Karen Olivo

Karen Olivo, also known as KO, (born August 7, 1976) is an American stage and television actor, theater educator, and singer. In 2008, KO originated the role of Vanessa in In the Heights on Broadway. The following year, they won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for their performance as Anita in a revival of West Side Story. KO is the first and only actor to win a Tony Award for a performance in West Side Story. From 2016 to 2017, KO portrayed the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton. In 2019, KO originated the leading role of Satine in the Broadway adaptation of Moulin Rouge! and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Early life KO was born on August 7, 1976, in the South Bronx, New York City. KO's father is of Puerto Rican and Native American descent, and their mother is of Dominican and Chinese descent. They were raised in Bartow, Florida and 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. They left school before their final year to join the original Broadway production of Rent. Career