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BY LUCIA MAURO
It’s probably a good indication that a five-year-old child who frets over how she’s going to develop her character while playing "house" with friends is headed directly for the stage and screen. That’s the serious, committed approach Lauren Frost took to playtime in her native Downers Grove. But as a youngster with a passion for the spotlight, she could not have imagined how far talent, perseverance and luck would carry her.
Two years ago, at the age of 14, Frost gained iconic status touring the globe as "Young Barbra" in Barbra Streisand’s "Timeless" concerts (which also aired on the Fox Network). She can currently be seen as the sassy Ruby on the Disney Channel’s "Even Stevens," and stars as Casey in the new Disney pilot, "Virtually Casey." In addition, she received the award for outstanding female singer at the 22nd annual Young Artist Awards in California.
Log onto her sophisticated Web site–www.laurenfrost.com–to get a complete rundown of her latest projects, including audio clips from her latest CD, photos of her with Streisand and on the set of "Even Stevens," excerpts from appearances on "The Rosie O’Donnell Show" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Now Frost is belting out some of the most beloved music practically in her own backyard. She’s starring as Dorothy in Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre’s remount of The Wizard of Oz running through Aug. 19 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Between shows at CST’s Navy Pier complex, Frost–now 16–talks about her high-profile experiences and how she copes with fame at such a young age.
She emits a blend of confidence, poise and sincerity as she relates–in showbiz terms–how she found herself in the merry old land of Oz.
"I was in L.A. filming for 'Even Stevens’," says Frost. "We were expected to be on hiatus. Then Chicago Shakespeare Theatre called and asked me if I would like to audition for the role of Dorothy. When I was little, I always wanted to play Annie and Dorothy."
She’s already portrayed Annie on stage but has felt a closer connection to the Kansas teenager in ruby slippers.
"I loved The Wizard of Oz," she says, "and begged my parents to take me to voice lessons."
Her parents, Nancy and Stephen, recognized their only daughter’s passion for the performing arts. When Frost was seven, they enrolled her in private voice lessons in Downers Grove; one year later, she studied voice at Stacey Dee and Company in Lombard. More classes followed: acting, tap, jazz and ballet. She also got involved in community theatre and put on her own originally choreographed shows. "I just loved to be on stage!" enthuses Frost, her smile extending across Lake Michigan.
Drawn to musical theatre and singing in the live concert format, she plunged into pivotal roles in well-known musicals–Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis; Brigitta in The Sound of Music; and Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden. Other credits included Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Mary in The Night of the Hunter (directed by Robert Falls), and Molly and Felicity in The American Girls Revue.
Frost has managed to take the classic–and savvy–child performer’s route to success while remaining centered. Her parents also were willing to rearrange their lives to make room for their daughter’s rapidly expanding career.
"I’ve always been very grounded," says Frost. "My parents have done a great job. A lot of people warned us about the challenges of the business. And I can talk about my concerns with my mom–we’re like girlfriends."
This is a key transitional time for Frost, who is in the process of permanently relocating to Los Angeles. She and her mom share an apartment in L.A., while her dad is living temporarily in a downtown Chicago condo. Frost’s mother has taken a leave of absence from her job as a nurse anesthetist. "In L.A.," says Frost, "I really missed my dad. I would talk to my dad over the phone every day."
It’s also difficult to be in constant contact with her friends from Downers Grove, as well as with all the young people she’s met around the world. But they have created an extensive e-mail network. And Frost is quite attached to her Maltese named Punky Brewster.
"There is one thing I know for sure," comments Frost’s mother Nancy. "If a child seriously wants to do this, it will affect the whole family. I’m her mother, but I’m also her manager. I have to balance helping her make decisions involving the right career moves while seeing that she’s doing well in school and just being there for her emotionally."
Although Frost attended Downers Grove South High School, her audition and performing schedule made it impossible to attend classes regularly. So her parents enrolled her in the California-based Laurel Springs Independent Study Program, which is geared toward children in the entertainment industry and young professional athletes.
"It’s for kids who need a more flexible schedule," adds Nancy. "It allows for auditioning and working."
Loosely related to home schooling, this year-round program has certified teachers in every state, provides a comprehensive syllabus, and requires students to turn in homework and take exams over a specified period of time.
Frost says she enjoys this arrangement, but expresses a little disappointment that she has to do homework over the summer. In terms of acting and singing, though, her knowledge increases on a daily basis. Much of her experience has been on stage where, as Frost describes, "the person in the back row has to see you blink your eyes." So for on-camera work, she discovered that she must tone down her acting and let her real self shine through in a more subtle way. In the process, she’s learned to love both media.
"Live theatre is important to me because I like the audience’s reaction," she says. "I also was used to how a play unfolds in order. At first, it felt strange to film scenes out of sequence. But if you know the plot, you don’t lose your sense of character. I actually like to see the finished movie and piece together in my own mind how they made sense out of all those scenes shot at different times."
Frost makes it a point to research characters and the script when she prepares for auditions. She’ll often practice with her mom, and the pair works on a variety of interpretations, projections and cadences. She also masters her monologue standing up and sitting down so that she’s prepared for casting directors’ different requirements.
When asked to describe "Even Stevens," Frost unexpectedly refers to it as "a two-camera show" and "fun to do." She plays the "bubbly sidekick," Ruby, who is a teen gossip columnist for the school newspaper. Because Frost was required to master a Brooklyn accent for her role as "Young Barbra," the creators felt it would give Ruby more of an edge if she spoke in Brooklynese.
"Ruby is kind of like me," she notes. "But she’s more outgoing."
Frost says that her musical training–combined with watching movies and working closely with a dialect coach–has helped her master a variety of accents. Her clarion, multi-textured voice is one of her greatest gifts–most evident in her strikingly mature rendition of "Over the Rainbow" in The Wizard of Oz.
"I remember going to see Gloria Estefan in concert," relates Frost. "She’s my idol. That experience turned me on to wanting a record deal and performing live."
Her big break arrived, of course, in the larger-than-life persona of Barbra Streisand. Frost’s L.A. agent phoned and told her about an audition for "a pilot." The project was kept a secret, but Frost began to suspect it might have had something to do with Streisand when she was asked to sing her songs and learn a Jewish-Brooklyn accent–not to mention the fact that she bears an uncanny resemblance to the legendary vocalist.
"Even when Lauren was a baby," interjects Nancy, "people would say she looked like a young Barbra Streisand."
The talent pool was narrowed down to three girls. Frost auditioned for composer Marvin Hamlisch, who thanked her after she sang for only three minutes. "I thought he hated me," shares Frost. "Another girl was in there for 25 minutes. But I later asked Marvin why he made me leave after only a few minutes, and he told me that he knew I got the part."
Frost also was chosen to rehearse with Streisand at the singer’s California mansion.
"I couldn’t believe it," recalls a still wide-eyed Frost. "Barbra Streisand was so down to earth. She walked up to me and casually said, 'Hi, I’m Barbra.’ What I admire most about Barbra is her loyalty to everyone around her. She really encouraged me to be loyal and was very nurturing."
Frost toured Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and Sydney and Melbourne, Australia with Streisand between 1999 and 2000. She’ll never forget the first time she stepped on stage during the New Year’s Eve concert in Las Vegas: "We opened the show with 'Something’s Coming,’ she says, "and I was so excited and anxious to be on stage with Barbra in front of such a big crowd. After the song, I ran backstage to my parents. It was the biggest rush of my life! We left the theatre at about 3 a.m. There was a crowd of fans outside, and I couldn’t believe it when they asked for my autograph."
Throughout that whirlwind tour, the young performing artist met many celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt. "They were such real people," notes Frost.
Adds Nancy, "We have been very fortunate to meet celebrities who were so approachable and welcoming."
But Nancy does point out that several L.A. "stage moms" can be ultra-competitive and tight-lipped when it comes to sharing information about agents and auditions. So she finds herself hanging out with moms from the Midwest whom she describes as "very friendly and generous."
When asked if she fears being pigeonholed as "Young Barbra," Frost replies by saying she does not mind being associated with Streisand but is determined to find her own artistic voice and identity. Then she says, "I hope I can emulate Barbra in terms of longevity. She taught me how important it is to treat other people with respect. I’m really striving to be a normal person, and I’m lucky to have had the chance to be known."
Some of Frost’s artistic role models include Bernadette Peters and Frank Sinatra. She singles out Sinatra for his impeccable timing. Then she paraphrases one of his quotes: "Luck is fine, and you have to have luck to get the opportunities. But, after luck, you have to have the talent to back it up."
Frost certainly demonstrates no short supply of talent or opportunity. She continues to prepare for a multi-tiered career in the recording, film and TV industries and on Broadway.