Lauren Haughton Gillis is an international director and choreographer who is deeply rooted in the tradition of musical theatre but curious about moving the art form forward in a more contemporary way. She has produced, directed, and choreographed shows for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS all over the US and Canada with the Broadway National Touring companies of Hamilton, Wicked, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, and The Book of Mormon.

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Lauren is currently helping maintain productions as a director/choreographer for Virgin Voyages International. She made her NYC directing debut at The Cutting Room with a production of the new musical, The Magic Hummingbird. Prior to the Lincoln Center run, Lauren had an observership with the Tony award winning director/choreographer Graciela Daniele on The Gardens of Anuncia at The Old Globe in San Diego, CA. Lauren has directed and/or choreographed at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Musical Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, Ripley Grier Studios, Constellation Stage & Screen, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, Forestburgh Playhouse, Okoboji Summer Theatre, Festival 56, Cardinal Stage, Indiana University, San Diego State University, Northwestern University, The Jacobs School of Music Opera & Ballet Theater, and at The Broadway in San Diego Awards (the Jimmy Awards pre-qualifier). 

 

As a performer, Lauren appeared on Broadway in Wicked. She was in the original casts of Turn of the Century directed by Tommy Tune at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Sammy with Leslie Bricusse at The Old Globe in San Diego, and Hans Christian Anderson with Maury Yeston at Maine State Music Theatre. On television she appeared in the Annie episode for Encore! on Disney+, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and choreographed by Melinda Sullivan. She also guest starred as Lori on Guiding Light. 

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Lauren is the BFA Director of Music Theatre at Florida State University. She was previously an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at the Indiana University Department of Theatre & Dance where she won the 2022 Trustees Teaching Award. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and is the Head of Dance/Vice President of Conferences for Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance International (MTEA). She has certifications from Jacobs Pillow Curriculum in Motion and Lynn Simonson Jazz Technique. She holds a BFA from Syracuse University and an MFA from San Diego State University.