If you’ve ever seen one of Laguna Beach High School’s Spring Musicals, chances are you’ve seen Lauren Norrix. A senior with a huge stage presence, Norrix is one of the most Broadway material performers in all of the Orange County area, with numerous nominations and successful wins in categories such as Lead Actress In a Musical, Best Actress of the Year two years in a row, and winner of Female Vocalist of the Year at award cemer. Her talent is clear to anyone who’s watched her perform, but what many people don’t realize is just how much work goes on behind the scenes.
Norrix didn’t always have a passion directly for theatre; she actually began her performing journey with dance at only three years old. “I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t dancing,” said Norrix. She got her early dance training at the Pasadena Playhouse, a prestigious theatrical stage known for shaping the brightest dancers and performers. At Playhouse, she was able to understand how she could combine her love for dance and other forms of performance.
During Norrix’s sophomore year of high school, her family made the decision to move out of the LA area to the laid-back town of Laguna Beach, known for its emphasis on the performing arts. The change was challenging with new faces all around, neighborhoods, and experiences, but Norrix made this shift possible by joining the Laguna Beach High School Dance Company, where she stayed for a year before making the switch to cheer. “Moving was definitely a big change,” she admitted. “I was really comfortable with dance, but I knew I needed to push myself more to grow as a dancer, so I decided to look into theatre”.
Her hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2024, Norrix was nominated for her first year as Best Actress of the year, a prestigious list of performers from the show season that highlights standout supporting and lead actors and actresses from across the Southern California region, and won Best Actress this month. She is going to New York in about nine days to make her Broadway debut. If a finalist from the category gets selected, they eventually move on to the largest high school theatre award ceremony of the year, the Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre. It’s a major accomplishment and something performers across the country strive for.
“I have never cried more tears of joy in my life,” said Norrix. “It was especially an honor because I had only started doing theatre that same year”.
After her first high school show, Norrix already had her sights set on a future in the limelight. Her ultimate goal is to become a Tony Award-winning performer.
“I love feeling the stage lights on my face and hearing the crowd roaring,” said Norrix. “I think it would be so exciting to work together on a lively piece like Moulin Rouge or Thoroughly Modern Millie. There is something about live shows and big productions that just excites me.”
Norrix plans on going to Marymount Manhattan College/ Northeastern University in the fall, majoring in Musical Theatre with a potential minor in Dermatology. We wish her the best of luck: Go Huskies! With her talent, work ethic, and passion, Norrix can most certainly turn her dreams into reality. “I just want to keep doing what I love,” she said. “If I can turn that into a career, that would be a dream come true”.
The Pipeline from Dancer to Singer, Lauren Norrix ‘25
