Broadway star and Minnesota native Laura Osnes loses another role
Nov. 6—Broadway star and Minnesota native Laura Osnes has lost yet another gig, apparently due to her refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccination.
Osnes, 35, has been replaced by West End actor Frances Mayli McCann in London's upcoming "Bonnie and Clyde In Concert," according to a report in Deadline. The two-night-only, nearly sold out event, planned for Jan. 17 and 18, was set to reunite Osnes with actor Jeremy Jordan. The pair co-starred in the original 2011 Broadway production, which earned Osnes her first of two Tony nominations for best actress in a musical.
Producer Fourth Wall Live issued a statement about the new casting that didn't specify the reason for Osnes's departure, but did note that the company is "committed to following all relevant U.K. government COVID-19 guidelines, creating a safe working environment for our cast, musicians, creatives, crew and their families."
In August, Osnes earned national headlines when she left her starring role in a one-night-only production of "Crazy for You" at Guild Hall in East Hampton, N.Y. Initial reports said she was fired, but soon after Osnes took to Instagram to post a lengthy response. She wrote that she quit the show "as I have not yet gotten the vaccine ... I believe individuals have the right to do the research, consult a doctor, and come to their own conclusions before deciding whether or not to get any injection."
Osnes' post also said she was never given the option to instead take a COVID test — "I would have tested in a heartbeat" — and suggested her hesitancy was due to "family planning." There is currently no evidence that shows the vaccine interferes with or complicates pregnancy.
Later in August, Osnes lost her role in "Princess: A Disney Concert Tour" to Christy Altomare, star of Broadway's "Anastasia." Producers issued a statement that said the tour "will follow Disney Concerts' COVID-19 safety policy, requiring cast and touring crew to be fully vaccinated."
Born in Burnsville and raised in Eagan, Osnes first earned national attention when she won the role of Sandy in a Broadway revival of "Grease" after competing in the 2007 NBC reality show "Grease: You're the One that I Want." She went on to establish herself as one of Broadway's brightest young talents, starring in "South Pacific," "Anything Goes," "Bandstand," "Bonnie and Clyde" and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella," which earned Osnes her second Tony nomination.
In past interviews, Osnes has described herself as a conservative Christian.
Osnes has found some recent work. In September, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movie "Raise a Glass to Love" and also has a role in the channel's "Christmas in Tahoe," which debuts Nov. 28.