Eagan native Lara Akal makes Carnegie Hall debut

Resident of Eagan, Minnesota and Eastview High School graduate Lara Akal had the experience of a lifetime on her first trip to New York City. After participating in a Twitter contest put online by Eagan High School graduate Laura Osnes (twice Tony-nominated Broadway star and Minnesota's own spokesperson for Hennepin Theatre Trust's Spotlight High School Musical Theatre Program), she was selected to take part in the "My Carnegie Moment" event in promotion for Paramount Pictures' film Florence Foster Jenkins. The film is about the life of the singer in the 1940's of the same name whose claim to fame was hitting all the wrong notes (played by Meryl Streep). Audiences loved her bizarre charm, her lifelong dream was to perform at Carnegie Hall, which she achieved late in her life. On July 12th, 2016, Akal and two other singers got the chance to grace the main stage of Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, once coveted by Jenkins to sing one solo each and receive a mentor session from Osnes. The event was covered by Playbill, Theatermania, Broadway World, and Broadway Style Guide - all posting photos, videos, and/or interviews featuring the performers. Akal sang "Part of Your World" from Disney's The Little Mermaid, which was the first song she ever sang on a stage to an audience when she attended Falcon Ridge Middle School. Her dream is to become a Broadway performer, and she hopes this opportunity will lead her to her aspirations. She currently studies Vocal Music at the University of Minnesota after many years of performing and training locally and regionally and is grateful to all her friends and family for their love and support in all her endeavors. Reacting to the experience, Akal told Paramount Pictures in her post-performance interview, "This is just beyond my wildest dreams."

Images by Monica Simoes for Playbill