Press

"As Maria, Medina is exuberant, honest and infectious...convincing in [her] naivety, a quality the show demands"

"Lovely Lauren Maria Medina plays Louise much differently than most actresses. Ms. Medina peppers her spunky portrayal with good humor and optimism, instead of simply hurt and loneliness, making her Louise a young woman with whom the audience can truly identify and who they cheer on to success. Ms. Medina is very believable, especially in her sincere version of “Little Lamb;” and she owns the stage, both backstage and in the spotlight, in various burlesque stripteases"

"As Maria, Medina is a revelation. Her acting is exquisite, and she has a strong voice. She is 100% believable as a young girl falling in love for the first time. Medina gives a command performance that is worth the price of admission"

"Medina’s Louise was so awkward and uncomfortable throughout the show, that knowing what was coming for Lousie, I was so nervous for Medina pulling it off. However, as the power dynamics start to shift, Medina’s Louise transforms from awkward to strong, powerful, and seductive"

"Medina's listening skills are what make her performance"

"Medina’s wonderfully natural portrayal of Maria, a Puerto Rican girl on the brink of womanhood, is richly enhanced by the great emotional intensity of her beautiful octave-spanning voice. And the sense of wonder and heat she brings to her character’s first-love passion is feverishly real" 

"It is a masterful acting performance that spans many ages and maturity levels, but never loses sight of the sad little girl that was never good enough in her mother’s eyes"

"Medina finds a lighter-than-air quality within Maria, curious and exuberant at first, then flipping the switch effectively to a young woman caught up in the wonder of first love and oblivious to the inherent risks involved"

"Lauren Maria Medina plays an exquisite Maria. She has the voice of an angel with pipes big enough to completely fill the stage"

 "Medina sings prettily throughout. But as tragedy transforms her character, her timbre becomes richer and more resonant, culminating in the gloriously operatic 'A Boy Like That'/'I Have a Love'"