Just heard Lauren Zakrin of the Elle Woods reality show/BLONDE tour is joining the national tour of WICKED as Glinda this summer (replacing Chandra Lee Schwartz)! She's only like 19 and this is her third consecutive tour in the last two years!
Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, RENT, Mamma Mia!, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Evita (with Julia Murney), Hairspray (with Paul Vogt), Peter and the Starcatchers (with Christian Borle), Lion King, Altar Boyz, Legally Blonde (with Lauren Zackrin).
There is no source, Elphaba3. Her sources are cryptic, yes. I believe she has been telling people that she has signed on as understudy for Glinda (for now), well, she told my friend that.
2011: In The Heights Tour 1/16/11, The Color Purple Tour 2/11/11, West Side Story Tour 3/18/11
How is she 22? She was 18 on the Search for Elle which filmed in 2008... she should be 20 then. I read it on a Wicked fansite when I googled her but it doesn't come up anymore when you search. And hey, understudying Glinda is kinda close... not a complete fail!!
According to Lauren Zakrin's Facebook page, her birthday is in May and she was born in 1989. That means she just turned 21. So Harpz, you were correct had you responded a couple of weeks ago.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
I'm sure her mother is terribly pleased. It's quite an honor to be the 317th gal to understudy the role on the road. It's just a matter of time before the Oscars start rolling in.
Chandra Lee Schwartz is AWFUL, just for the record.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
I have no idea who Zakrin is, but good for her! Newintown, do you have any idea how difficult it is to get work, particularly in an extremely high-profile production like the National Tour of Wicked?
Lauren had "put in" earlier in the week and her first show is today.
BTW... Lauren's voice has changed and improved greatly with training since the MTV show, so I wouldn't judge her voice from that. As for acting... we shall see. Elle and Sandra Dee are not roles to really gage acting ability.
Colorthehours, I'm not sure what you saw, but the performance I sat through in April was painful. She was too busy spazzing around the stage to worry about sustaining a note.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
In Legally Blonde, I think she was purposely being nasal - like what Becky does when she performs. And that high not in the Grease clip was just divine. I love her so much more now for that.