26 Facts About Laura Osnes

Laura Ann Osnes was born on November 19,1985 and is an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage.

Laura Osnes has played starring roles in Grease as Sandy, South Pacific as Nellie Forbush, Anything Goes as Hope Harcourt, and Bonnie and Clyde as Bonnie Parker, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Laura Osnes's first acting performance was in the second grade, where she played a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz.

In 2015, Laura Osnes was a judge and mentor for the Songbook Academy, a summer intensive for high school students operated by the Great American Songbook Foundation and founded by Michael Feinstein.

Laura Osnes was nicknamed "Small Town Sandy" in the show.

Laura Osnes was a favorite to win during the entire course of the show, never showing up in the "sing-off" bottom two during the show's run.

Laura Osnes was named the winner on March 25,2007, which meant she would perform the lead character of Sandy opposite Max Crumm, who won the role of "Danny".

Laura Osnes starred in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Broadway: Three Generations, a three-act evening featuring condensed versions of Girl Crazy, Bye Bye Birdie, and Side Show.

In March 2009, Laura Osnes took over the role of Ensign Nellie Forbush in the Lincoln Center Theater Broadway revival of South Pacific.

Laura Osnes stayed with the show through October 4,2009, when the production's original star, Kelli O'Hara, returned from maternity leave.

Laura Osnes returned to the role of Nellie in South Pacific on Broadway on January 5,2010.

Laura Osnes played her final performance on August 8,2010.

Laura Osnes then played Hope Harcourt in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, which began previews on March 10,2011, and officially opened on April 7,2011, starring Sutton Foster and Joel Grey.

Laura Osnes was nominated for an Astaire Award for excellence in dance.

Laura Osnes was joined by her Asolo Rep castmate Jeremy Jordan as Clyde.

However, despite the critics' distaste for the production, Laura Osnes received rave reviews for her performance as well as her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.

Laura Osnes next performed at the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors in a tribute to Barbara Cook alongside Sutton Foster, Rebecca Luker, Kelli O'Hara, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close and Audra McDonald.

Laura Osnes starred in the title role of Cinderella on Broadway, which began previews at the Broadway Theatre on January 25 and opened on March 3,2013.

Laura Osnes received positive reviews, won a 2013 Drama Desk award and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance.

Laura Osnes left the production on January 26,2014, and was replaced by Carly Rae Jepsen.

Laura Osnes starred as Polly Peachum in the Atlantic Theatre Company's Off-Broadway revival of The Threepenny Opera from March to May 2014.

Laura Osnes starred as Julie Jordan in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Carousel, alongside Steven Pasquale, in spring 2015.

Laura Osnes took part in the world premiere of the new original musical, Bandstand, directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, which premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey from October 8 through November 8,2015.

The Princess Party has become a recurring live event at that venue that gathers both popular and up-and-coming stage actresses; at these performances, each actress assumes the identity of a Disney Princess and performs a song from stage or screen in character as that princess, with Laura Osnes typically emceeing and performing as Cinderella.

In 2011 Laura Osnes was cast in the pilot for HBO's The Miraculous Year, starring Lee Pace, Susan Sarandon, Patti LuPone, Eddie Redmayne and Norbert Leo Butz; the show was not picked up by the network.

Laura Osnes starred in the Hallmark Channel film In the Key of Love, starring alongside Scott Michael Foster, as Maggie Case.