The day before the 78th annual Tony Awards, Gracie Lawrence left her final fitting with a message for her fans: “Wait until you see my look. Fit is fitting.” At that point, we were seated—excitedly awaiting what the Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee and her stylist Jules Wettreich cooked up for the red carpet. Lawrence did not disappoint when she turned up in a custom polka-dot tulle gown by New York–based designer Twiggy Moore. The spotted dress, fitted through the bodice and featuring a fluted skirt with a black bow, was equal parts whimsy and Old Hollywood glam, making it perfect for the occasion.
You could say the singer and actress has been in the midst of a career-defining year. It kicked off with Lawrence joining the third and final season of The Sex Lives of College Girls as Kacey Baker, the crew's new roomie and beloved theater nerd. Then in April, she made her Broadway musical debut playing Connie Francis alongside Jonathan Groff in Just in Time, a performance that has earned her high critical praise and landed her the aforementioned Tony nomination. This fall, she and her brother, the duo behind the band Lawrence, are heading out on the U.S. leg of their Family Business Tour. Basically, if Lawrence wasn't already on your radar, she should be now.
We sent photographer Andy Henderson to capture Lawrence as she got ready for Broadway's biggest night following a matinee performance of Just in Time. The show must always go on! Keep reading for Lawrence's exclusive photo diary.
“I did my own makeup for the Tonys, and I started it in the middle of our matinee on Sunday so that we'd make it to the carpet in time. People don't realize how quick of a turnaround it is! So if you saw [the] Just in Time Sunday matinee, Connie Francis may have had a particularly glam eyeliner…”
“And then my hairstylist, Netty Jordan, popped into my dressing room and got to work!”
“The designer of my dress Twiggy Moore! The vibe of the night was polka dots, of course.”
“Details! I've been wearing a lot of rings that have clocks on them as a nod to Just in Time. Shout-out to my stylist Jules for thinking of that. We love a theme.”
“Putting on the dress! Twiggy made this dress so quickly. From conception to execution, it was around two weeks. I sent her and my stylist Jules a bunch of references, all of which lived in this 1950s style. Twiggy created something inspired by those silhouettes but also entirely her own. I wanted fun but still beautiful and to feel like I wasn't taking myself too seriously but also definitely not being goofy—which is a hard balance! In this moment, it was so satisfying and thrilling to put it on with the full hair and makeup and feel like we totally achieved what we wanted tonally. I felt like me the whole night!”
“Final touches. Try as I may, I cannot not do ‘mascara face.'”
“And then my brother Clyde, who I share our band Lawrence with and who was my plus-one for the evening, showed up!”
“We all took some pics on the incredible Just in Time set. It was so fun getting ready at the theater. I'll remember it forever!”
“And then it was time to goooooo!”
Catch Gracie Lawrence in the Broadway musical in Just In Time, now playing at Circle in the Square Theatre.
