Theater People - Laura Osnes

Theater People, Patrick and Vonia, bring us another incredible podcast! They never disappoint; always asking intriguing questions and confirming that fans of the topic make the best interviewers!

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Their fourth episode brings us an interview with the lovely and humble Laura Osnes! She is best known for her roles as Ella in Cinderella on Broadway, as well as her roles as Sandy in Grease, and Bonnie Parker in Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie and Clyde among others.  Patrick and Laura take us on a journey from memory lane to what's ahead for the Broadway starlet.

The interview begins with a recap of Laura's hobbies, which so far don't include biking , but may in the future.  If you didn't realize how down to earth and all around amazing she is, her list of hobbies immediately inspires a feeling of genuineness which with she lives her life.  Her hobbies include: scrapbooking, journaling, dancing, baking and board games.

Her soft-spoken and innocent demeanor leads Patrick to ask how she feels about the city as a whole.  She recounts her first trip with her high school theater group which led to her parents bringing her for long weekends here and there, and which helped to solidify her love of the city.  When she moved to New York after winning the NBC reality show Grease: You're The One That I Want she came to the city with a support system of her husband, Nate, and her cast members.  She stipulates that had she not come with such support it may have been a much harder transition.

A look back at her 'early days' before she was a staple of the Broadway scene, takes us on a trip from her favorite cast albums to her Broadway debut and beyond.  As a child she loved listening to cast albums, particularly Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde, Miss Saigon, and The Secret Garden.  In middle school and high school she began working in theatrical roles in Minneapolis and was even able to receive high school credit for her work.  She spoke about her time with the Children's Theater in Minneapolis and how taking a job there was more right for her than continuing in college.  That is not to say that she doesn't value education, quite the opposite is true, and musical theater programs have come along way in the ten years since she left college to pursue her passion.

She recounts how she auditioned for Grease: You're The One That I Want and how she made it all the way to the winning pair! She was actually playing Sandy at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre when her aunt heard about auditions and she was able to leave (for what she thought would be a short time) the dinner theatre show early and go to California to audition.  She explains her experience on the show as: "I had this strange sense of peace whole time that I was where I was supposed to be, like I was supposed to be there." We're certainly glad she won! A talent like hers deserves to be recognized!

Her work in the theater in Minnesota  prepared her for the work in the larger theater league that is Broadway.  She says "the work is the same, just at a higher level and with more money involved." The reality show also acted as a cushion for her.  She knew the part of Sandy quite well after having sang it to keep her on the show and she knew Max Crumm very well from doing the the show with him.  But the press part of the role was new to her.

Laura talked about her time working with Kathleen Marshall. She discussed her motherly nature towards the cast while they were doing Grease after the reality show ended. Then, getting to work with her again to do Anything Goes.  She went on to discussed working with Sutton Foster and her amazing nature and sparkling smile.

What was one of her career changing moments? She says it was when she was cast in South Pacific and the whole audition process.  Also replacing someone she had seen just a few years before on the stage was incredibly gratifying for her, and she credits "23" as one of her best years.

Laura talks about her journey through Bonnie and Clyde from the audition for Wonderland, to the out of town gigs, then finally landing on Broadway, and her eventual Tony nomination for the role!

Of course, the interview wouldn't be complete without talking about Cinderella! She had this is say about the show "Every day I love going to work, walking into the building and knowing that we're about to inspire all these young kids that are coming, and surprise the adults who think the show is for kids..." Hearing Laura talk about Cinderella is almost as magical as experiencing the show itself! She is so passionate and true to the characteristics of Ella herself. She talked about her exit from the show which is of course so sad, but since she's doing The Threepenny Opera it makes it not quite as side.

I don't want to spoil any of the fan answered questions because they're pretty great, so you'll have to listen to hear them and what comes after (hint: she sings).

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New Year, New Broadway Shows

Current Shows on Broadway: Closings or Cast Changes

The end of 2013 comes with show closings, such as Big Fish which had its final performance at the Neil Simon Theatre on December 29, as well as, cast changes most notably the one’s coming to Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  It is typical for cast members’ contracts to be up in January or early February.  The actors may choose to renew their contracts or they may pursue (or even already be cast) in other roles.  Cinderella has recently announced changes of this kind.  Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana, Marla Mindelle, and Harriet Harris are all leaving, or presumed to be leaving Cinderella in the following weeks. It was just announced that Carly Rae Jepsen will step into the role of Cinderella starting February 4 for a 12 week run.  A lot of patrons hate to see Laura go but she will begin the workshop for Dames at Sea early in the new year so they are sure to see more of her soon.  Santino has been cast, along with Tony Shalub, as Moss Hart in the upcoming play Act One.  Roald Dahl’s Matilda also recently announced the inclusion of new cast members as the four original girls who played Matilda will leave the production and four new Matildas, Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo and Ava Ulloa, were cast in early December. 

Upcoming Broadway Season

Looking ahead at new shows coming to “The Great White Way” in early 2014, there are many shows that sound phenomenal and your average theatre lover will most likely want to see them all! 
Here are a few of the shows that will be opening early in the new year:

BEAUTIFUL:THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL began previews November 21, 2013 and opens January 12, 2014 at Stephen Sondheim Theatre.  It is the story of Carol King, or rather Carol Klein, the tenacious girl from Brooklyn who fought her way into the record business to become one of the recording industry’s most enduring icons.  Jessie Mueller plays Carol King in this acclaimed musical directed by Marc Bruni.

IF/THEN starring Idina Menzel, LaChanze, Anthony Rapp, James Snyder, Jerry Dixon, Jenn Colella and  Jason Tam begins previews at Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 4, 2014 and opens March 27.  Idina Menzel plays a woman named Elizabeth who is on the verge of turning 40 and moves to NYC to make a fresh start. “It is a new musical about how choice and chance collide and we learn to love the fallout”.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is a new musical based on the novel by Robert James Waller written by Jason Robert Brown, book by Marsha Norman.  It is a new take on the love affair between a photographer and American housewife in 1965 Iowa.  Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale play the leads in the new musical directed by Bartlett Sher.  It begins previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on January 17, 2014 and opens on February 20.

OUTSIDE MULLINGAR opens at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 23, 2013 with previews starting January 3.  This new play, written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Doug Hughes, tells the story of two introverted misfits, Anthony and Rosemary, who live next door to each other.  Anthony is painfully shy and Rosemary is determined to have him.  It is an Irish story about two people finding their way toward solid ground. It stars Brían F. O’Byrne and Debra Messing. 

ALADDIN is a stage adaptation of the 1992 Disney film starring Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart, and Jonathan Freeman. This new adaptation is directed by Casey Nicholaw.  It begins previews February 26, 2014 and opens March 20 at New Amsterdam Theatre. 

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY is a musical adaptation of the Woody Allen film.  It stars Zach Braff, Brooks Ashmanskas, Betsy Wolfe, and Vincent Pastore, and is directed by Susan Stroman.  Previews begin on March 11, 2014 and the musical opens April 10, 2014 at St. James Theatre.

LES MISERABLES the 25^th anniversary production of the musical featrues new orchestrations, as well as, fresh scenic and narrative elements.  This production stars Ramin Karimloo, Will Swenson, Nikki M. James, Caissie Levy, and Andy Mientus, and will be directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell.  It is currently playing a pre-Broadway engagement in Toronto and will begin Broadway previews on March 1, 2014 and open on March 23, 2014. 

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will bring Neil Patrick Harris back to Broadway in the landmark 1998 musical about a fictional rock 'n' roll band fronted by a transgender singer by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's.  This production begins previews March 29, 2014 and opens April 22, 2014 at the Belasco Theatre.  It will be directed by Michael Mayer.

VIOLET brings Sutton Foster back to Broadway in the story of a young woman’s “quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s."  This Roundabout theatre production of the musical will be directed by Leigh Silverman and will begins previews March 28, 2014 with an opening night scheduled for April 20, 2014 at American Airlines Theatre.

Here is a complete list of upcoming Broadway shows from Playbill.com.

Here is Broadway.com's look ahead at the near year of Broadway.

Tony Awards Spotlight on 2013-2014 as it currently stands

Reveiw: The Kennedy Center Honors

The recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors were: Martina Arroyo, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine and Carlos Santana.  The honorees were presented the medallions on December 7^th with the honors ceremony held on December 8^th at the Kennedy Center Opera House, where the honorees were saluted by a variety of talented performers.  The Kennedy Center Honors as aired on television consist of two hours’ time in which there are no acceptance speeches by honorees, but instead heartfelt testaments to the impact honorees have had on the world and celebrations of their work through various performances.

Contemporary stars paying tribute to living legends is the definition of multifarious.  One may not enjoy all of the performances depending on personal preferences but the show includes something for everyone. 

A wide variety of people graced the stage of the Kennedy Center including Glenn Close who opened the show by introducing all of the honorees with engaging snippets about each of their backgrounds and accomplishments.  Harry Belafonte introduced the Carlos Santana tribute which included Buddy Guy and Steve Winwood, among others.  Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor introduced the tribute for Martina Arroyo which included stunning performances from Aida.  Bill O’Reilly introduced the tribute to Herbie Hancock which included performances by many musicians, including Snoop Lion/Dogg and Mix Master Mike (from the Beastie Boys).  Kathy Bates introduced the tribute to Shirley MacLaine which was a Broadway tribute by Anna Kendrick, Sutton Foster, Patina Miler, and Karen Olivo (which was phenomenal!).   Finally, Tony Bennett introduced the tribute to Billy Joel which included performances by Panic! At the Disco’s Brendon Urie and Garth Brooks. 

Artists celebrating artists is one of the greatest things that happens in general.  The celebration of others’ work is so freeing and lacks a self-promotion that award show performances exude. A show that can bring such diverse artists and people to the same stage, and to celebrate such a wide variety of talent is something to be celebrated in and of itself.