room Award The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne. The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...

. O'Byrne has also portrayed Maria in ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

'', as well as Sister Sarah Brown in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...

''. From 2016, O'Byrne has played Eliza Doolittle in the

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy F ...

-directed production of ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'' for Opera Australia at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

, touring in 2017 to Brisbane, Melbourne and back to Sydney. She is currently based in London and performs internationally. Her performance career includes opera, theatre, concert, and film.

Early life

Anna O’Byrne was born in Melbourne, Australia, and was educated at Elwood Primary School and

St Michael's Grammar School , motto_translation = For the Church of God , location = 25 Chapel Street, St Kilda, Victoria , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia Melbourne , ...

. She played violin from the age of 5, and performed in school orchestras and sang with the

Australian Girls Choir Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

. As a seventeen year old, she won the best Junior Female Performer in the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Awards for her role as Mrs Lovett in ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet Stre ...

''. She later studied at the

Victorian College of the Arts The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...

and was awarded a Bachelor of Music Performance (Honours).

Theatre

Two weeks after graduating from the

, Anna was recruited to the Australasian tour of

’s ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

,'' covering the role of

. She performed in the role opposite

Anthony Warlow Anthony Warlow (born 18 November 1961) is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980. ...

as the Phantom during 2009 in Perth and Adelaide. Anna became a Principal Artist at

Victorian Opera Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill as ...

, singing Polly Peachum in ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with mu ...

'' co-production with the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, and Pamina in ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that in ...

''. O'Byrne was chosen by

to create the role of Christine Daaé in the new Australian production of '' Love Never Dies'', his sequel to ''

''. She performed with Ben Lewis as the Phantom and Simon Gleeson as Raoul. This Simon Phillips-directed production premiered at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne on 21 May 2011 and ran until December. With Ben Lewis and cast members, She sang at Melbourne's '' Carols by Candlelight'' at the

Sidney Myer Music Bowl The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor bandshell performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinc ...

in December 2011. Regarded as the definitive production of this musical, '' Love Never Dies'' was filmed and released in cinemas internationally by Universal Pictures. The DVD and Blu-Ray release debuted at #1 on the international music charts, and #4 on the overall charts. '' Love Never Dies'' subsequently transferred to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney in 2012. O'Byrne was nominated for Sydney Theatre and Green Room awards for her portrayal of Christine. In April, she joined Ruthie Henshall and others in ''

Side By Side By Sondheim ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' is a musical revue featuring the songs of Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from ''Company''. History The musical had its origins when David ...

'', a musical revue showcasing the work of composer

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 ...

performed at the

Theatre Royal, Sydney Theatre Royal Sydney is a theatre in Sydney, Australia built in 1976 and has offered a broad range of entertainment since the 1990s. The theatre reopened in December 2021 under parent company Trafalgar Entertainment with patrons now able to book ...

. Following '' Love Never Dies'', O'Byrne made her West End debut on 3 September 2012 as Christine Daaé in ''

'' opposite Marcus Lovett in the flagship production of the show at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

, London. In 2013, she played Anne Egerman in Alex Parker's production of ''

A Little Night Music ''A Little Night Music'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a ...

'' with Janie Dee and Joanna Riding at the

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre h ...

at Guildford. She then created the role of Jenny Lind in

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...

’s ''

Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He wa ...

'' at the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

. The rehearsal process was featured in the documentary ''

The Sound of Musicals ''The Sound of Musicals'' was a 2006 four part BBC series starring several different musical theatre actors and some other professional singers who performed acts from different musicals. Each week the standard cast was joined by a celebrity gues ...

'' on Channel 4. Anna then returned to the West End in Robert Allan Ackerman’s '' Strangers on a Train'' at the Gielgud Theatre. She was invited to sing

’s ''Pie Jesu'' at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

at the Memorial Service for

Sir David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...

on 13 March 2014. The service was attended by

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

, the

Duchess of Cornwall Duchess of Cornwall is a courtesy title held by the wife of the eldest son and heir of the British monarch. The current title-holder is Catherine, wife of William, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. Duchesses of Cornwall Until her husband' ...

and other dignitaries. A month later, she was the first actress to perform in Russia as Christine Daaé in ''

'', in a special performance with John Owen-Jones as The Phantom, broadcast nationally from the

Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

as part of the Golden Mask Awards. In January 2015, she reprised the role of Anne Egerman in Alex Parker's production of ''

'' with Janie Dee and Joanna Riding at the

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia * Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, M ...

as part of the show's 40th anniversary celebrations. She then debuted with

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...

in their production of ''

'', starring

Bryn Terfel Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, (; born 9 November 1965) (known professionally as Bryn Terfel) is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and '' ...

and

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...

. Returning to her hometown Melbourne, Australia in July 2015, she performed the role of Maria in a sell-out season of ''

'' at the State Theatre for

The Production Company The Production Company was an Australian not-for-profit theatre company that staged a series of usually three musicals at the Arts Centre Melbourne each year, until its closure in 2020. It was launched in 1999 by Jeanne Pratt AC with the goal o ...

. For this performance, she was nominated for a

for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role. Later that year in Sydney, she appeared with David Campbell in the Hayes Theatre’s ''An Evening With…'' cabaret, alongside

Judi Connelli Judi Connelli AM (born 20 July 1947) is an Australian singer and actress in theatre, opera and television. Connelli is best known for her career in opera and stage musicals. As a singer she has starred in performable with the Sydney Symphony ...

John Diedrich John Edwin Diedrich (born 25 February 1953 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian actor, director, producer and singer, known for stage and television roles in Australia and the UK. He played the lead role of Curly in the 1980 West End revi ...

, Amy Lehpamer, James Millar and Alex Rathgeber. In November 2015 she returned to the West End in Alex Parker's ''Kings of Broadway'' at the

. She joined the UK tour of ''

'' playing Sarah Brown opposite

Louise Dearman Louise Dearman (born 13 March 1979) is a British actress and singer, perhaps best known for playing Glinda and Elphaba in the West End production of the musical '' Wicked.'' Notably, she is the only actress to have played both witches in any prod ...

and

Richard Fleeshman Richard Jonathan Fleeshman (born 8 June 1989) is an English actor and singer. His television career began as a 12-year-old, playing Craig Harris for four years in ''Coronation Street'' before going on to become an established television, West E ...

from March to July 2016. Returning again to Australia, she was chosen by director

Dame Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

to play the iconic role of Eliza Doolittle in the 60th anniversary ''

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder ...

/Gordon Frost co-production at the

. The show opened in September 2016 and ran until November, breaking the box office record for the

, with more tickets sold than any other production in the Opera House's 43 years. ''

'' also featured

Alex Jennings Alex Jennings (born 10 May 1957) is an English actor of the stage and screen, who worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. For his work on the London stage, Jennings received three Olivier Awards, winning for ...

as Henry Higgins,

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress, director, and stage producer, recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Austra ...

as Mrs Higgins and

Reg Livermore Reginald Dawson Livermore (born 11 December 1938) is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer and former television presenter. Childhood From a young age, Livermore demonstrated an interest in the performing arts. Regular outings to ...

as Alfred P. Doolittle. For this performance, Anna won the Colleen Clifford Memorial Award in The Glugs Theatrical Awards, and was also nominated for the Sydney Theatre Judith Johnson Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a musical. O'Byrne returned to London for concerts in December 2016 and January 2017. Anna continued with ''

'' to

Queensland Performing Arts Centre The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank, Queensland, South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it ...

in Brisbane in March, with Charles Edwards as Henry Higgins, and at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from 16 May to July 2017. A return Sydney season for ''

'' followed from August to October 2017 at the Capitol Theatre. For her performance as Eliza Doolittle, she won a

Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical th ...

for Best Female Actor in a Musical on 24 July 2017. She was also nominated for a

. She returned to the London stage from November 2017 to February 2018 as Laura Fairlie in

's The Woman in White at the Charing Cross Theatre. She joined

Ramin Karimloo Ramin Karimloo ( fa, رامین کریملو; ; born September 19, 1978) is a Canadian actor, singer and composer recognized for his work in London's West End and Broadway theatre. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End's ...

's Australasian tour in May and June 2018, as well as appearing as Laurey Williams in

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

alongside Simon Gleeson,

Elise McCann Elise McCann (born 28 July 1985) is an Australian actress and musical theatre performer most well known for originating the role of Miss Honey in the Australian production of ''Matilda the Musical'' and as Lucille Ball in ''Everybody Loves Luc ...

and

Bobby Fox Bobby Fox is an Irish born Australian actor who originated the role of Franki Valli in the Australian production of '' Jersey Boys''. He is a former 4 times World Irish Dance Champion and toured with dance productions ''Riverdance'', ''Dancing ...

in Melbourne. Back in London, she appeared in a workshop version of ''Unmasked'', a not-so-reverent musical retrospective celebrating Andrew Lloyd-Webber's 70th birthday. In 2022, O'Byrne premiered her first solo show, Becoming Eliza, at

. The concert evening explores her time in

and features songs from Julie Andrews' movies and musicals. Later that year, she played Mollie Ralston in the 70th anniversary Australian tour of The Mousetrap, directed by Robyn Nevin. The Mousetrap premiered at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, travelling in 2023 to Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Brisbane before returning to Sydney. Early in 2023, O'Byrne sang with John Owen-Jones in The Voices of the West End, a series of concerts at the Bunkamura Concert Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Film

* '' Love Never Dies (2011)'' playing the role of Christine Daaé; by

and

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

Recordings

* ''Dream (2016)''; album by Anna O’Byrne, Musical Director Guy Simpson, Producer Alex Parker.

Awards and nominations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OByrne, Anna Living people Australian musical theatre actresses Helpmann Award winners 1987 births Victorian College of the Arts alumni Musicians from Melbourne People educated at St Michael's Grammar School 21st-century Australian actresses