Lauren Samuels
Encyclopedia
Lauren Samuels is an English
singer/actress and was a contestant on the 2010 BBC
UK TV series Over the Rainbow
. Since appearing on the show she has gone on to appear in West End
theatre, including playing the lead role of Sandy in Grease
.
"Lauren Samuels" after her older brother, Samuel.
Samuels was born with a condition that seriously affected her hearing, causing her to have to wear two hearing aids. However, her hearing completely returned to normal at the age of 18.
Samuels started ballet lessons at the age of two, began private tutorials at the Hinckley
Speech and Drama Studio at seven and started singing lessons at thirteen.
Samuels studied BTEC National Diploma Performing Arts at Stratford-upon-Avon College
and also studied at the Guildford School of Acting
, graduating in 2009.
in a West End revival of The Wizard of Oz
. Samuels made it through to the final eleven girls who would compete for the public vote through individual performances. Despite coming in the bottom two for votes on three occasions, Samuels made it through to the final, where she ultimately came third to runner-up Sophie Evans
and winner Danielle Hope
.
" with the intention of the eventual winner's song being made available for purchase shortly after the finale. Hope's recording was originally the only version released, but both Evans' and Samuels' versions of the song were ultimately made available for download on 6 June 2010.
Samuels also appears with the other contestants in a Wizard of Oz medley featured as a b-side on the CD single of Hope's "Over the Rainbow."
in a 2009/10 production of Peter Pan
at the Curve, Leicester
.
On 26 July 2010, Samuels made her West End
debut as Sandy in the London production of Grease
, replacing Siobhan Dillon
.
Samuels played the role of Cathy in a production of the two-character musical The Last Five Years
, which ran at the Tabard Theatre
, Chiswick
from 9 February to 5 March 2011.
Samuels will play the role of Scaramouche in We Will Rock You
at the Dominion Theatre
in London from late 2011.
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer/actress and was a contestant on the 2010 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
UK TV series Over the Rainbow
Over the Rainbow (2010 TV series)
Over the Rainbow is a British television talent series which aired on BBC One from March to May 2010. It documents the search for a new, undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Dorothy in the forthcoming Andrew Lloyd Webber stage production of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and a...
. Since appearing on the show she has gone on to appear in West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
theatre, including playing the lead role of Sandy in Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
.
Background
Samuels was born Lauren Bonner. She took the stage nameStage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
"Lauren Samuels" after her older brother, Samuel.
Samuels was born with a condition that seriously affected her hearing, causing her to have to wear two hearing aids. However, her hearing completely returned to normal at the age of 18.
Samuels started ballet lessons at the age of two, began private tutorials at the Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
Speech and Drama Studio at seven and started singing lessons at thirteen.
Samuels studied BTEC National Diploma Performing Arts at Stratford-upon-Avon College
Stratford-upon-Avon College
Stratford-upon-Avon College is a further education college in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.It offers a wide variety of courses ranging from Pre-Entry Level to National Diplomas, A Levels and degree level courses.- History :...
and also studied at the Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting is a drama school located in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training and The Conference of Drama Schools.-Overview:...
, graduating in 2009.
Over the Rainbow
Samuels was a contestant on the 2010 BBC show Over the Rainbow: a talent contest to find an actress to play DorothyDorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
in a West End revival of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1987 stage play)
The Wizard of Oz is a musical with a book by John Kane, music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It has additional background music by Herbert Stothart. It is based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L...
. Samuels made it through to the final eleven girls who would compete for the public vote through individual performances. Despite coming in the bottom two for votes on three occasions, Samuels made it through to the final, where she ultimately came third to runner-up Sophie Evans
Sophie Evans (performer)
Sophie Evans is a Welsh singer and actress. She was the runner-up on the 2010 BBC talent show Over the Rainbow. Beginning in 2011, Evans has been appearing on the West End stage as the alternate Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz.-Background:Evans was born and raised in the Rhondda...
and winner Danielle Hope
Danielle Hope
Danielle Hope is an English actress and singer. She is the winner of the BBC talent contest Over The Rainbow and as a result is currently playing the part of Dorothy in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of The Wizard of Oz, which began performances in the West End at the London Palladium in...
.
Solo performances
| Solo Song | |
|---|---|
| Week one (03/04/10) | "Run" (Snow Patrol Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow... ) |
| Week two (10/04/10) | "I'll Never Fall in Love Again I'll Never Fall in Love Again "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" is a popular song by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. Originally written for the 1968 musical Promises, Promises, it soon became one of Bacharach and David's most enduring songs. It was nominated for Song of the Year in the 1969 Grammy awards... " (from Promises, Promises Promises, Promises Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced... ) |
| Week three (17/04/10) | "Sway Sway (song) "Sway" is the English version of "¿Quién será?", a 1953 mambo song by Mexican composer and bandleader Pablo Beltrán Ruiz. The most famous version is that of Dean Martin recorded in 1954. English lyrics are by Norman Gimbel... " (Dean Martin Dean Martin Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"... ) |
| Week four (24/04/10) | "Nobody Knows" (Pink Pink (singer) Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress.... ) |
| Week five (01/05/10) | "The Man that Got Away The Man that Got Away "The Man that Got Away" is a popular song, published in 1953 and was written for the 1954 version of the movie A Star Is Born. The music was written by Harold Arlen, and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin... " (from A Star Is Born A Star Is Born (1954 film) A Star Is Born is a 1954 American musical film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay written by Moss Hart was an adaptation of the original 1937 film, which was based on the original screenplay by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell... ) |
| Week six (08/05/10) | "Being Alive Being Alive "Being Alive" is a song from the musical Company by George Furth with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The song appears at the end of Act II and is sung by the main character, Robert, a 35 year old bachelor who at the show's end “. . . realizes being a lone wolf isn't all it's cracked up to be... " (from Company Company (musical) Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six.... ) |
| Week seven (semi-final) (15/05/10) | "Heaven Heaven (Bryan Adams song) "Heaven" is a power ballad written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and performed by Bryan Adams. The song first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album in 1983 and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984... " (Bryan Adams Bryan Adams Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written... ) |
| Week eight (final) (22/05/10) | "I Could Have Danced All Night I Could Have Danced All Night "I Could Have Danced All Night" is a song from the musical My Fair Lady, with music written by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, published in 1956... " (from My Fair Lady My Fair Lady My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe... ) |
Discography
Samuels, along with the other two finalists of Over the Rainbow, recorded a version of "Over the RainbowOver the Rainbow
"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...
" with the intention of the eventual winner's song being made available for purchase shortly after the finale. Hope's recording was originally the only version released, but both Evans' and Samuels' versions of the song were ultimately made available for download on 6 June 2010.
Samuels also appears with the other contestants in a Wizard of Oz medley featured as a b-side on the CD single of Hope's "Over the Rainbow."
Stage
Samuels' first major stage role was playing WendyWendy Darling
Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character, the female protagonist of Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, and in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though she is implied to be 12 or 13 years old or younger, as she is "just...
in a 2009/10 production of Peter Pan
Peter and Wendy
Peter and Wendy, published in 1911, is the novelisation by J. M. Barrie of his most famous play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up...
at the Curve, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
On 26 July 2010, Samuels made her West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut as Sandy in the London production of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, replacing Siobhan Dillon
Siobhan Dillon
Siobhan Patricia Dillon is an English actress and singer, who rose to fame when she performed in the British talent show-themed television series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? on BBC One in 2006...
.
Samuels played the role of Cathy in a production of the two-character musical The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years is a one-act musical written by Jason Robert Brown. It premiered in Chicago in 2001 and was then produced off-Broadway in March 2002. Since then it has had numerous productions both in the United States and internationally....
, which ran at the Tabard Theatre
Tabard Theatre
The Tabard Theatre is an intimate, 80 seat theatre located in Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow. Close to Turnham Green Underground station, it is situated above the Tabard public house which was built in 1880 by the architect Norman Shaw for the Bedford Park Estate...
, Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
from 9 February to 5 March 2011.
Samuels will play the role of Scaramouche in We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You (musical)
We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by British comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor...
at the Dominion Theatre
Dominion Theatre
The Dominion Theatre is a West End theatre on Tottenham Court Road close to St Giles Circus and Centre Point Tower, in the London Borough of Camden.-History:...
in London from late 2011.
Personal life
Samuels is dating West End performer Warren Sollars, who currently features in the London production of Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
.