Lauren Marcus

Lauren Marcus is an American actress, singer, and songwriter born on November 27, 1985. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, attending New Trier High School before relocating to Garrison, New York, where she completed her secondary education at James I. O'Neill High School. Marcus earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from New York University's Steinhardt School of Education, and later received a Master of Arts in acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Marcus is best known for originating the role of Brooke Lohst in the musical Be More Chill. She first played the character at Two River Theatre in 2015, then reprised the role off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre in the summer of 2018. Her Broadway debut came in February 2019, when Be More Chill opened at the Lyceum Theatre.

Her regional theater work includes the role of Amy in Company at Barrington Stage Company, where she appeared alongside Aaron Tveit. In the winter of 2018, she played Brigid in The Humans at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre, a performance for which she received a nomination for a BroadwayWorld Regional Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also recognized her work in that production with a JJ Award, shared alongside castmate Kathleen Wise.

In January 2022, Marcus co-starred in Punk Rock Girl, a new musical that premiered at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village, New York. Later that year, she served as understudy for the role of Beth Ann, originated by Caissie Levy, in Sarah Silverman's play The Bedwetter at Atlantic Theatre Company, going on for Levy on several occasions. In September and October of 2022, she portrayed Tzeitzel in the Lyric Opera's production of Fiddler on the Roof. Marcus also appears in the 2021 biographical musical drama film Tick, Tick... Boom! In 2023, it was announced that she would co-write the book for a stage musical adaptation of the 1985 film Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Beyond acting, Marcus performs as a singer and songwriter with her band in New York City. She released her debut EP, Never Really Done with You, in July 2016 at Joe's Pub. Marcus has been married to musical theater writer Joe Iconis since 2015, and the two reside in New York City and frequently collaborate professionally. In April 2024, the couple welcomed their first child.