Christie Whelan

Christie Whelan-Browne (born 6 August 1982) is an Australian actress who has worked extensively in musical theatre.

Career beginnings

Her professional career began in 2005 in Grease: The Arena Spectacular, playing the role of Patti Simcox. She then went on to reprise the role in the UK. In both productions she understudied Sandy's role. On returning to Australia, she played the role of April in Gale Edwards's 2007 production of Company. In 2008 she received the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Newcomer.^[1]

2009–2012

She has also starred in Britney Spears: The Cabaret^[2] which began at the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival and later in Sydney and Melbourne. She starred in The Drowsy Chaperone for Melbourne Theatre Company in the role of Janet van de Graaf,^[3] for which she was a Helpmann Awards nominee for Best Actress.

She played the title role in The Production Company's Sugar, for which she was a Green Room Award nominee for Best Actress,^[3] and played the lead role of Kira in the musical Xanadu.^[4][5] More recently she played the role of Erma in Anything Goes.

She played the role of Lecy in Bryant and Frank's Australian musical Once We Lived Here, for which she a Green Room Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress. Other credits include Maisy in The Boy Friend, as well as roles in 42nd Street, The Rocky Horror Show, Starting Here, Starting Now and The Shakespeare Review.

She also appeared in the 2010 film I Love You Too.

Whelan-Browne appeared on an episode of Spicks and Specks in June 2011 on ABC Television.^[6] She also has appeared on The Circle, Winners & Losers as Kylie McDonald^[7] and Offspring as Jenny. Other TV credits include Leila in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Katerina in Conspiracy 365.

She played Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest for the Melbourne Theatre Company. Her one-woman show Britney Spears: The Cabaret has earned her rave reviews and sell out seasons since its conception at the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

She played Philia in the Melbourne season of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opposite her mentor Geoffrey Rush for which she was nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In March 2012, she married Rohan Browne^[8] and changed her surname to Whelan-Browne. In July, they performed together at The Production Company's The Producers. Her role was Ulla, the leggy blonde.

2013

Whelan-Browne starred in Shane Warne: The Musical as Elizabeth Hurley at the 2013 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. She also played Lina Lamont in Singing in the Rain for The Production Company. She hosted the Helpmann Awards alongside Eddie Perfect. On TV, she had an arc in Network Ten's new drama series Wonderland as Kristen.

2014

She was part of the 40th anniversary tour of The Rocky Horror Show playing the role of Janet Weiss.

References