Lauren Van Hemert

A native of Miami, Florida, Lauren’s love of musicals started at the age of six when her dad took her to Radio City Music Hall to see a revival of the movie THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Prior to graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington, she hosted her own weekly talk show on Public Radio WDNA Miami and worked as a production intern for ‘As The World Turns.’ As the former Contributing Editor for Broadway World Raleigh, she covered over 50 shows in the Triangle. In January, she launched the RDU on Stage website to expand coverage of the Triangle theater community. She also hosts the weekly RDU on Stage podcast. Lauren is a proud member of the American Theatre Critics Association. She lives in Cary with her supportive husband and two children.

Theater Review: ‘Les Miserables’ is Still a Bedazzling, Crowd-Pleaser

Even though the national tour of Les Miserables is somewhat scaled down from its original Broadway version, there is a grandeur and refinement to this brand that is distinctive. Interestingly, […]

Lauren Van Hemert March 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Theater Review: ‘Summer’ Flounders as Meaningful Tribute

From doo-wop to disco, saddle shoes to stilettos, SUMMER chronicles the life of Donna Summer, also known (on the radio) as the Queen of Disco. Read what Lauren Van Hemert has to say about the show.

Theater Review: The Theatricality of the ‘The Old Man and The Old Moon’ Ennobles its Sweet Simplicity

Theatre in the Park’s production of THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON is a quirky, sweet show that is surprisingly satisfying and sophisticated. Read Lauren Van Hemert's review.

Theater Review: Entertaining and Enlightening ‘Kinky Boots’ is the Happy Pill You Didn’t Know You Needed

The interesting is, while many angst-filled teens (and their parents) won’t hesitate to flock to the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) to see Tina Fey’s MEAN GIRLS, the less obvious yet perhaps more sensible choice for a morality play is the North Carolina Theatre production of KINKY BOOTS. Read Lauren Van Hemert's review of KINKY BOOTS.

Theater Review: ‘Mean Girls’ Underwhelms

When the national touring production of MEAN GIRLS opened at DPAC earlier this week, the lobby was buzzing about the fact that Raleigh native English Bernhardt would be covering the role of Janis Sarkisian. Bernhardt can belt, but what did RDU on Stage's Lauren Van Hemert have to say about the rest of the show?

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