Onalea Gilbertson

Onalea is a multidisciplinary creator, performer, puppeteer, director & recording artist. As a music and theatre artist Onalea has performed numerous roles world wide in both the traditional and the avant-garde. Currently Onalea is a resident of the McKittrick Hotel in the role of Hecate in the hit show Sleep no More in New York City.

She recently hosted and performed at the Bell Grandstand show at the Calgary Stampede for an audience of 20,000 people nightly.

A consummate crossover artist, Onalea's original work is a unique blend of music and the theatrical. An accomplished vocalist, she has sung with everything from trio to chamber ensembles, symphony orchestras, and big bands. She has recorded five albums ranging from big band to jazz standards, electronica to original material. As a director she specializes in new work and integrating multi genre performance styles and communities.

Onalea has created and performed shows as a singer, actor and puppeteer for symphony orchestras as a part of Dandi productions, and she spent 7 seasons with the legendary Canadian physical theatre ensemble One Yellow Rabbit. Her voice has been heard in multiple animation projects on cartoon networks around the world.

Onalea's original pieces REQUIEM FOR A LOST GIRL: A Chamber Musical About Homelessness and BLANCHE: The Bittersweet Life Of A Wild Prairie Dame premiered in New York City as special events of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. REQUIEM was r presented by the Vancouver Opera. Mata Hari in 8 Bullets - a one woman fever dream burlesque, performed Off Broadway in New York and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Onalea is an activist who passionately believes using The Arts as a tool for education, advocacy and social change. She has collaborated in creating community and conversation around the topics of homelessness, poverty, mental health, addiction and missing and murdered women by engaging with the following organizations as a part of the Requiem project: Calgary Drop In Centre, Calgary Woman’s Centre, Henry Street Settlement Shelter, Fountain House, Covenant house youth crisis shelter (NYC) and The Kettle Society (Vancouver).

Onalea’s new record The End Of The World created with Emmy award winning David Pierce is now out!

The End Of The World is a classic, timeless recording released digitally on all platforms and on Vinyl, Casette and CD . This record is a love story and showcases a torchy cabaret mashup of vintage glamour, fabulous orchestrations featuring old style big band with strings.