Lauren Graham talks Gilmore Girls & Broadway

Ausiello, who has forever been a strong supporter of Gilmore Girls and of Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore), sat down with the star for an interview about her new role on the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. And also about the possibility for a future for Gilmore Girls, and yes, there’s hope!!

Lauren Graham has lead role of Miss Adelaide, a ’30s nightclub singer, in the musical comedy Guys and Dolls, opening March 1 at the Nederlander Theatre with previews starting February 4th (tickets are available here). Lauren Graham says she is very excited about being on Broadway, although she didn’t purposefully try to end up there. When asked about her singing, Ausiello makes reference to Lorelai Gilmore’s drunk episode, and Lauren’s response was already shared here. She continues in talking about her training as a singer, with experience in musicals early on in her career.

“This is something I’m enjoying doing. I really connect with this character. I really like her. I feel comfortable in this medium. I feel happy to be here. It’s been a challenge, but I’m really enjoying it.”

Lauren talks about the physical challenges of the new role, the burlesque aspect and the strip act she has to do! She talks about working with Oliver Platt, and about being prepared for signing all the Gilmore Girls merchandise after each show.

Moving on to Gilmore Girls, Mike brings up the possibility of a Gilmore Girls movie, which is something we were just talking about yesterday! Although Lauren jokes with Ausiello about how he is responsible for the rumors, she does admit to seriously considering it!

“It’s hard. I don’t know what we could give the fans that would satisfy them. It’s going to be like, “Grandmother Lorelai pulls into town… ” I don’t know what the story would be. But as with everything I do I my career, if something comes up that inspires me, then I’ll consider it. Plus, these are people who I love so much.”

Lauren Graham talks about the end of Gilmore Girls as being something like a “bad breakup”, something that didn’t end in the way “any of us would have liked”, which disappointed her as well. But that it’s hard to change what already happened.

“When the reruns come on now I think about the path it took, and it makes me sad. I wish we would have known it was the end when we shot the final episode, quite simply. But we can’t go back and change that. And I’m not sure a movie would help.”

Though she’s a little unsure if a movie would help, I’m glad Lauren Graham would consider it. With Amy Sherman-Palladino leading the script, I think that Gilmore Girls could get the ending it really deserves.

But then onto other fun stuff! Lauren Graham talks about the pilot comedy that she’s developing with ABC! Lauren describes the idea of the pilot (which you can read more about here) as something “so wrong it’s right,” something that really made her laugh (which is saying a lot!).

In the new show, Lauren Graham will play a self-help guru who doesn’t take her own advice and, after being dumped by her boyfriend, ends up in her own life mess. When asked if the show was like Men in Trees, Lauren responded:

“It’s a darker comedy… more like Arrested Development. Men in Trees was a really well written dramedy, but it was soft and sweet — kind of in the tone of Gilmore Girls. This is more comedic. It’s a totally different tone. And I don’t live in Alaska.”

Lauren says her character becomes obsessed with her ex, which is so backward from her own college feminist studies courses. Lauren calls her character “deeply flawed” who, unlike Lorelai Gilmore, is not as easy to “root for.” Lauren hopes to shoot the pilot for the new ABC comedy while she’s working on Guys and Dolls, which runs through October.

Read the full interview on EW here.

Image of Lauren Graham at ‘Becky Shaw’ premiere: RD/Leon/Retna Ltd / Used with Permission of Second Stage Theatre