Background
Ward was born in Lincoln, Nebraska and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Denis Ward (1941-1986), a professor of geo-sciences at UMKC, and Holly Ward (née Harvick, 1941-2005).
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Lauren Ward
Edit ProfileEducation
She graduated from Hickman Mills High School in 1988 and received her B.F.A from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Career
She has appeared in Broadway, Office-Broadway and West End musicals and plays. Broadway In 2010, Ward originated the role of Mission Honey in the new musical Matilda, based on the book Matilda by Roald Dahl in the Royal Shakespeare Company"s production at Stratford-upon-Avon. Ward then played this role in the West End starting in October 2011and on Broadway in 2013.
Office-Broadway theatre In 1995 she played the dual roles of Jennie/Daisy in the musical Jack"s Holiday.
London Ward has performed in several venues in London: in the West End, with the Royal Shakespeare Company and elsewhere. Some of these productions include: The Sound of Music as the Baroness (London Palladium, 2006);The Philadelphia Story at The Old Vic as the photographer (2005);A Midsummer Night"s Dream at Regents Park.
And, with the Lost Musicals series, Dubarry Was A Lady (2001)and Johnny Johnson.
Achievements
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Ward originated the role of Mission Honey in the original Stratford-Upon-Avon, West End and Broadway productions of the musical Matilda, and has been nominated for the Tony Award, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance. Foreign this role, Ward was nominated for the 2013 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 1997 Ward originated the role of Violet Karl in the musical Violet, for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.In 1999 she played Arlene Murphy in the musical Exactly Like You.In 2000, Ward played the role of Helen in Stephen Sondheim"s Saturday Night at the Second Stage Theatre.In 2001 she appeared in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of the musical Time and Again as Emily.
