Onalea is a singer, musician and theatre artist who enjoys experimenting with a wide variety of styles and subject matter. Onalea's concert work includes Bernstein’s Mass with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Hans Graf conducting); Frank Zappa’s Freak-out Burlesque (Whip It Out Ensemble); Songs for Caligari   by Dave Clarke and being featured as a guest soloist with the award winning Land’s End Chamber Ensemble for their Berliner Kabaret (2006), their Halloween Cabaret (2005) From Berlin to Hollywood (HPR 2009) and on their centennial recording.

With the Dandi jazz trio and the Dandi Orchestra (her 5-10 piece little big band) Onalea has performed numerous concerts and special events.  Onalea opened for Bob Newhart at the Jubilee in 2000, Onalea and the Dandi Trio were the opening act for Daniel Lanois at the Calgary International Jazz Festival (2005) and the East Village Opera Company at OYR's High Performance Rodeo (2008).

Onalea was a member of the One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre Ensemble for 7years, performing extensively in Calgary and across Canada. She has appeared in 11 shows with the ensemble including: Dream Machine, In Klezskavania, Doing Leonard Cohen, and Sylvia Plath Must Not Die.

Other selected theatrical credits include: Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, Joni Mitchell: River and Why Freud Fainted (ATP);  Drood in The Mystery Of Edwin Drood  (Vertigo); The Alan Parkinson’s Project (Ghost River); Time After Time: The Chet Baker Project (Crow’s Theatre, Calgary) and Cinderella in Into The Woods (Citadel ).

Onalea is lucky to have worked with several talented Canadian composers including David Rhymer, Dave Clarke, Dave Pierce, Donovan Seidle and Marcel Bergmann

With Dandi Productions, a company formed with Doug McKeag, she has co- created and performed several shows for young audiences including: three works of Roald Dahl with original European scores; an all Canadian piece, The Twins and the Monster with a score by John Estacio and The Mysterious Maestro with music from the classical repertoire and featuring original Canadian compositions. All of Dandi's shows were created using puppets made by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop and they have toured symphony orchestras from Vancouver to Montreal several times. Doug and Onalea also created a pops show called A Swinger and a Miss which is a tribute to the swingin' sound of 1960's Las Vegas featuring their alter egos Dick and Sandi. It has been performed with the Calgary, Winnipeg and Regina symphonies.

As a recording artist Onalea has co-produced 4 of her own CD’s; Dick and Sandi: Two nights at the Grotto, recorded “live off the floor” with a 25- piece big band orchestra, In Space, featuring original electronica, Spider and the Fly, a collection of eclectic songs performed with the Dandi trio and BLANCHE: The Bittersweet Life Of a Wild Prairie Dame  an original poetic song-cycle and theatre show that was commissioned by the Banff Centre.

Recently Onalea created the libretto for the OratorioTwo Bit Oper-Eh? Shun; a collaberation with with composer Marcel Bergmann and the Drop In Centre Singers about homelessness, mental illness, addiction, and social injustice for the Land's End Chamber Ensemble, soloists,  DI singers and choir.  The piece had its world premiere January 16 at the 2010 High Performance Rodeo. 

Currently Onalea is working on a new CD/Theatrical project and is also developing a solo symphony concert dedicated to the Great Ladies of Song.