Lauren Kennedy
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
An attractive blonde singer-actress, Lauren Kennedy began her career as a toddler when, at age five, she was tapped to appear in a local production of "Carousel" in her native North Carolina. Encouraged by her parents, she spent seven years studying at the North Carolina Theatre's Summer Arts Theatre School, eventually landing major roles in the NCT productions of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1987), "Peter Pan" (1988), "Evita" (1993) and "Chess" (1994). After graduating high school in 1991, Kennedy enrolled at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music but her studies were cut short when a an agent spotted her and arranged for an audition for the 1993 American premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Sunset Boulevard." She was cast as a Marilyn Monroe-type in the ensemble and landed the understudy job to Alice Ripley who had the ingenue role of Betty Schaefer. When the production transferred to Broadway in 1994, Kennedy went along as well and was eventually tapped to display her lovely soprano voice as Betty in the show's first national tour.
Returning to NYC, Kennedy landed another understudy gig, this time to Emily Skinner as Daisy in the 1997 musical "Side Show," a fictionalized biography of the conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. (Ironically, Alice Ripley was cast as Violet and Kennedy went on for Skinner on over 30 occasions during the musical's brief run.) The performer remained active in regional theater productions and working on demo recordings. In 2000, she was teamed with Karen Mason (Glenn Close's understudy in "Sunset Boulevard") in the stage musical adaptation of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas." Kennedy then created the lead role of Petra, a vocalist in a 1930s German swing band, whose relationship with a Jewish musician is threatened by the rise of the Nazis in the new musical "The Rhythm Club," which premiered at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Life Events
1978
At age five, made stage debut in production of "Carousel" at Meredith College (date approximate)
1987
Played the Narrator in the North Carolina Theatre (NCT) production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
1988
At NCT, played Wendy in "Peter Pan"
1993
Had lead role in NCT production of "Evita"
1993
Appeared in the ensemble of "Sunset Boulevard" and understudied Alice Ripley in role of Betty Schaefer; also appeared in the ensemble; made Broadway debut in 1994 when production was transferred to NYC
1994
Returned to NCT to play Florence in "Chess"
1996
Played Betty Schaefer in the national tour of "Sunset Boulevard"
1996
Had featured role of Carla, the mistress of a film director, in "Nine" at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey
1997
Understudied Emily Skinner's role of Daisy Hilton in the musical "Side Show"; played role approximately 35 times
1998
Appeared in Houston and Seattle productions of the Australian musical "Hot Shoe Shuffle"
1998
Returned to North Carolina Theatre to play the Narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
2000
Co-starred in "The Rhythm Club"; premiered at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia
2000
Had featured role in the premiere of a stage musical based on "White Christmas", produced at the Muni Theater in Missouri
2001
Headlined the Royal National Theatre's tour of "South Pacific"
2001
Had lead female role in the world premiere of "The Last Five Years", a musical by Jason Robert Brown
Family
Companions
