Cal State Fullerton alum Lauren Mariasoosay refuses to throw away her shot at her very own Broadway debut, joining the main cast of “Hamilton,” playing the role of Eliza Hamilton as of May 12.
“What’s so lovely about this show is it’s so based in reality,” Marisoosay said. “There’s so much humanity and vulnerability in the show, which makes it really easy to bring yourself into it. I love Eliza’s ability to find strength and vulnerability and I think the fact that she’s so gentle is what makes her so powerful.”
A graduate of the CSUF Musical Theater class of 2020, Mariasoosay is originally from Canada before moving to Tracy, a small town in Northern California.
The dancer and singer shared that her lifelong love of dance drew her to musical theater. She realized after being part of her high school production of “The Wizard of Oz” that she wanted to perform.
After learning the fundamentals at Fullerton College, she transferred to CSUF’s Bachelor’s of Fine Arts program for musical theater to cement her craft and turn her passion into a career.
Facing the competitive landscape of professional performance while simultaneously addressing her immigrant parents’ concern regarding traditional job security placed particularly nuanced pressure on Mariasoosay.
“I knew if I wanted to do theater, I was going to have to be obviously a triple threat,” Mariasoosay said. “Especially coming from a BIPOC background, we aren’t given as much opportunity as most folks. So I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I had to be as good at all three as everybody else.”
During her third year at CSUF, Mariasoosay was part of a summer production of “West Side Story,” where she was scouted by an agent. Signing with her agent singlehandedly granted her access to auditions before even graduating from CSUF, which then offered her several opportunities almost instantly.
Mariassosay booked a role in the “Cats” national tour after graduating as Demeter. After nine months as a part of that cast, she booked an ensemble role in the national tour of “Aladdin,” as well as an understudy for Jasmine.
She first caught wind of her offer to play Eliza while she was in the Toronto sit-down production of “Six.” Her agent landed her the self-tape invitation for the role, where Mariassosay shortly then found herself in a callback Zoom meeting.
“The first time I ever heard the soundtrack, I didn’t even have to mention it to my theater professor at Fullerton College,” Mariasoosay said. “He just heard it and handed me the sheet music to ‘Helpless’ 10 years ago, and then I had been coaching (Eliza’s) material all throughout community college and my university collegiate experience.”
Mariasoosay first booked Eliza in February of 2024 for the year-and-a-half-long “Angelica Tour,” which featured shows across North America.
She later accepted the role of Eliza in the Broadway resident company in December of 2025, with only a brief break between that tour’s end and taking on the Broadway stage for the first time earlier this year.
Despite the seemingly “nonstop” momentum her career has recently garnered, Mariasoosay continues to remain in contact with many of her mentors from her time at CSUF and “coached” the song “Burn” with her CSUF vocal coach, Sarah Grandpre, which she believes solidified her role in “Hamilton.”
“If I didn’t have her, I wouldn’t be here, really,” Mariasoosay said. “All of those folks pushed me and also challenged me too because there were times where I didn’t necessarily believe in myself.”
During her time at CSUF and the countless days she spent with mentors, Mariasoosay really learned that that is only one piece of the puzzle.
“I think it’s a really beautiful balance between yourself and your drive and talent for the people who foster and nurture you along the way and somewhat luck, being in the right place at the right time,” Mariasoosay said. “It’s like a beautiful trifecta of those things and I definitely think all those mentors that helped me get here are part of the reason I’m here for sure.”
And when this dream finally arrived, after working tirelessly alongside these mentors, so did the immediate confrontation of unfamiliarity.
Though learning the entire show with a completely new cast was one of the most difficult things Mariasoosay has ever done, it was equally one she holds the sincerest gratitude towards.
In meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda when he came to watch their run-through, beyond the obvious starstruck joy, Mariasoosay was able to tap into the familiar intimacy only found in true creative camaraderie. Her personal admiration for how this musical’s creative team remains attached, even over a decade after its debut, is surely an encore for her own support systems built amidst her journey.
But even with the strongest of support, the wellness of oneself persists as a priority of Mariasoosay’s after her demanding pre-debut routine of working on a touring company while simultaneously juggling auditions, where she was expected to fly in from tour for one day, land, audition and then fly out that same night to be ready to perform in a show.
“The hardest part is keeping up with your health and your time,” Mariasoosay said. “You have to be so dedicated and just accept the fact that you are going to be exhausted. It’s just one of those things where it’s like, ‘OK, if I want this that bad, I’m going to have to go.’”
Whether in pursuit of a career in performance like hers or not, Mariasoosay’s advice to current Titans is a simple reminder to keep going, as every “no” truly guides everyone toward the right “yes.”