Chelsea Bonanno is an Australian vocalist, actress, cabaret performer, songwriter, pianist, vocal coach, and live entertainer whose work spans musical theatre, opera, weddings, corporate events, original music, and immersive cabaret performance. With a rich theatrical style and a genuine love for storytelling, Chelsea has built a career centred around creating performances that are not only polished and powerful, but deeply human and emotionally memorable.

Whether she is performing an intimate jazz ballad at a wedding, singing soaring operatic repertoire beneath candlelight, entertaining audiences in a cabaret lounge, or stepping into the world of musical theatre, Chelsea brings warmth, elegance, humour, and heartfelt connection to every stage she walks onto.

Chelsea’s love for the performing arts began at just eight years old through musical theatre training with Acting Antics. Over four years, she appeared in fifteen productions and later worked extensively as an assistant director under the guidance of Deborah and Paul Percy. These early years shaped her confidence, stagecraft, and passion for collaborative storytelling — qualities that continue to define her work today.

Her theatre credits include Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Jenny Lind in Barnum, Cosette Understudy in Les Misérables, and performances in Mary Poppins, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Cannibal The Musical. While performing in Les Misérables, Chelsea had the honour of sharing the stage alongside acclaimed performers including Peter Cousens and Sam Ward. In 2024, Chelsea graduated from Australian Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre, where she refined her artistry across acting, voice, musicianship, cabaret creation, and live performance.

Alongside her theatre work, Chelsea has established herself as a sought-after live entertainer across weddings, corporate functions, private events, pubs, cocktail lounges, shopping centres, and special occasions throughout Australia. Known for her rich vocals and captivating stage presence, she performs an expansive repertoire spanning contemporary music, jazz standards, musical theatre, classical crossover, and timeless favourites. Her approach to live entertainment is both polished and personal — creating an atmosphere that feels elegant, uplifting, and genuinely engaging for audiences.

Chelsea has performed in proud collaboration with musicians including Jake Edgley, Alex Gibson, and Clancy Anderson, and continues to work as a freelance musician across Sydney and Canberra. She has also worked extensively as a session and supporting vocalist, contributing backing vocals for artists including Dinley Jones, WARTABAR, Evelyn Vania, and Odisho. Her collaborative work has included live showcases, recordings, student productions, and featured performances, including an appearance at the opening celebrations of the Snow Concert Hall in a jazz performance alongside Liam Budge, Christopher Pound, and Wayne Kelly.

Opera and classical crossover remain a deeply important part of Chelsea’s artistic identity. Her operatic journey began at age fifteen after being cast as Jenny Lind — the famed “Swedish Nightingale” — in Barnum. Since then, she has continued developing her soprano voice through operatic soirées, classical showcases, and large-scale event performances. Chelsea has appeared in performances presented by Carl Rafferty’s “Opera By Candlelight” and was featured as part of the pre- and post-show entertainment surrounding Andrea Bocelli events at Sydney Olympic Park. Her love of soaring melodies, lush orchestration, and emotional storytelling continues to influence every corner of her performance style.

As both a songwriter and pianist, Chelsea is passionate about creating original work that blends theatricality with emotional honesty. She is currently in the process of recording original music inspired by cabaret, cinematic storytelling, classical crossover, and contemporary piano-driven songwriting. These projects — many years in the making — reflect some of her most personal and creatively ambitious work to date.

During her studies at AIM, Chelsea immersed herself wholeheartedly in collaborative and self-devised productions. She assisted in constructing choir ensembles and arranging harmonies alongside Wendy Dixon, worked in stage management under Dr Paul Geddes and Brad Miller during Cannibal The Musical, and regularly appeared as both a featured vocalist and supporting performer in student showcases and recitals. Her major self-devised works included the original cabaret productions In Loving Memory Of… and Standby… — theatrical performance pieces entirely conceived, written, and performed by Chelsea, showcasing her strengths in storytelling, character work, musical interpretation, and emotional performance.

Chelsea’s passion for the industry continues to evolve through her recent signing with The Artists Lab under the representation and mentorship of Paul Tabone and Simone Sault. After participating in their Broadway and West End workshop program, Chelsea was deeply inspired by their dedication to nurturing artists not only as performers, but as long-term creatives and storytellers within the industry.

Being welcomed into The Artists Lab family has marked an exciting new chapter in Chelsea’s career — one fuelled by artistic growth, collaboration, and a shared love for live performance. Chelsea is incredibly grateful for the faith, encouragement, and guidance Paul Tabone and Simone Sault have shown in her work, and looks forward to continuing to grow under their mentorship as she pursues opportunities across musical theatre, cabaret, recording projects, and live entertainment.

Beyond performing, Chelsea is also passionate about arts education and mentorship. Alongside private vocal coaching, she has directed and taught group musical theatre classes for young performers through Acting Antics, helping students develop confidence, creativity, and joy through performance. Her teaching style focuses not only on vocal technique, but on helping singers feel emotionally connected, expressive, and confident in themselves as artists.

Chelsea’s artistic development has been shaped by respected industry professionals including Jenny Sawer, Theresa Reiner, Nicholas Gentile, Dan Hammill, Wendy Dixon, Sam Walton, Carl Rafferty, Marta Nowicka, Dr Paul Geddes, Brad Miller, and David McLeod — mentors whose guidance has helped shape the versatility, discipline, and artistry she brings to every project.

In 2016, Chelsea appeared on The X Factor Australia live auditions alongside Maria Tsiokantas in vocal duo “Affinity,” an experience she credits as a major turning point in her confidence and growth as a performer.

Chelsea is also the proud founder of the Moonlight Charity Concert — an annual musical showcase supporting Kids Cancer Council, first introduced during her final year of school and continuing today as an ongoing community arts initiative involving multiple performers and musical acts.

At the heart of everything Chelsea creates is a simple belief: music should make people feel something real. Whether performing in a theatre, cabaret venue, concert hall, wedding, piano bar, or intimate event space, she strives to create experiences that feel immersive, joyful, nostalgic, moving, and unforgettable.

Chelsea is currently available for musical theatre projects, weddings, corporate entertainment, cabaret performances, collaborations, original music projects, vocal coaching, and special events.