Ep 28: An Awakened Voice with LOLO 🎤
Broadway's Spring Awakening, Panic! At The Disco's "High Hopes", & Motherhood
Today’s guest is LOLO (also known as Lauren Pritchard); an artist, songwriter, actress, composer and mom who has spent the last two decades writing and performing all over the world.
Listen to LOLO on The Story Project on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
Watch LOLO perform with the cast of Spring Awakening at the 2007 Tony Awards
Watch HBO’s Spring Awakening: Those You've Known
Read LOLO’s LA Times article: “She sang of abuse in a Broadway smash. 15 years on, she reveals she’s a survivor too”
Listen to LOLO’s music on Spotify (“Yellow Brick Road” is one of my favorites)
Originally from Jackson, Tennessee, her first big-girl job came at the age of 18 years old in 2006 when she originated a starring role in the 8-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical Spring Awakening.
As an artist LOLO has released 4 full length albums as well as numerous singles and features. Some highlights include LOLO’s 2021 album ‘X’ which debuted at #1 on the Apple blues chart, her singles ‘Hit and Run’, ‘Shine’, ‘Wild’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Have To Lie’‘ and features on ‘Centuries’ by Fall Out Boy, ‘Miss Jackson’ by Panic At The Disco, and ‘Headphones’ by Matt Nathanson.
As a songwriter she has penned some of modern radio's biggest anthems. Her songwriting work with the band Panic! At The Disco earned her a GRAMMY Nomination and she is a co-writer of their international hit ‘High Hopes’ which holds the title for the longest running #1 Rock song in Billboard Chart history, where it stayed for 66 consecutive weeks.
She is the composer and lyricist of the original country musical Songbird which was recognized as a NYTimes’ Critics Pick. Since 2019 Lauren has been an Artist in Residence at the University of Memphis-Lambuth Campus where she assists in educating the Music Entertainment students in song publishing, songwriting and performance alongside Dr. Jeremy Tubbs.
In November 2021 she produced and starred in the 15th Anniversary Spring Awakening Reunion Concert which benefited The Actors Fund. It performed a sold out, one-night-only concert at Broadway’s Imperial Theater in New York City.
The reunion concert was filmed and a documentary chronicling the history and impact of Spring Awakening was created. She was co-producer of the accompanying documentary, titled Those You’ve Known: Spring Awakening, which was released by HBO and Radical Media on May 9th, 2022.
In January 2023, LOLO became a partner and head of A&R Development at No Reverse Records. LOLO is passionate about helping her community and she created the LOLO Christmas Show which has raised over $100,000 over 8 years to support RIFA Jackson’s Snack Backpack Ministry. LOLO currently resides in Jackson, TN with her husband, son and their many fur babies.
In today’s episode, LOLO discusses the significance of Spring Awakening, her experience as a young performer in a hit Broadway show, how the show impacted the lives of audience members, and the process of creating the 15 year anniversary reunion performance and accompanying HBO documentary.
She also describes the challenges and rewards of being an artist in the entertainment industry, balancing motherhood and her career, her work with Panic! At The Disco, and her decision to tell her story of abuse in an LA Times article.
Thank you for being here, and please enjoy Ep 28: An Awakened Voice with LOLO! 🎤
Learn more about LOLO & The Story Project.
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