CHESHIRE, Conn. (WFSB) – Cheshire native Lauren Celentano will join the cast of Broadway’s Hamilton as an ensemble member and understudy for Peggy Schuyler and Mariah Reynolds, it was announced today. Celentano is set too make her debut in the role on November 24.
The actress, a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, has been preparing for this chance for years. “I’ve been singing Hamilton songs in my car for 10 years,” Celentano said. “Hamilton is in its own league.Everybody knows Hamilton – even people who aren’t into theater.”
Celentano’s path to Broadway included dance training at Dance Unlimited in hamden and a win on a dance competition show in Italy. She subsequently toured nationally with A Bronx Tale and made her Broadway debut in Moulin rouge, followed by Death Becomes Her.
A serendipitous encounter with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda backstage at Death Becomes Her may have played a role in her casting.”I put it on my Instagram story. He saw it, followed me and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ That was in May, and in June I got the email from Hamilton, so I don’t know if there was any correlation, but the timing was odd,” Celentano recounted. She had auditioned for Hamilton multiple times prior to receiving the offer.
Celentano recently completed her run in Death Becomes Her two weeks ago and is currently in rehearsals. “I finished about two weeks ago, and now I’m in rehearsals for Hamilton. Oh my gosh – the life of a Broadway star. I’m very blessed to have worked continuously, and I’m very grateful,” she said.
Acknowledging the challenges ahead, Celentano expressed a mix of excitement and pressure. “It’s such an iconic show; it feels different, and I feel a lot of pressure as I just wont to do a good job,” she stated.
Celentano is also scheduled to appear in a Capitol One commercial airing during the upcoming holiday season. She attributes her success to a combination of factors. “It’s a little luck, a little talent and a little being in the right place at the right time. When those things come together, it effectively works,” Celentano said.
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