Carole Shelley (1976)

Carole Shelley’s Broadway credits are some of the most impressive of any of the later alumni of the Historic Elitch Theatre.

In just the last decade or two she has appeared in three of the biggest hit musicals: originating the role of Madame Morrible in WICKED The Musical, most-recently appearing in the Tony-winning Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and appearing as Grandma in the original Broadway cast of the Tony-winning Best Musical, Billy Elliot, for which she was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Long before her recent Broadway success, Carole Shelley appeared in The Mousetrap at Elitch’s Theatre in 1976.

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’s Bio from the 1976 Elitch Theatre program for The Mousetrap:

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.