InDepth InterView: Laura Osnes On THE SOUND OF MUSIC At Carnegie Hall, ANYTHING GOES, PIPE DREAM, CINDERELLA & More

Today we are completing our extensive three-part look at THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Carnegie Hall with an career-spanning chat with one of Broadway biggest rising stars, the amiable and accomplished Laura Osnes. Since her Broadway debut in GREASE - coming after the reality casting competition TV series, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - in 2007, Osnes has found great success with lead roles in three more Broadway musicals, spelling for Kelli O'Hara in SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center as Nellie Forbush, as well as taking on the title role in Frank Wildhorn's BONNIE & CLYDE with Jeremy Jordan and playing Hope Harcourt in the Roundabout revival of ANYTHING GOES alongside Sutton Foster and Joel Grey. In addition to outlining her experiences in those shows and her reflections on her time spent on Broadway thus far, Osnes also opens up about her recent essaying of three Rodgers & Hammerstein roles, having just starred with Will Chase in PIPE DREAM at Encores!, her just-confirmed casting in a new Broadway-bound stage adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA that has recently had a workshop production (and will have another in July, again co-starring Santino Fontana) as well as all about the star-studded Carnegie Hall concert presentation of THE SOUND OF MUSIC co-starring Tony Goldwyn and Brooke Shields which she headlines on April 24. Plus, she recounts her experiences participating in the recent Kennedy Center Honors salute to Barbara Cook alongside a dizzying roster of divas and tackling FOLLIES in the spectacular SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT presentation now available on DVD - and she also clues us in on her favorite shows, acting influences, plans for the future and much, much more!

More information about the gala concert presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Carnegie Hall on April 24 is available here.

InDepth InterView: Brooke Shields is available here and Flash Friday: Sixteen Going On Sixty - THE SOUND OF MUSIC is available here.

Hello, Little Dream, Hello

PC: You are one of the most popular performers on BroadwayWorld, so this is a true thrill, I must say.

LO: No way! That's not true! Really?

PC: Yes - you really are. You have had a tremendous career so far.

LO: That's so, so lovely to hear and I am so glad people are interested!

PC: CINDERELLA is something people are really looking forward to, especially, it seems.

LO: It's never been done on Broadway! There have been two or three movies made of it and it has been performed at Madison Square Garden, but it has never been done on Broadway - so, it's time! [Laughs.]

PC: You can say that again. Who wrote the new book?

LO: Douglas Carter Beane rewrote the whole book and it's very, very funny, with a few contemporary twists - it's a little bit more empowered women-oriented, I think. Cinderella is not just the meek servant, she has a little bit more guts to her, obviously.

PC: Are you enjoying the process of developing it in workshops?

LO: Oh, it's so fun - we're still in negotiations, so nothing is secure yet; there are no firm dates or timing that is set in stone quite yet, but I am hoping it all works out. As of right now, we are doing another workshop in July and Santino Fontana is going to be my prince and we will see where it goes from there.

PC: Will there be interpolations of other Rodgers & Hammerstein songs?

LO: Yes. There are four or five additional R&H trunk songs that have been added.

PC: I am compelled to ask: anything from PIPE DREAM?

LO: [Laughs.] No - unfortunately! Wouldn't that be great? Actually, there is a song that was cut from SOUTH PACIFIC that actually still remains in the show as underscore - it's interesting, it's the [Sings.] "Da da da da"; it's the war underscoring.

PC: What about "Boys And Girls Like You And Me" a classic R&H cut-out?

LO: No - that one is not in as of this moment.

PC: Are you a fan of the Whitney Houston/Brandy TV version from the late-90s, when we were growing up?

LO: You know, I remember seeing the movie - I wasn't obsessed with it, though I had really grown up with the Disney movie more than that one. But, I had definitely watched the Brandy movie. Then, when I started taking voice lessons when I was 10, "In My Own Little Corner" was one of my first songs. I was like, "Oh, this is from CINDERELLA?" That's when I first found out that there was another version of CINDERELLA and not just the Disney version.

PC: Julie Andrews has done this column and she famously was the first Cinderella, of course.

LO: [Sighs.] Oh, my gosh - she's just amazing! I love her so much.

PC: Now, with THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Carnegie Hall, you are taking on another one of her iconic roles.

LO: I know! That's kind of crazy! I hadn't put two and two together before that she did both roles before you just said it!

PC: Those are two truly terrific roles for a young star like you.

LO: Julie Andrews is so iconic and I grew up watching THE SOUND OF MUSIC - it's every girl's dream to play Maria, in a way, I think. [Sighs.] That music! Working with Rob Fisher, who is going to musically direct THE SOUND OF MUSIC, we have gone through the music and determined that it is nearly impossible not to sing it with a British accent - you know, [Sings. British, Clipped.] "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens," - it's just what your brain expects to hear! [Laughs.]

PC: It's true! Her voice is embedded in the DNA of it almost.

LO: Rob just says, "It's OK - just be yourself, even with a little of the accent. You're not trying to be Julie Andrews." But, it's big shoes to fill because everybody knows the music and knows her singing it, you know?

PC: They really do. "My Favorite Things" was recently on GLEE and they sang it with the British accent, as well.

LO: Yeah - right! You know, they are in Austria, so, if anything, it should be an Austrian or German accent, but, if anything, for the sake of our concert, we are trying to keep it as American sounding as we can. [Laughs.]

PC: You have a definite affinity for Rodgers & Hammerstein material, it seems - SOUTH PACIFIC, PIPE DREAM, CINDERELLA and THE SOUND OF MUSIC already! What do you think makes you such a good fit for their work?

LO: Well, their music is so lovely - it sits in such a nice place in the voice, as I like to say. It's usually somewhat simple to sing, but in a really good and rewarding way - just lovely and simple and clean. The melodies are so catchy and so tuneful, too - just classic songs that everybody knows. They were genius songwriters and became so well known for a very good reason. You know, it's really a treat to get to sing all these classic tunes from the movies I grew up watching - my best friend growing up had the collection of OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, KING & I, SOUTH PACIFIC, SOUND OF MUSIC; all the movies. I have loved their shows ever since.

PC: Those movie musicals great introduction to their oeuvre.

LO: They are - and it's such a thrill to get to think that I am actually the one getting to play those leading ladies now, onstage.

PC: It's no coincidence - you were seemingly born for the roles. Julie Andrews was around your age when she did the original CINDERELLA, I believe - mid-20s.

LO: I think you're right - I would think so, at least. I've heard Lesley Ann Warren was like 18 or something when she did it.

PC: That's a little hard to beat.

LO: Yeah, I can't go back and do it now and be 18 again! [Laughs.]

PC: You've done two fabulous benefits with Bernadette Peters - who incidentally played the Wicked Stepmother in the most recent CINDERELLA film - at the SONDHEIM! concert and Kennedy Center Honors. First, tell me about the Barbara Cook salute.

LO: Oh, my gosh - that was the most surreal, magical, incredible evening. It was one of those moments that you always dream will happen, but you never think it actually will.

PC: But, it did!

LO: Shaking hands with the president and going to the White House? Being in the company of a hundred supremely famous people? I was like, "What in the world am I doing here?!"

PC: Unreal.

LO: [Big Laugh.] Yeah - but, I was so honored.

PC: Singing for the president, Barbara Cook and Meryl Steep while standing onstage with Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Glenn Close, et cetera must have been quite heady, no?

LO: I know! I know! It was just incredible - completely crazy. Totally crazy. And, then, a month later, I got a big 8 x 10 picture in the mail of me shaking hands with the president. That doesn't happen! It doesn't happen. I'm so lucky.

PC: What was it like working with those mega-watt divas in rehearsal, especially Patti and Bernadette?

LO: Well, Patti was actually very sweet to me that weekend - we hadn't met before. I had met Bernadette Peters once before at the Sondheim concert, of course. You know, to be honest, I don't know any of them very well, but I have seen them in many things and I respect their talent so much and I have looked up to them for so long that it seems like I do - especially with ANYTHING GOES and listening to Patti on that cast album so much. When I found out that I was going in to audition for ANYTHING GOES, that was what I listened to to prepare. You know, every twenty years or so these shows are revived and you go back to listen again and again and you realize that these women are icons in the theatre community and they are still up there doing it - and it's pretty awesome to get to see.

PC: They're still here going strong.

LO: It's such an admirable career that these women have had and they are still rockin' it - all of them that were on that stage with me. It's awesome to see.

PC: Do you want to go into more dramatic roles in the next few years, do you think - perhaps more Sondheim - or do you see yourself sticking with mostly musical comedies?

LO: Oh, definitely - absolutely; more dramas. I think that that is what is so fun about being a theatre actress, though - getting to do such versatile things. I realized that even while I was in BONNIE & CLYDE this last year - doing this pop, belty, country-rock stuff.

PC: A far sonic cry from SOUTH PACIFIC.

LO: Yeah - a lot different than legit Rodgers & Hammerstein. And, I love getting to play bad girls and good girls and sweet girls and mean girls!

PC: And both in GREASE!

LO: [Laughs.] Right! But, yeah, I would definitely not want to get stuck in the ingénue category. As you grow older and you reach different age groups, you naturally shift into different types of roles, but I am happy with where I am right now and I look forward to hopefully growing into even more challenging types of material.

PC: Do you think having the audience get to know you on a reality show - simultaneously showcasing your impressive versatility as a performer - was an asset to your career and gave people an awareness of what you were capable of doing in a unique way?

LO: Oh, gosh - thank you for saying that, first of all. I would definitely say that, yes, it was. I mean, I grew up doing theatre in Minnesota and I was creating a little name for myself there and making a name for myself in Minneapolis, but I would say that the things the TV show demanded of us were definitely good preparation for the whole Broadway scene. Getting to sing all of those different types of songs on TV and being forced to display the best part of yourself at all times ended up helping me a lot - I think that, before I went into that, I could not have belted those notes, but, because I was like singing for my survival, I just stretched to be able to do it.

PC: You adapted and rose to the challenge.

LO: Yeah - it was like a huge training course; getting to go through that three months of reality TV and having to constantly sing for your survival.

PC: And working with Kathleen Marshall - who you reteamed with on ANYTHING GOES, of course.

LO: Of course. Kathleen is just extraordinary.

PC: Georgia Stitt has done this column and we spoke quite a bit about the demands placed on all of you. What was working with her as musical director on that show like for you?

LO: Oh, Georgia was fantastic. I think that they chose both of them so wisely - they were the best people for the job, I think, because both Kathleen and Georgia have this motherly aspect to them. To have these two women heading us young, up-and-coming, wanna-be performers was the perfect combination of people, I think.

PC: Why so?

LO: They challenged us without intimidating us too much, and, under the stressful circumstances, that is exactly what we needed. You know, if some crazy, mean director was in charge of it all, I think we would have all just fallen apart, but, there were enough elements that already were making us teeter with the whole competitive atmosphere of the whole thing that they became the perfect team to lead us, I think. They are both so wonderful and so good at fostering what the artist already has in them. Georgia was so great at helping us find the balance between acting and performing, especially, I found.

PC: I think that BONNIE & CLYDE is one of the finest scores we've had on Broadway in the last few seasons and it's a shame the show did not last longer and the reviews were so unkind. What did you think of the vitrolic reaction it received?

LO: Well, the thing is that I didn't read any of the reviews, but I saw one video online of people who had seen the show - and they were raving! It was the only thing I watched, so I was like, "Oh, good - things must have went well!" And, then, Jeremy texted me and was like "Why do we do this? Ugh! It's so rough, huh?" And, I was like, "What? The one thing I saw was great!" [Laughs.]

PC: You were in the dark.

LO: Yeah - totally. So, I guess in the end how I like to look at it is that we knew that we pleased a lot of people, but, unfortunately, just not the right people, which was a shame.

PC: What was the development of that show like for you as an actress? At what point after GREASE did you first become involved with BONNIE & CLYDE?

LO: Well, I booked SOUTH PACIFIC after GREASE and I did SOUTH PACIFIC for seven months while Kelli was on maternity leave. When she came back is when I went to La Jolla to do the first workshop of BONNIE & CLYDE.

PC: Around the same time as the filming of SOUTH PACIFIC. Did you see the broadcast of the show? It's too bad you both could not have been in it somehow.

LO: Oh, it's totally all Kelli's - Kelli just had to do that filming. It was her place to do it. It was her role - absolutely. She absolutely deserved to do it and she was so stellar in the role - and having her and Paulo together closing it was important for the production, I think, too. It was such a beautiful show and I was so incredibly honored to get to be a part of it - I don't know what Bart saw in me, but I am eternally grateful to him that he let me do it. You know, SOUTH PACIFIC kind of legitimized my career after the whole GREASE experience, I think.

PC: Did ANYTHING GOES come directly after the Florida tryout of BONNIE & CLYDE?

LO: I was in Florida doing the second round of out-of-town of BONNIE & CLYDE when I got the call to audition for ANYTHING GOES and I knew Carnahan was casting it and Kathleen was directing, so I flew home on a Monday to audition for it. I didn't expect to get an offer - I was worried about, you know, "What am I going to do in that room that Kathleen has not already seen me do? What can I possibly show her in that room that is going to be different from what she knows I can do already?"

PC: Quite a dilemma.

LO: Obviously, it must have only been the other people who needed to approve of me because I got the call two hours later that I had the offer for the role, so I was extremely grateful and excited about that, too.

PC: What a cast and creative team Kathleen assembled for the production, as well.

LO: It was so wonderful. Of course, I was so excited to get to work with Kathleen again and I had always wanted to work with Sutton. I know Colin, as well, because we had done something together like two years prior. So, I definitely knew it was going to be a really thrilling experience working with all of them.

PC: An A-list team.

LO: Yeah - A-Team! [Laughs.]

PC: In the last few months you've worked with so many of the big male name stars on Broadway - Jeremy Jordan, Will Chase, Colin Donnell.

LO: Yeah, you're so right - Colin and Jeremy and Will. I really have been so, so blessed with all my leading men.

PC: What was it like working with Will Chase on PIPE DREAM?

LO: Oh, Will is so great - we had a lot of fun. Obviously, the process is so fast and furious at Encores!, but he made it very easy. He's a really funny, personable, outgoing guy.

PC: And PIPE DREAM has been preserved on record, correct?

LO: Yes - they recorded it live. They recorded two performances and they are picking the best from both and putting it all together into one live recording.

PC: We're so lucky two Encores! presentations are being recorded this season - both your PIPE DREAM and also MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

LO: I know! We feel so special and so lucky - and, I don't know if Encores! has ever done a live recording like this one for PIPE DREAM. How great it is that MERRILY gets to do one, too. You know, when you have obscure material like PIPE DREAM, with really outdated, poor recordings, this time the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization thought it would be so wonderful to have a brand new, updated, definitive recording made of it. You know, when are they going to get another cast like this to do this musical again? I mean, I don't know if anyone will ever do PIPE DREAM again - it hasn't been done much since the 50s!

PC: Leslie Uggams is another famous interpreter of Rodgers & Hammerstein material like yourself, but she actually did the late-80s ANYTHING GOES tour, as well. Did you two discuss the show at all?

LO: You know, we did, but we didn't talk enough about it. I should have asked her more about it - I knew that she did it though. We had like a couple sentence conversation about it, but I would have loved to have had the chance to pick her brain a little more.

PC: She's another one of the great leading ladies you've worked with recently.

LO: Absolutely. She is just the sweetest, I have to say. You know, we had that sweet duet together, "Suzy Is A Good Thing", and, everyday on that stage, I was so enamored with her. You know, every day I felt like, "Wow - I just got to sing with Leslie Uggams!"

PC: Did you have receptive audiences at PIPE DREAM? It's very rarely done, as we have discussed.

LO: We did, actually. I was so curious to see how people would respond because it is such a silly show, but people really enjoyed it - I was a little surprised because you just never know how it's going to go. When we left the show, all of us had this mantra that the show was like an ugly puppy - at first when you look at it you're like, "Eww. It's ugly," but, then, you end up falling in love with it and realizing it's still a puppy and it's still cute. So, I think that a lot of people enjoyed it for what it was and it was really fun for all of us to do. Our stage manager coined that phrase and it kind of became our little mantra for the show and it stuck - I think it fits.

PC: John Logan has done this column and we spoke about the abandoned HBO pilot for THE MIRACULOUS YEAR, which was to be a musical series about a Broadway composer. What was your role in it?

LO: I was just a secretary - I didn't have any lines in the pilot. But, they did have a vision for the character turning into a little featured part, but, in the pilot, I was just the main girl's secretary - there was a shot where she was talking on the phone and I was in the background on the computer and she was talking about me. You know, I wish I could have seen the finished product - I never got to see the pilot or even see anything about it. It was fun to do, but it was fast - I only had one day of shooting.

PC: Would you like to make an appearance on a musical TV series in the future - SMASH or GLEE?

LO: Oh, I'd be overjoyed to do that! You know, I was actually in the final three for SMASH.

PC: What role were you up for on SMASH?

LO: The Katharine McPhee role. When I found out Katharine was cast, though, I was like, "Oh, of course they cast her!" I mean, who am I compared to her? I think she is just fabulous on the show and I would love to do a guest spot and I would absolutely be up for that in the future.

PC: Your SOUND OF MUSIC co-star Tony Goldwyn has done this column and we spoke quite a bit about his impressive directing resume - much of it for TV. Have you two met yet?

LO: We haven't yet, but we are finally going to be going through music now and I am so thrilled. I have heard such wonderful things about him and I am so excited.

PC: Have you ever worked with Brooke Shields before or will THE SOUND OF MUSIC be your first time sharing the stage?

LO: I haven't, but we have met - like two years ago. I have heard the most wonderful things from people who have worked with her about how she is so sweet and normal and down to earth, so I think we are going to have a great group working on this.

PC: Will you be singing the two songs written by Richard Rodgers for the film version in the Carnegie Hall concert?

LO: Yes, we will be doing "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good".

PC: In addition to the songs not in the film but just in the stage show - it will be the comprehensive collection of songs.

LO: Yes - I believe that we are going to be doing the whole thing. And, "The Lonely Goatherd" is actually going to be sung in the bedroom where "My Favorite Things" happens in the movie and "My Favorite Things" will be with the Mother Abbess. I remember that is how it is from when I did the musical when I was young. It's the musical revival version.

PC: Did you see Rebecca Luker or Laura Benanti in the late-90s revival?

LO: No, I didn't, but I've heard they were wonderful. You know, with the role of Maria, it's huge shoes to fill - and everybody knows it! I am not scared, but I will say it is a little daunting because there are big expectations that come with the show and with the role, so I hope that I somehow fulfill them.

PC: What has been your most difficult role to play to date? Sandy in GREASE is deceptively simple, as is Hope in ANYTHING GOES.

LO: I think you're right - it's true of both Hope and Sandy that, just as they are written, the roles can come off as boring and a little uninteresting; nothing against the original shows or the writing. It does take a little more work to make those characters lovable and relatable and honest - and make the audience care about them, too; and want their conflicts to be resolved. Both Hope and Sandy can be overlooked very easily just because they are less interesting than some other roles.

PC: It shows the brilliance of SOUTH PACIFIC with the depth of Nellie's character despite her seemingly cheery disposition.

LO: I agree. I also think that SOUTH PACIFIC caused me to grow the most as far as character development and layers and all of that jazz goes - so much is going on in that show, specifically with Nellie. I think that that was the most challenging.

PC: How would you juxtapose Nellie with Bonnie in BONNIE & CLYDE?

LO: Bonnie was challenging in a different way - it was more vocally demanding and it was a different experience for me having been a part of the process and seeing the show grow over three years, but, I think because I had three years to do that… [Laughs.]… it was a more natural growth. Whereas, with SOUTH PACIFIC, I had three weeks of rehearsal - literally - and I was thrown into this very thick, deep, layered role in the show.

PC: Lonny Price is a good friend of this column and the SONDHEIM! concert may be the best concert on video as far as I am concerned - did you feel honored to be a part of it?

LO: Oh, I just saw Lonny last night! I love Lonny so much - and, the thing about Lonny really is that he has the biggest heart. He's so brilliant at what he does, but, then, he is about the person first and foremost, not the performer. That is just so admirable to me and I think everything he does is phenomenal.

PC: The performance of "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through" may be definitive - you four are absolutely spot-on. Were your pleased with the final product?

LO: Oh, absolutely! Absolutely. Bobby Steggert and I had worked with Lonny previously when he directed BROADWAY: THREE GENERATIONS at the Kennedy Center. It was three one-act versions of musicals and Bobby was my Hugo in BYE BYE BIRDIE.

PC: Great casting - again.

LO: Since Lonny directed that, he called me for the Sondheim concert and said, "Bobby is going to do this and I want you to do it with him because you two are just so fabulous together." And, I was like, "Bobby is doing it? I'm in!" [Laughs.]

PC: Easy decision to make.

LO: Yes - he foresaw that pairing and paired us up again and I am so grateful to Lonny for that; and, I just love Bobby.

PC: Would you be interested in doing FOLLIES someday?

LO: Oh, sure - yes. I actually saw the revival and it was the first time I had actually seen it - I didn't know FOLLIES at all before doing that birthday concert, so I got the album before that and I learned the song and got a feel for the show.

PC: What did you think of the show?

LO: Oh, I was just blown away! It's such a unique show in the way that it is told and the second act is so unique, but, I'd absolutely love to play Sally someday.

PC: It probably added to your excellent portrayal of Young Sally in the concert that you didn't know the show given its themes.

LO: Oh, thank you - and I think you are probably right.

PC: From Sondheim to another theatrical master who has done this column: what do you think of Andrew Lloyd Webber?

LO: Well, I was in the final three for LOVE NEVER DIES, so I obviously am a fan and love doing his stuff.

PC: What did you think of that score?

LO: Oh, it is epic! Epic. I mean, I am not a trained opera person - I can sing that stuff, but I am not trained in it, so LOVE NEVER DIES would have been a challenge for me and it would have been a lovely challenge and I would have been up for it. I definitely grew up singing everything Andrew Lloyd Webber, though. If you remember, there was an Andrew Lloyd Webber week during YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT, so I got to meet him and work with him a little bit and all of that back then.

PC: What did you sing?

LO: I did "Jesus Christ Superstar" and it was pretty epic, too - I think that was my turning point week. All my performances from that are on YouTube, I think, for anyone who wants to see them.

PC: Apparently he is considering women for the roles of Judas and Jesus in the new SUPERSTAR arena tour he is casting on a UK reality show. What do you think about that?

LO: Oh, I don't know how I feel about that - I don't know if I would be right for the show, to be honest, myself. It does seem pretty innovative - it may work brilliantly, but I have no idea.

PC: What about taking on the title role in EVITA someday, given the current revival replacement possibilities?

LO: Oh, yeah! That, too, is just iconic. I think I would need a little more experience to play a diva role like Eva, though. It would be a challenge at this point, I think.

PC: As if BONNIE & CLYDE, PIPE DREAM and CINDERELLA were not enough for 2012, you also have the Scott Alan concert coming up, which will be recorded live.

LO: Oh, that's right! On the 30th I am going to be doing a concert of Scott Alan's material and, yes, that will be recorded. My husband is actually shooting photos for that event, too.

PC: You met your husband on the YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT reality show, did you not?

LO: Yeah, we got married right after the reality show, but we were dating during it. May 11 will be our five-year anniversary and I have to say that all is good - I am so grateful to him and so lucky to have him with me in the city.

PC: You got married so young.

LO: I know! But, I look at my brother, who is 30, in Minnesota, with a house and a yard and married with two kids and I look at what I am doing here in this crazy city and it's so funny the lives we live and where life brings us.

PC: Would you be interested in pursuing a solo album in the future, hopefully sooner rather than later?

LO: Yes. In fact, Frank Wildhorn has talked to me about it for a few years. It's definitely something I want to do in the future - I definitely want to make an album. I don't think I want to transition into being a recording artist for the rest of my life or anything like that, but it's something I'd like to try. I think why I haven't done one yet comes down to the timing - you know, if you are doing a show schedule, you can't sing in the recording studio all day and still do eight shows a week. But, that time is definitely coming and that's something I definitely want to do.

PC: Linda Eder has done this column a few times and she is a fellow Minnesota native, as you may know. Have you ever sung with her, especially given your Wildhorn connection?

LO: Oh, I would kill to, but, no, we haven't - not yet. I have sung a lot of her songs and I have met her once or twice - and, of course, I saw her in concert in Minnesota when I was like fifteen. I went with my mom and I remember it was a Christmas concert and she was just amazing - and she still is just fantastic.

PC: She just did Feinstein's - she never stops. She covered Adele, even!

LO: No way! Oh, I love that! That's so cool.

PC: What's on your iPod right now?

LO: Oh, I am such a nerd when it comes to music, Pat - I only listen to Broadway! Let me check. [Pause. Checks.] I am actually listening to the BONNIE & CLYDE cast album - I have a pre-copy. [Laughs.]

PC: Really? No way!

LO: No, I'm not kidding - it was such a treat doing that show and doing the album and it makes me miss it. In a good way.

PC: And the cast album lives on, so perhaps some Tony nominations will come BONNIE & CLYDE's way after all.

LO: I know! I am very curious to see. I hope the show gets a little recognition because there was some great art going on, but it just didn't get to last very long. We shall see!

PC: Cole Porter to Rodgers & Hammerstein to Sondheim to Andrew Lloyd Webber to Frank Wildhorn - we have covered it all, Laura.

LO: [Laughs.] It's so true! It's so true.

PC: Thank you so much for this today - it was superb and you are one of the brightest stars on Broadway. We all can't wait to see what you do next!

LO: Oh, Pat, thank you so much for being so interested and so supportive. This was such a thrill and I love BroadwayWorld so much - I am such a huge fan. You guys do so many great features and I am on it constantly checking it all out. Thank you again. Bye bye.

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