Carlotta back treading the boards
She is the country’s most famed drag queen, transgender and cabaret performer – and at 78, Carlotta is about to make her musical theatre debut
GOLD Coast-based Carlotta – the country’s most famed transgender, drag queen and first Australian to have a sex change – is to make her musical theatre debut later this year. Fittingly, she has been cast in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.
As production powerhouse Matt Ward Entertainment’s namesake owner says of his decision to put on Priscilla at Star Gold Coast: “We welcome artists from all genders, communities, identities, backgrounds, sizes, races and abilities to come forward and audition for this production.”
Matt Ward Entertainment has united industry titans Trevor Ashley (director), David Piper (musical director) and Anthony Ikin (choreographer) to transport the much-loved musical to The Star Gold Coast for a three-week season from July 16 to August 7.
Ex-cabaret performer Carlotta, now 78, began her career as an original in the long-running revue cabaret show Les Girls which started in King’s Cross, Sydney, in 1962. She opens up about her new stage turn, if the Gold Coast is gay friendly enough and why she’d give back her O.A.M if a certain federal law went through.
Tell us about Matt Ward, how did you meet, how long have you known each other?
CARLOTTA:
I met Matt when I came up to Queensland. I’ve been here 14 years and I think I’ve known Matt for five or six years now. I go to him for my singing lessons, and he has been so helpful for me because, don’t forget, for many years I didn’t sing. I wasn’t allowed to sing when I was at Les Girls and Matt said I’ve got a voice.
For those who don’t know him, how would you describe him as a friend and producer?
CARLOTTA:
I’d say he is a very talented producer. When I saw what he did with (the) Wicked (show) I was just amazed because I hadn’t seen a lot of work that he had done. I knew he was a vocal coach, but I was just blown away when I saw what he did with Wicked, very impressed. He’s got such a beautiful singing voice I just wish he’d sing more. I think he’s got one of the best voices I’ve ever heard, he’s just got a beautiful tone.
That’s a big call? CARLOTTA:
No he has, he’s just got a beautiful tone. And believe you, me, I’ve been around singers my whole life.
What do you think of Matt Ward’s Director, Trevor Ashley? Do you think Matt has united a strong team?
CARLOTTA: I think Trevor is the most incredible ... he’s what you call a prodigy. A prodigy of entertainment, that man is so talented.
Is this part of the reason you’ve come out of showbusiness retirement, for Priscilla?
CARLOTTA:
I retired from one-woman shows, not showbusiness. I was doing very well in my 50s to my 60s, but now I’m 78 and travelling has got to me. I was on stage for over 95 minutes a night and I decided to retire from that side, but I said I wasn’t retiring from not doing something. I’ve never done a musical before, I’ve been contemplating this for over 12 months.
And how do you feel now? CARLOTTA:
I’ve still sort of got the heebiejeebies about it, but I’m one of those people, I give things a go. If I fall on my a--, I fall on my a--. There’s always an understudy. I’ve got nothing to lose, I’ve got nothing else to prove. It’s another notch in my belt, to say I’ve done a musical. I like to do things you know. I’m very fortunate, I’ve had an incredible life. That’s why I don’t put up with people who are miserable because I just say ‘life’s too short, enjoy it’.
Are you able to disclose your role on Priscilla?
CARLOTTA:
No, I’m not allowed. People should just come and say ‘oh I wonder who she’s playing?’.
Have you met Terence Stamp who played the lead role of a transgender woman, Bernadette, in the original 1994 Priscilla film?
CARLOTTA:
I think the only reason Stephan Elliot didn’t name her Carlotta in the musical was because he would have had to pay me to use my name. Les Girls travelled out in the countryside, none of the other gay clubs did that. It parallels my life very well. Terence Stamp (who played a transgender woman in Priscilla movie version) said to me ‘Oh Carlotta, I believe my role was based on you, Carlotta’; and I turned around and said ‘oh, I was never that ugly’ - I don’t know why - it just came out.
You’re kidding? CARLOTTA:
Honest to god, I can honestly say that was no word of a lie, it was on the back stairs of the Star theater, he was coming out of the toilets, I was coming out of the toilets and we bumped into one another.
Why do you believe Priscilla was such a big hit in Australia?
CARLOTTA:
You’ve got to remember that Les Girls was around for 36 years, one of the most successful-ever shows in Australian history. Although they don’t say that. It ran for 36 years and that’s why I believe Priscilla was such a big hit in Australia. That is my personal opinion, because Aussies learnt to love drag queens.
Les Girls ran for 36 years and that’s why I believe Priscilla was such a big hit in Australia. That is my personal opinion, because Aussies learnt to love drag queens.
Why do you believe the characters in Priscilla were so lovable? Is it because they showed their vulnerable side?
CARLOTTA:
No, because they showed their reality.
The pain, all of it? CARLOTTA:
Yep. They showed the lot. Honey, that show was gold. Darling it was just gold. It came out at the right time, they couldn’t have picked a better time for it to come out. I can honestly say one of the reasons I think it was so successful was because it related to what Les Girls had done for 36 years, but that’s my personal opinion.
Would you encourage the LGBT, transgender, non-binary community to come forward and audition?
CARLOTTA:
When my shows were going (Les Girls etc.), you’ll never see shows like that again, because we had nowhere else to work. I had kids that did my show, who all wanted to go and have sex changes. Or they all had boobies. Because we
had nowhere else to work. And today - you know - drag has sort of turned into a caricature, which I just adore. I love it, it’s like a big cartoon. Courtney Act does brilliant drag, you know, but she’s not interested in having a sex change. That’s why Courtney calls her show Fluid. I would say Courtney’s the new Barry Humpries of Australia.
Would you encourage women of this caliber to audition for Priscilla?
CARLOTTA:
Yes, why not. I think it’d be fabulous if he does get a trans person to play some of the lead roles. Mind you, two of the roles are gay boys. But who knows - I might be doing Bernadette, I don’t know.
Is the most resistance you’ve had in your career progression been from men or women?
CARLOTTA:
I never got resistance from men because they were attracted to me and they couldn’t understand why, when they knew what I was, which I found laughable. They had the woah woah woah factor about me. I’ve never had any trouble with women. I have come across a jealous bitch in my life but I just put her back in her place.
How did your journey into the outback with the Les Girls parallel the journey of the pink Priscilla bus into the desert?
CARLOTTA:
When I was on tour, that’s where the expression came from, ‘are we there yet, are we there yet?’. We didn’t have a pink bus, we had 11 drag queens in a Volkswagen. We’d be driving along and we’d have to stop at a garage, they’d buy all of the fashion magazines. Have you ever been outback and you buy a fashion magazine? They’re 11 years old. They’re not the latest thing. And they’d all say ‘Mummy we’re bored, are we there yet, are we there yet?’.
So it is your life. The character of Bernadette is you?
CARLOTTA:
Bernadette’s definitely me - come on - who else had the sex change and was the star of Les Girls?! I was the first sex change in Australia at Les Girls. Life is short but enjoy every minute of it because you don’t get it back.
Did you ever believe when you were younger, pre gender reassignment, that you would have gone on to achieve as much as you have?
CARLOTTA:
No, I didn’t plan on that. I thought the shows would only last a certain period, I thought it’d be a novelty thing. And then of course as it went on and on and the shows got bigger and bigger, I thought oh well, this is a career. But in the early days no, never thought it’d be the way it is. But I’ve never ever regretted a thing.
Tell us about your childhood? CARLOTTA:
My history has been well documented. I did what I had to do, I did it and I got through it.
What did you think about Citipointe Christian College in Brisbane which controversially had an enrolment contract asking parents to confirm kids would identify only as their birth gender?
CARLOTTA:
Pull your bloody head in. Wake up. Religion and politics should never mix. As I said, if that religious discrimination bill had gone through (giving schools the power to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity), I’d have gone up with my Order Of Australia and handed it back in and said ‘My life has meant nothing for the last 78 years - here - stick it’. You ain’t bringing me down. I rang Ita Buttrose up and I said I’m going to give this award back if this stupid religious ruling comes through, this is the reason I got the award - helping trans kids and doing my charity work.
You rarely break face in an interview, but I could see you were deeply upset about Barry Humpries’ comments about Caitlyn Jenner being a ‘mutated man’ and not ‘a real woman’, why was this triggering for you?
CARLOTTA:
I got awarded an O.A.M, I fought for our acceptance in society. I got annoyed at the comment that was made about Caitlyn Jenner. It’s a waste of time to name the person who said it. I have lived with people who are trapped, who are trans. I was willing to give my O.A.M back, because what was it worth? That’s what they gave it to me for - because I fought for kids to get more accepted for who they are - you don’t just wake up in the morning and say ‘Oh I want to be that’. If you do (think that) you’re an idiot. You look in the mirror - when I was growing up – and I was ashamed of what I saw but I corrected it.
You were ashamed of being a boy? CARLOTTA:
Yes. Because I didn’t look like a boy, and I understand kids today going through transitions. You know, it’s a biological thing, it’s in their genes, it’s not a choice.
Do you believe trans, LGBT, non-binary individuals break up the family unit?
CARLOTTA:
Unfortunately it’s probably true, in some cases, but the trans kids that I know, their mothers are very supportive and usually the ones I know are single mothers. You have got to try and put yourself into the shoes of a parent. In my day to have a son was they take over the family and it wasn’t just a European thing, it was in any family home. The son was always number one, the daughter number two. It was always built up as ‘I can’t wait for my son to have a grandchild’ and ‘marry a beautiful girl’.
Do you think there’s enough support for LGBT people in 2022?
CARLOTTA:
I used to say on stage at the end of my show, to mums and dads - who are most of my audience, don’t forget, this is why I still pack an audience; because the mums and dads love me, because they grew up with me – and I say to them, if you’ve got a gay son or a gay daughter, don’t be ashamed of them because half the time they’ll end up making more money than you’ve ever seen in your life and they will really look after you - just be proud of who they are.
Is the Gold Coast LGBT friendly? CARLOTTA:
There’s a long way to go for the simple reason there’s not enough gays here. I’d love to see Oxford St here. I tried actually when I first came up. There was a gay club down on the beach and I tried Sundays with Carlotta ... but they didn’t support it. It was very hard so I just went back on the road.