Karen Olivo Biography

Karen Olivo (born August 7, 1976) is an American stage and television actress, who is known for originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award–winning musical In the Heights both on and off Broadway. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Anita (2009-2010) in the revival of West Side Story. She is the first and only actor to win a Tony for a performance in West Side Story.

Olivo portrayed the role of Angelica Schuyler Church in the Chicago production of Hamilton, which has been in performances since September 2016. On June 21, 2017, Olivo announced that she would be leaving the Chicago production of Hamilton after August 6, 2017.

Life and career

Olivo's father is of Puerto Rican and Native American descent, and her mother is of Dominican and Chinese descent. She was born in New York City and raised in Bartow, Florida. She attended the Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in nearby Lakeland, Florida, and later the University of Cincinnati - College-Conservatory of Music.

Until 2012, Olivo was married to Matt Caplan, most recently of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

On March 18, 2013, Olivo announced on her website she was taking a break from acting, saying "with this knowledge I start a new chapter. I leave behind the actor and I start learning how to be me."

On March 9, 2014 it was announced that Olivo would return to professional acting with New York City Center's Encores! production of the Jonathan Larson musical tick, tick... BOOM! in June 2014 Off-Broadway.

On June 21, 2017 Olivo announced via Twitter that she would be leaving the Chicago production of the musical Hamilton, which she had joined on October 19, 2016, after August 6, 2017 to pursue teaching, stating that "I'm leaving the spotlight to make sure others find theirs".

Theatre

In 2009, Olivo received a Tony Award for her performance as Anita in the Broadway revival of West Side Story. She was also nominated for both a Drama Desk and an Outer Critic's Circle Award for her critically acclaimed performance as Anita. She earned her second Astaire Award nomination for Best Female Dancer for her performance in West Side Story, after previously winning the same award in 2008 for her performance in In the Heights. She was contracted with West Side Story at the Palace through 2010. During the May 8, 2010 matinee performance of West Side Story, Olivo broke her foot. Anita standby Natalie Cortez performed the role until the show's closure. Olivo took part in the world premiere of By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, the play "draws upon the screwball films of the 1930s to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood." On July 13, 2016, it was announced that Olivo would star as Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton.

Television

Olivo had a recurring role in The Good Wife on CBS. She played fabulously wealthy law student Giada Cabrini, a potential love interest of firm partner Will Gardner (Josh Charles). Olivo was a series regular in the second season of NBC's Harry's Law, playing "hot shot lawyer" Cassie Reynolds hired by Kathy Bates' character.

Olivo also appeared as Isabelle Perez, a woman that was unknowingly sterilized in the Law & Order episode "Birthright." She also appears in the spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Jennifer Benitez in an episode titled "Loophole". She later appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Yelina Muoz in an episode titled "October Sunrise"?.

Film

Olivo has had several roles in movies, including Adrift in Manhattan, Make Yourself at Home, The New Twenty, Shanghai Hotel, and The Orphan Killer.

Theatre credits

Year(s)	Production	Role	Location	Category
2004	Brooklyn	Faith	Plymouth Theatre	Broadway
2005	Miracle Brothers	Jeca	Vineyard Theatre	Off-Broadway
2007	In the Heights	Vanessa	37 Arts Theatre	Off-Broadway
	Hair	Sheila	Delacorte Theater	40th Anniversary Concert
2008	In the Heights	Vanessa	Richard Rodgers Theatre	Broadway
2009-10	West Side Story	Anita	Palace Theatre	Broadway
2011	By the Way, Meet Vera Stark	Anna Mae/Afua Assata Ejobo	Second Stage Theatre	Off-Broadway
2012	Murder Ballad	Sara	City Center - Stage II	Off-Broadway
2014	tick, tick... BOOM!	Susan/Karessa	New York City Center	Off-Broadway
2016	West Side Story	Anita	Hollywood Bowl	Concert Performance
2016-17	Hamilton	Angelica Schuyler	PrivateBank Theatre	Chicago
2018	Moulin Rouge! The Musical	Satine	Emerson Colonial Theatre	Boston/Pre-Broadway
TBA	Fun Home	Alison Bechdel	Forward Theater	Regional

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2007	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Ensemble Performance	In the Heights
2008	Fred and Adele Astaire Award	Best Female Dancer
2009	Tony Award	Best Featured Actress in a Musical	West Side Story
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
	Drama League Award	Distinguished Performance
	Outer Critics Circle Award	Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
	Fred and Adele Astaire Award	Best Female Dancer