At the recent Lancaster High School Choir concert, petite freshman, Laura Overby wowed the crowd with her giant singing voice. Her overall performance was the paradox of a young, fresh-faced girl demonstrating the persona of a Broadway performer.

At only 14, Overby has an impressive resume. In 5th grade, she won the Judges’ Choice Award in the Lancaster Idol competition. Later in 8th grade, she performed on stage singing a solo in the musical, Chaplin. This performance caught the eye of local media who featured her on live television and called her a “viral sensation.”

“Good Day Columbus has got to be one of the best and coolest experiences I’ve ever had! The people are so sweet and very understanding and intrigued about my stories. It was a day I will never forget,” she said.

Overby appeared on stage in a production of Legally Blonde with the Ohio University theater and is also a member of the LHS drama club. The petite powerhouse is involved in several extracurricular activities that support her desire for a future career in theatre.

“I decided to pursue theatre when people started telling me that I absolutely shined on stage,” said Overby.

“I felt like I could do theatre 24/7 without getting tired or sick of it. It was a calling that I found and now I don’t know what I would do without it,” said.

Overby plans for the future are entirely scripted and beginning to play out.

“My absolute dream is to go to college on a scholarship in the arts, get a degree in musicals theatre, and pursue a professional career on Broadway.”

Now fast forward into the future. If and when Overby should find herself accepting a Tony Award for Best Performing Actress or something of equal esteem, she already has a litany of people she would want to thank.

“Definitely my peers in theatre, Mr. Mathias, my OUL-Lancaster Theatre Director Victor Jones, my high school choir teacher, Mrs. McCoy, my middle school choir teacher, Mrs. Layne, and my lovely vocal coach, Harriet Rawlins Hill,” Overby listed.

Overby’s mother, one of her strongest supporters, describes her pride in her daughter.

“I am so proud of her success and accomplishments in something she loves! Seeing her light up on stage is the most fulfilling thing a mother could ever see,” said Reony Overby.

The young performer had some wise advice for anyone who wants to achieve greatness in their lifetime.

“Never stop at what you’re working at because, if you hit a wall and you overcome that obstacle, there may be something on the other side that is worth all of that effort you just put in,” she said.

“I promise that the bright side will be in front of you!”