Carole Shelley’s Broadway credits are some of the most impressive of any alumni of the Historic Elitch Theatre. Long before her Broadway success, Carole Shelley appeared in The Mousetrap at Elitch’s Theatre in 1976.
One year before she appeared at the theatre, Shelley received her first Tony Award nomination in 1975 for her performance as “Jane” in Absurd Person Singular. Three years after her appearance at HET, Shelley won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in The Elephant Man. She would also be nominated for the Tony Award as Featured Actress in a Play in 1987 for her performance in Stepping Out as “Maxine”.
In the first two decades of the 2000s, Shelley would appear in three of the biggest hit musicals of their day: she originated the role of Madame Morrible in Wicked; she was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical as Grandma in the original Broadway cast of the Tony-winning Best Musical, Billy Elliot; and she appeared as Miss Shingle in the Tony-winning Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which would mark her final Broadway appearance.
For her 1976 appearance at Elitch Theatre, in The Mousetrap, her Bio in the program read:
CAROLE SHELLEY (Mollie Ralston) made her professional debut at the age of three. After a successful career on the London Stage, including the leads in MARY, MARY and John Cranko’s NEW CRANKS, she was brought to the United States in 1964 to create the role of Gwendolyn Pigeon in Neil Simon’s THE ODD COUPLE and recreated this role in the film and television versions. She has also appeared in the film THE BOSTON STRANGLER as well as THE ARISTOCATS and ROBIN HOOD for Walt Disney. At Stratford, Ontario, in 1972, she was acclaimed for her performance as Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT as well as Regan in KING LEAR and Neville in SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER. She subsequently performed in their tour of Europe and Russia, early in 1973. Later that year, she was invited to join the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Conn. where her performance in the title role in Wycherley’s THE COUNTRY WIFE brought rave reviews from every major critic across the United States. Among her Broadway credits are starring roles in THE ASTRAKHAN COAT, LOOT, NOEL COWARD’S SWEET POTATO, LITTLE MURDERS and HAY FEVER. Miss Shelley appeared at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago where she was nominated for a Jefferson Award for her performance as Nora in Ibsen’s A DOLL’S HOUSE. Miss Shelley returned to Connecticut for the ’74 season to play Viola in TWELFTH NIGHT, Lady Capulet in ROMEO AND JULIET and Sister Woman in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. Carole Shelley starred Broadway in Alan Ayckbourn’s tremendously successful comedy ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR, and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in this play. Miss Shelley joins THE MOUSETRAP having just finished a highly successful run in the Broadway comedy hit, THE NORMAN CONQUESTS.
Seasons at the Theatre
- 1976
Productions/Roles:
- 1976 – The Mousetrap
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
- TONY AWARD: Three years after her appearance at HET, Shelley won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Elephant Man.
- Shelley received her first Tony Award nomination in 1975 for her performance as “Jane” in Absurd Person Singular.
- Shelley won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in The Elephant Man.
- Shelley was nominated for the Tony Award as Featured Actress in a Play in 1987 for her performance in Stepping Out as “Maxine”.
- Shelley originated the role of Madame Morrible in Wicked.
- Shelley was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical as Grandma in the original Broadway cast of the Tony-winning Best Musical, Billy Elliot.
- Shelley appeared as Miss Shingle in the Tony-winning Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which would mark her final Broadway appearance.
Elitch Theatre Connections:
Wikipedia Link:
