-contributed by Seth Fox on 10/9/99

I have seen Karen as Mimi numerous times, and I think she does a fantastic job as that character. She is full of the attitude and life needed to pull Mimi off, and she really seems to put her heart and soul into the character and into her singing. She portrays Mimi as she is meant to be! I haven't seen her as any other character so far, but would love to!

-contributed by Nikki Bennett on 10/15/99

I saw Karen's Mimi and Mark's Mom a few times last year, and I finally got to see her as Maureen in March. I think she has a wonderful voice, and unlike some other Mimis, she doesn't get out of breath during Out Tonight which I think is amazing :) She has a really wide range that I didn't really notice until I heard her in 'Take Me or Leave Me', when she had no trouble hitting high notes and improvising by adding some lower notes. I've seen alot of Maureens and I thought that hers was different from anyone else's. She was able to make the role her own, and I was impressed.

-contributed by Ari on 4/6/00

So I win the lottery for the first time EVER and me and my bestest friend Danya (A rent virgin, might I add) take our seats. I am in awe….i can reach out and touch the friggin stage!!! I am even more excited when I open my playbill….it was understudy heaven!!! December 5 1999, 7 PM show….cast list: Jim, Manley, Jacques, Aisha, Chad, Owen and Kim in the usual. And the rest: Understudies! Peter Matthew Smith was on as Mr. Jefferson, Robert Glean as Paul and Yassmin as Mark's mom…Shayna and Carly as Maureen and Joanne, Calvin and Jai as Collins and Angel and Karen Olivo as Mimi. At that point I had seen plenty of Mimi's (yaz, marcy, krysten, maya…) and my first impression of Karen was that she has to be the most beautiful Mimi out there….she is stunning. Really. Being that I was in lotto, I really could see her facial expressions and her every movement perfectly and I think she is a brilliant actress. During LMC she was sooo cute being all sexy in Manley's face but trying to get back her stash….she had a really strong voice during OT, and her AD was so emotional…I liked how when she said "no other path…no other way" she jumped back from Manley and kinda swung out from the table and got in the audience's face to sing "No Day But Today"-kinda like that was her message. During the whole LVB scene she was really into it, most Mimis just sit there and sing the words but she ACTED like she was the character the whole time. When Carly mooned the audience Karen looked all surprised, kinda like "there goes that crazy maureen again!" and during ISTY---I hate this song, but there was so much going in her face. She is also really tall. Random observation. Act 2 was soo amazing. I wont even get into Jai and Calvin, and Carly and Shayna's TMOLM…Karens WYwas again riveting. I love Maya's but Karen was singing from her heart and you sooo believed she was in love with Manleys Roger. As the show got more dramatic and serious she got to highlight her talents even more. She has tears streaming down her face during ICYR, and was absolutely bawling during the beginning of GL when Roger yells at her-she like ran to Shayna for protection kind of and was totally crying….it was so cute. Then at the end of GL----I have seen this show MANY times, and have not cried once. I don't cry from fictional experiences, ever, ever I am way too busy being Mr. Macho guy (tho Calvin's ICYR almost gets me everytime, I never shed a tear). Karen's GL was so wrenching and raw….i have never seen someone so emotionally invested in a role. She seemed to be uncontrollably sobbing…I don't like how many mimi's (like shayna and marcy) are all upset during GL and then kinda forget their sadness so they can belt out the last line. Karen was really crying so her last line kinda choked and whimpered---there were tears not only in my eyes but in EVERYONE"S, everyone in the room. "Not a dry eye in the house"-I mean it. SO that was my first Karen Olivo expereince. I have since seen her as Mark's Mom and as Alexi Darling, and she did a really good job on both. Still waiting for the day I get a little note in the playbill: "At this performance, the role of Maureen Johnson will be played by Karen Olivo..."

contributed by Noam on 4/15/00