Whereas the grueling schedule of acting on Broadway is intimidating to many, Gracie Lawrence is flourishing within the setting. Actually, she describes the life-style as “so enjoyable.”
“Truthfully, I sort of simply take pleasure in being within the theater. I don’t often go away throughout the day, I’ll simply keep right here throughout my dinner break, too,” Lawrence says. “One thing I’m very used to from touring resides in venues. So I sort of take pleasure in simply being on this area and contemplating it a second dwelling. I’ve all of the issues I want, my little snacks, and I’ve napped on the ground in my dressing room extra instances than I’d prefer to admit.”
Lawrence, who’s one half of the band Lawrence alongside her brother Clyde, is starring in “Simply in Time” on the Circle within the Sq. Theater. The jukebox musical stars Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin; Lawrence performs singer Connie Francis.
“Simply in Time” is a return to the Broadway stage for Lawrence, who made her debut on the age of 12 within the present “Brighton Seashore Memoirs.” Taking the stage at 28 years outdated now has its advantages — “for one, I’m not doing my Spanish homework throughout the 5-minute breaks” — however her focus stays the identical.
“Even once I was 12, I actually needed to do a great job and discover the character and discover the laughs and discover the vulnerability and people belongings you uncover as a child whenever you’re studying what being a performer is,” Lawrence says. “They continue to be so true as you become old. I care about all the identical issues. I’m excited about character in all the identical methods, however now it’s as a 28-year-old reasonably than as a 12-year-old.”
Gracie Lawrence
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Lawrence first met “Simply in Time” director Alex Timbers years in the past, when he reached out to say that he was a fan of her band. They ended up assembly, along with Clyde, simply to get to know each other and “categorical our mutual fandom and admiration for one another.”
Years later, Timbers despatched Lawrence a model of a script for a workshop for “Simply in Time.”
“Every part about it sounded actually attention-grabbing and thrilling to me,” she says. “I already clearly knew Connie Francis’ music, however I wasn’t accustomed to her life story. So after I used to be despatched the script and what the half could be and that Jonathan was going to be concerned and Alex could be directing and Andrew Resnick could be music-supervising, I simply dug in instantly to study Connie Francis’ life story.”
The names hooked up to the mission have been sufficient to promote her, however as quickly as she began researching Francis’ life she felt an extra connection to the present.
“It went from being one thing that I knew I might do as a result of I needed to work with these folks to one thing that I wanted to do for private causes,” Lawrence says. “I actually admired her as a girl in music. I used to be actually impressed by how she was so swish and so poised as a performer and appeared so in management each time, in each video that we’ve of her, and likewise behind the scenes how quick-witted and good and intelligent she was.”
Gracie Lawrence
Lexie Moreland/WWD
She first met her would-be costar Groff contemporary off a flight from Europe after being on tour with Lawrence.
“I received in at 1 within the morning, after which the following morning I went to rehearsal and sang with Jonathan. And I used to be simply instantly like, ‘oh, I believe this particular person’s about to develop into probably the most vital and closest folks in my life,’” she says.
Lawrence, who grew up in New York Metropolis and whose father is the filmmaker Marc Lawrence, has been eager about performing since she will keep in mind. Music is her past love — “I don’t keep in mind a time in my life the place singing wasn’t actually vital to me” — and as she received a bit older, she developed an curiosity in appearing through college performs.
“I believe what’s so thrilling a couple of musical is the wedding of these two issues,” she says.
Gracie Lawrence
Lexie Moreland/WWD
When not on stage in “Simply in Time,” Lawrence is working together with her brother on music for the band, with plans to launch new materials within the close to future.
“I love to do all of the issues on the similar time,” she says.
Lawrence gained reputation as an actor final 12 months when she joined the forged of “The Intercourse Lives of School Women” for its third (and closing) season. She was such a fan of the present that upon being forged she had minimal analysis to do earlier than becoming a member of as Kacey, a switch scholar who joined the trio of roommates after Renee Rapp’s character Leighton departed. Because the season went on, Kacey’s plotline centered round her auditioning within the college musical.
“It’s been such a kismet factor that whether or not it’s in my band the place we’re doing these performances which are theatrical or whether or not it’s on ‘Intercourse Lives of School Women’ the place I’m enjoying a woman who joins the theater world at her college, I really feel like all roads have been resulting in theater for me personally,” Lawrence says. “That’s been a really full-circle factor in my life.”
Gracie Lawrence
Lexie Moreland/WWD
