Actress, singer, and songwriter Lauren Marcus has had a very busy (and exciting) past year. Not only did she make her Broadway debut in the fan-favorite musical Be More Chill after years of off-Broadway and regional theater work, but she also was a part of the fantastic live performance and recording of The Jonathan Larson Project.
We caught up with Lauren to discuss the two albums (The Jonathan Larson Project, available from Ghostlight Records and the Be More Chill 2-LP vinyl set, available exclusively at Barnes and Noble), how both projects were major moments in her career, and shares what we can look forward to from her in the future.
P-C: How and when did you know that you wanted to have a career in musical theater?
Lauren: I’m one of those weirdos who has known since the age of five. I just couldn’t stop singing [and] loved performing at parties that my parents or grandparents had. I think, at first, I just loved the attention, but really I just would sit in my room for hours and listen to music and have whatever emotional reaction a five-year-old can have. [laughs] My parents were super supportive once they realized it could actually be a thing. I think they didn’t quite know until I was like eleven or twelve if it was a reality. I started doing shows in school and never really hugely considered anything else.
P-C: How did you come to The Jonathan Larson Project and get involved with it?
Lauren: I got an email from Jennifer Ashley Tepper asking me to be a part of The Jonathan Larson Project, and I was honored because I had known she’d been taking trips for two or three years at that point, doing research on him. I knew how much the project meant to her. I also knew what a big part the research was of her life so when she asked me to be in it, I was really stunned and really honored.