Ep83 - Laura Osnes: Cinderella, Bandstand, Bonnie & Clyde, Grease, Fosse/Verdon

Laura Osnes is a two-time Tony Award nominee for her roles as Bonnie in Bonnie & Clyde, and Cinderella in Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. After winning NBC’s 2006 reality TV show You’re The One That I Want, she made her Broadway debut as Sandy in the 2007 revival of Grease. Other Broadway credits include starring roles in South Pacific, Anything Goes, and most recently Bandstand. You can also see her on TV as Shirley McClaine in Fosse/Verdon, and the Hallmark movie In the Key of Love. 

As a child growing up in Egan, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Laura always gravitated towards music and theatrics. She listened to musical soundtracks and acted them out in her living room, danced competitively for 13 years, and started working professionally in Minneapolis when she was in middle school. After attending the University of Wisconsin for a year studying theater, she got offered a job as a performing apprentice at a theater in Minneapolis, and said “yes” to the opportunity. Instead of going back to school, Laura then found herself in Los Angeles competing on a reality TV show for a starring role in Grease, and shortly after, arrived in New York City for her Broadway debut. 

Laura shares with us her thoughts on the culture shock she experienced upon moving to LA from Minnesota. As a self-declared introvert, she admits she most enjoys becoming a character onstage - transforming into someone else, and working with a cast of people. Laura says performing is the one thing she always wanted to do - the thing she knew she was always meant to do. 

To watch the video version of this event, click here.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How she is spending her time during quarantine
• Why she Googles herself sometimes 
• What the experience of filming her first Hallmark movie taught her 
• Why she turned down the National Tour of Grease 
• A day in the life of being a Tony nominee 
• How she approaches creating her roles 
• How she is keeping busy by teaching online classes

Connect with Laura:

• IG: @lauraosnes
• Twitter: @lauraosnes
• Laura teaches online master classes via A Class Act (@ AClassActNY) - Register here: https://aclassactny.com/virtual-classes/
• And Broadway Artists Alliance (@BAAofNYC) - Register here: https://www.broadwayartistsalliance.org
• Follow the Broadway Princess Party on IG at @bwayprincesspty and keep up to date with concert dates and new merch items here: www.broadwayprincessparty.com
• #RHGoesLive: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s #RHGoesPop initiative comes live to your living room via YouTube live stream performances with Bway stars, hosted by Laura Osnes! Subscribe to the R&H YouTube channel so you don’t miss an episode! https://youtu.be/AnkBNI1lMlM

Connect with The Theatre Podcast:

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• TheTheatrePodcast.com
• Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales
• Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think.

Thank you to our friends Jukebox The Ghost for our intro and outro music. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @jukeboxtheghost or via the web via jukeboxtheghost.com.

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Cheryl Hodges-Selden, Paul Seales, David Seales

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