Laura Leigh Turner to Make Broadway Debut as Karen Smith in Mean Girls

Broadway newbie Laura Leigh Turner will take over the role of Karen Smith in the Tony-nominated hit Mean Girls beginning on March 10. She will replace original cast member Kate Rockwell, who will play her final performance at the August Wilson Theatre on March 8.

Mean Girls will mark Turner's first Broadway credit. A graduate of Oklahoma City University, she has appeared in regional and school productions of Memphis, Hairspray, Sister Act, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Shrek the Musical. She is a former 1st runner-up of the Miss Arkansas pageant.

As previously announced, also on March 10 Chad Burris will take over as Damian Hubbard and Olivia Kaufmann will step into the role of Janis Sarkisian.

With a book by Tina Fey, music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, Mean Girls features direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw and musical direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.