Dame Julie Andrews has described Anna O’Byrne as “one of the loveliest Australian actresses in musical theatre today” and she should know – she hand-picked O’Byrne to play Eliza in Opera Australia’s 60th-anniversary production of My Fair Lady in 2016. It was a project that was close to Dame Julie’s heart as she created the role of Eliza in the 1956 Broadway production of the Lerner & Loewe musical.

O’Byrne won a Helpmann Award for her portrayal of Eliza. She is also known for playing Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and its sequel Love Never Dies. Her other credits include Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White, Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd for English National Opera, and Sarah Brown in the UK tour of Guys and Dolls.

She is about to star in her first solo show, Becoming Eliza, which she also wrote, in which she discusses stepping into an icon’s shoes. It will also feature songs from Julie Andrews’ extensive repertoire including The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Camelot and Victor/Victoria. Produced by Sydney Opera House in association with Enda Markey Presents, Becoming Eliza opens in Sydney on 9 June. Anna O’Byrne spoke to...