Notes

Full given name: Lauren Grace Bell
Where you were born/where you were raised: Louisville, KY, but I grew up in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
What your parents did/do for a living: Both IT people. My mom is a QA engineer and my dad is a UI/UX designer. My step mom works doing administrative work at an autism center.
Siblings: 5. Three sisters (Flan, Cassidy, Bailey) and two brothers (Theo, Cody) all older than me.
Current audition song/monologue: Oh, it always changes but currently "Charming" from Great Comet. I'm obsessed. As for monologues, I haven't had to prepare one in forever.
Special skills: A lot of accents. And of course, ASL.
Something you're REALLY bad at: A tie for math and tap dancing.. Whoops.
First Broadway show you ever saw: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 when I was 14.
Did you have any particular mentors or inspirations when first starting out? No mentors (my voice teacher probably counts though, she ruled! Had to leave her behind when I moved to NY though) but I always looked up to Stephanie J. Block.
If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway show, what would it be? OBC Rent
Current or recent shows you recommended to friends: My own show!!! Seriously, come see Next to Normal! (We're at the Neil Simon. ;))
Favorite showtune(s) of all time: "I'm Breaking Down" from Falsettos, or "Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)"


Some favorite modern musicals: Spring Awakening, Next to Normal (hah), Great Comet, Falsettos, Dogfight
Some favorite classic musicals: West Side Story, Damn Yankees, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers
Broadway or screen stars of the past you would most have loved to perform with: Angela Lansbury
Your personal vocal or acting idols, living or dead: Stephanie J. Block, Annaleigh Ashford, Krysta Rodriguez
The one performance — attended — that you will never forget: One of my sister, Flan's high school theater performances. (Probably Drowsy Chaperone? This was like 2012 or so) Her high school had a really great magnet program and fine arts program, and I just remember sitting there and being blown away. Like, no words for how magical this was for me. I knew I had to do it after that.


Music that makes you cry, any genre: I don't really cry at any music other than shows. But Falsettos can leave me in tears by the first act, no doubt. Or before I was in it, Next to Normal would make me HYSTERICAL. I've done it too many times for that now though lol.
MAC or PC? Mac
Most played song on your phone: Any song from my Bway playlist on Spotify. I've had it for years, and there's like 400 songs on it.
Most-visited websites: Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram
Favorite Tweeters: Andy Mientus, Alex Wyse and our very own Will Martenis are HILARIOUS.
Last book you read: Before I Fall
Must-see TV show(s): Laugh all you want but "Desperate Housewives" is a MUST. "Orange is the New Black", "Bob's Burgers"
Last good movie you saw: I'm not much of a movie person. My attention span is too short (theater is a whole other thing obviously)
Some films you consider classics: Ahhhhhhhh.. see like I said I'm not a movie person lol.
Performer you would drop everything to go see: STEPHANIE J BLOCK (I'm a fan if you couldn't tell..)
Pop culture guilty pleasure: Any reality tv.
Three favorite cities: Chicago, NYC and Cocoa Beach, FL
Favorite sport/team/player: Indiana Ultimate Allstar Cheer in Elkhart, IN!!! My former cheer gym growing up :)
First CD/Tape/LP you owned: ..."Taylor Swift" by Taylor Swift
First stage kiss:. A senior boy when I was a sophomore in high school. (hi Monte!)
Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: Ummm, I crushed it as Janet Van De Graff in Drowsy Chaperone my junior year.
Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: My first show in the sixth grade probably
How you got your Equity card: Moulin Rouge on BWAY!! First ever Broadway show.
Favorite pre-/post- show meal: Pre? Anything from City Kitchen. Post? Thai food from Uncle Boons.
Favorite liquid refreshment: Dr Pepper is my vice..
Favorite bands of all time: (My inner twelve year old comes out) Fall out Boy, Vampire Weekend, Panic! At The Disco, Clean Bandit, Grimes
Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: I stretch for like ten minutes, sing when I walk around my apartment and then when I get to theatre, and I have to use my Vicks steam inhaler. Oh, and since high school, I have to put my left shoe on first and then my right.

Most challenging role you have ever played: Probably Voice of Natalie.
Craziest audition story: The one time I auditioned for James Lapine and I forgot the words to my song. The accompanist started to play and I missed the first verse, tried to recover, and then said the verse backwards, and then finally recovered in the chorus and did my best, but it was awkward standing there while I tried to jog my memory. Yikes. Needless to say, I did not book that. LOL.

Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: In Moulin Rouge, I was an ensemble featured dancer, and there was a section where I carried this giant feather fan thing. (There's a picture of it somewhere) One time, my grip slipped on the bottom of it and I dropped it and had to spend like five minutes trying to pick it up. I tried to pick it up once, and then dropped it again, and then dropped it TWO MORE TIMES. It was huge, and I stand a nice five foot one. I regained my footing but when me and the two other girls (Nicola Yessit and Sarah Tomlin) got offstage we died laughing. It was pretty funny.
Worst costume ever: I had some really bad ones in high school. Once I had this dress that was slightly too big, so it was pinned, and during certain sections of the show, the pins would shoot off and hit people, or hit me in the side.
Worst job you ever had: Bussing tables alll through high school.

What has been the biggest challenge in Next to Normal? Working with all of the actors to make sure that the cues are exact. In our show, if one is off, then it screws the entire show up. It's a big, messy, chain effect. So to maintain everything is stressful and exhausting, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world.
If you could trade roles with anyone in the cast for a week, who would it be? This is so tough! Everyone has a fun role. Probably Noah Mazzeo, who plays Gabe. He has some really good songs and some really good dialogue.

Any upcoming or side projects you can talk about? HAHA no. I don't usually audition when I'm in a show, so things are pretty closed off right now.
Leading man role you've been dying to play: I would do anything to be Whizzer in Falsettos.
Leading lady role you wish you could play: In a dream world, Natasha in Great Comet.
Something about you that surprises people: I'm left handed and I used to be a cheerleader!
Something you are incredibly proud of: Our show and how beautifully done it is. I couldn't be happier and it's great to be able to show it off.
Something you're embarrassed to admit: I used to perform musicals when I was home alone when I was younger. Like, the whole thing, choreography and all in my living room. Hope my neighbors couldn't see much of it...
Career you would want if not a performer: ASL interpreter, because that's still my side job and one of my passions!
Three things you can't live without: My cat, sushi, and Dr. Pepper.
"I'll never understand why…" people are so cruel and insensitive to other people's struggles. Being kind is invaluable and so easy to do.
Words of advice for aspiring performers: Don't give up, and don't be too critical of yourself. You are probably doing better than you think. I didn't get to enjoy so much of what I was doing early on in my career because I was so stressed out.