Gracie Lawrence chatted about playing the role of Connie Francis in the musical “Just in Time,” where she stars opposite Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin.
Alex Timbers directed “Just in Time” from a book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver; the show is choreographed by Shannon Lewis.
Lawrence earned a Tony nomination for “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for her portrayal of Connie Francis in “Just in Time,” as well as a Drama Desk nomination for “Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.”
As a musician, she co-fronts the band Lawrence with her brother Clyde.
She is also known for playing Kacey in the third season of teen comedy TV series “Sex Lives of College Girls” on Max.
Lawrence on taking on the role of Connie Francis
On taking on the role of the iconic Connie Francis, Lawrence remarked, “I was already a Connie Francis fan. I knew her voice well.”
“I did not know much about her life story; I read her book, I watched every interview of her on the Internet, and I went deep into her discography, where I explored some of her songs that I didn’t know before,” she explained.
“For me, I wanted to make sure that I was telling the story of who Connie was behind the scenes at the age she was on the show, which is 19,” she noted.
“There is so much video of her performing but there is not as much footage of her as a 19-year-old being herself behind the scenes and in recording sessions. I was trying to do my research to get an idea of who she was behind the scenes,” she added.
Most recently, she performed Connie Francis’ “Who’s Sorry Now” on “Good Morning America.”
Lawrence on the collaboration process with Jonathan Groff
On her collaboration with Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin, Lawrence shared, “We just had so much fun playing and rehearsing.”
“Honestly, the relationship between Bobby Darin and Connie Francis was so loving; they loved each other so deeply. They also loved performing so much and they loved performing together,” she elaborated.
“In a lot of ways, even if our relationship is not romantic, that love for each other very much mimics the relationship of Bobby and Connie,” she added.
Lessons learned from ‘Just in Time’
On the lessons learned from “Just in Time,” Lawrence responded, “It taught me to stay present and to stay ready for anything on stage.”
“I love performing live; I’ve been touring for 10 years but there is something about being in a Broadway theater and reacting to a live audience,” she added.
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, Lawrence concluded, “Success means enjoying what I am doing and working with people that I love.”
To learn more about Gracie Lawrence, follow her on Instagram.
For more information on “Just in Time,” check out the official homepage.
Read More: “Just in Time” review.
