Karen Olivo is a television, film, and stage actor who is most recognized for her Tony Award-winning performance as Anita in the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, a role for which she also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations. Some of her Broadway theater credits include originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights (2008 Astaire Award) and starring as Faith in the Broadway production of Brooklyn The Musical. She played the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton and currently stars as Satine in Moulin Rouge on broadway.
Additional theatre credits include Murder Ballad at the Manhattan Theater Club, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage at 2nd Stage, and The Miracle Brothers directed by Tina Landau at the Vineyard Theatre.
Olivo is also recognized for her many television appearances including recurring & guest-starring roles on “The Good Wife,” “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Conviction,” and “Law & Order.”
Karen Olivo is a native New Yorker who currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Olivo recently taught Musical Theater Styles at UW-Madison as well as working as a teaching artist and writer for Theatre LILA, she serves on the Advisory Committee for Forward Theater and she also coaches students in her private Madison studio. Karen also released her first solo, ‘Leave,’ album in 2017. www.Karenolivo.com