GYPSY’s Jade Smith & Marley Lianne Gomes are the December 2024 Debuts of the Month

Talented young actors Jade Smith and Marley Lianne Gomes are currently sharing the role of Baby June in Gypsy on Broadway, starring Audra McDonald and more! 

BroadwayWorld sat down with the two stars to discuss making their Broadway debuts in the role, what it’s like working alongside Broadawy legends like Audra McDonald, Danny Burstein and others, plus much more! 

Read the full interview and check out photography by BroadwayWorld’s own Jennifer Broski below!

What do you both love most about playing Baby June?

JS: There are many things I love about playing Baby June! But one of them is doing my solo because I get to do all these cool moves. Another is wearing all these huge costumes, because we have all these huge bows, and this huge tutu in the beginning. And it bounces all the time!

MLG: I think my favorite part about being Baby June is what an amazing character she is, and I just love to play her because she really matches my personality.

Are there any parts of playing Baby June that are challenging?

JS: This doesn’t really have to do with the performance, but we have this quick change after Let Me Entertain You, and it’s like, a 12-second quick change, so we don’t have a lot of time to get into it. We’re getting into the rhythm of it, but the first time was pretty challenging because we go from the Let Me Entertain You dress to the military dress, and we have this huge headpiece that goes on top of our red bows. So, that’s the most challenging thing.

MLG: I think the most challenging thing is, I would probably say the choreography. It’s super fun but it’s also super tiring, but we barely even notice it because of how much fun we’re having. But I wanted to call that out, because it’s exhausting, but really fun!

What is the most exciting part for you both about performing on stage every night?

JS: For me, it’s seeing the audience’s reaction, because all audiences are different. So, it’s really cool to see how some people react differently than others, if they laugh at one part, or clap at another part that they didn’t clap at the night before. So, it’s really cool for me. And also, I just really like performing in front of audiences. Every time I go on stage I’m that character, I’m not anyone else. It’s really cool.

MLG: Pretty much the same answer! The audience clapping, especially at Audra, she gets a huge applause.

What is it like sharing a role with each other?

JS: It is really cool, because we’re the same character but we put our own spin on it. We stay true to the character, but we do it different ways. So, it’s really cool how we can be the same character and do it our own way.

MLG: The audience doesn’t know who’s who, so it’s more like a surprise. And I like it because we’re getting closer each month! Pretty soon we’re going to be like sisters, and I’m excited because the fun has just begun.

JS: Yeah, we’re basically twins!

How do you both prepare for your performances? Do you have any fun backstage routines? Do you have anything you have to do before you go on stage?

JS: Yes, there’s a lot! There’s one thing that me and Kyleigh [Vickers]—our Baby Louise—do, we have our own pre-show handshake, so every time we have to get to that pre-show handshake. Something else we do, is when the overture plays, we just do all these different dances, TikTok dances, we sing along to the music. So, that’s what we do before a show!

MLG: Me and my friend Summer [Rae Danney], who is understudy of Baby Louise and Balloon Girl, we also have a handshake we like to do before the show, and it really helps us if we’re ever nervous, we do it and it calms us. I have on my mirror, at my station in our dressing room, a bunch of sticky notes that have positive words, so I like to go over those before heading down and getting ready to go on stage, and that really helps me calm down as well.

What’s it like working with the cast of Gypsy, like Audra McDonald and Danny Burstein? Do you have a favorite memory with them so far?

JS: Everyone has been really kind and welcoming in this Broadway community. Audra, all the way back in rehearsal, we had this thing where if any adult curses they owe money! So, George [C. Wolfe, director] and Audra are the ones who curse the most [laughs]. Audra threw us a party with the money, she gave us all this ice cream from Cold Stone, we had our own sundae bar, it was really cool!

MLG: Audra McDonald, she’s a legend, she’s so nice, she’s pretty, she is really good. And I like Kevin [Csolak] and Danny Burstein, Joy Woods, they’re all super nice, and I love them. My favorite memory is probably bows because we all huddle up together and this huge audience claps for us and this amazing show, and we kind of just honor the show.

What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from your directors or castmates?

JS: George, our director, one time all the way back in rehearsal he gave us this quote, ‘Think clear and not clever’. And one of our child managers was like, “I’ve got to write that down.” And I was like, “Yeah!” But in my head I was like, ‘I don’t know what that means.’ But I was like, “Yeah, you’re right! That’s wise.” But, honestly, as I start to grow and be more with George, I’ll find out what that means, but not right now.

MLG: Our vocal coach, George told her to tell us, “There are two pauses in the show, and none of them are yours.” And I don’t get it, but it’s cool how he thinks of this stuff. And I carry it with me even though I don’t know what it means!

If you could give advice to another kid dreaming of being on Broadway, what would you say to them?

JS: I would say to not give up, to keep on following their dreams. Three years ago I started acting, and I wasn’t really getting anything, but then I started getting vocal coaching and acting coaching, and then I got the Annie tour, and I was like, ‘Okay, we’re getting somewhere!’ And a year later I got Gypsy. So, you shouldn’t give up, keep on going and do what you love, because at some point you’ll get your dream.

MLG: At some point actors realize that they started as that little kid when they dreamt of being an actor, and then it happened. I think my advice would be to follow your dreams, because if you don’t believe in yourself, it will never happen. I remember we were on a road trip, and I was watching a movie, and there was a little girl in the movie, and I was like, “I want to be an actor, Mom!” And she was like, “Okay!” So, audition after audition, yeses and nos, I got two commercials, a billboard, then I ended up in a Broadway show, and I realize now we all started off as beginners and we didn’t really know what we were doing.