Tony Awards 2015: Broadway Star Laura Osnes Takes Us Inside Her Dress Fitting!
The Tony Awards are this Sunday, and to get you psyched for the impressive musical numbers and bound-to-be hilarious co-hosts (reminder: Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming are teaming up for the event), we have a behind-the-scenes look at how two-time nominee Laura Osnes (she famously played Cinderella in the hit Broadway musical back in 2013) is prepping for the big day. Osnes gives PEOPLE an exclusive glimpse inside her red-carpet process. Find out how she’s choosing her dress, her clutch (there must be room for snacks!) and her Cinderella-inspired heels.
The actress is co-hosting the very first “Live from the Red Carpet” pre-show special airing on TonyAwards.com and CBS.com alongside Darren Criss (currently performing in Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and Sierra Boggess (star of It Shoulda Been You). So the pressure’s on to pick a totally glam look.
First major decision? Landing on a color. “I’m not sure if I should go with a pop of color or classic black,” Osnes contemplates.
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But it seems like a colorful design is a early front-runner. “I love the beautiful and bright coral color of this dress and the floral details,” she says. “It’s perfect for an event this time of year!”
Osnes describes the handbag as a “key part” of her Tony Awards look. It has to be stylish but also meet her must-have clutch criteria. “I have to make sure it has room for all the red-carpet essentials — my cell phone, lipstick, mints and last, but absolutely not least, snacks!” The perk of the pearlized clutch? “It definitely has enough room for snacks!”
Moving on to the shoes, the star found a fairy-tale pair of pumps with the romantic dress to match. “I feel like Cinderella again in this one — but a modern-day version,” she says of the strapless blue floral design she tried on with some shiny shoes. “If you can’t have a glass slipper, a metallic silver pump is definitely the next best thing.”
After giving two colorful dresses a go, Osnes moved on to a simpler design. “I have to admit, nothing makes me feel sexier than a black fitted dress,” she says. “It must be the way they are so sleek and classic, and I really love the cut and trendy high neckline of this one.”
Plus, this dress has an added bonus: the built-in twirl factor! “Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to twirl in my dresses,” she explains. “Some things never change! This dress definitely passes the twirl test with flying colors.” (She can totally give Lupita Nyong’o and Kendall Jenner some competition.)
Osnes definitely has a ton of gorgeous options; we can’t wait to see what she chooses. (We have a feeling the blue one is one of her favorites!) “It’s so hard to choose when all the dresses are so beautiful,” she shares. “You know what? I’ll just take them all.”
She may not have time to swap on the red carpet between interviews, but it is possible she could pull off a second look for the award ceremony! To see which dress Osnes chooses, tune in to the red carpet this Sunday from 5:30-8:00pm ET on TonyAwards.com and CBS.com. (Then check out the show on CBS live at 8/7 CT.)
Which dress should she chose? Are you tuning in this Sunday? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
–Colleen Kratofil
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