Carlotta frocks on in. ONE thing you could never accuse Carlotta of being is shy.
As one of the country's most recognised television personalities, Carlotta became the first person in Australia to have a publicly recognised sex change.
Also known for her work with the extravagant stage revue Les Girls, Carlotta helped set the fashion standard for drag queen culture and pushed for its acceptance in society.
Starting as a performer in the first Les Girls show, Carlotta went on to become the show's main attraction with her witty commentary.
Carlotta continued with Les Girls for 26 years until finishing in 1992.
In her top-selling 1994 autobiography He Did It Her Way: Carlotta, Legend of Les Girls, she describes her stint as a star in the infamous soap program Number 96. Playing the role of a female, Carlotta was forced to hide her true identity from viewers.
'Number 96 was my first real acting job and I was petrified,' Carlotta said.
'What made it worse was they kept me locked up on set because my true identity was supposed to be a secret.'
Luckily Carlotta didn't have to hide her true self when she joined the Channel 10 program Beauty and The Beast in 2000.
Carlotta will bring her new one-woman stage show to Newcastle when she performs at ClubNova Newcastle on March 23.
Titled Beauty and The Beast, like the program on which she is a regular guest, the show features two hours of stunning costumes designed by Australia's leading fashion houses.
The show will feature an 'Ask Carlotta' segment where the audience can ask the star whatever they like, a la Beauty and The Beast.
Carlotta's popularity with Beauty and The Beast viewers was apparent soon after she joined the show.
Her profile reached such heights he was announced as a coach for a 2000 Olympic Games demonstration sport.
Stating that 'Sydney is the cross-dressing capital Australia, if not the world,' Michael Knight named Carlotta as the coach for the Australian cross-dressing team.
Dressed in a green and gold sequinned dress with Aboriginal motifs, Carlotta named events such as the sprint in four-inch heels, wearing a skin-tight evening dress to the marathon and four-hour make-up sessions.
Carlotta came under fire from Christian Democratic politician Fred Nile, who was opposed to including drag queens in Olympic ceremonies.
Mr Nile said drag queens did not represent Australian culture and he was disgusted by the idea.
Tickets to Carlotta's Beauty and The Beast show are available from the club.
Telephone 4926-2700.
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