Broadway Bailey 'Matilda the Musical' star to headline Forbes Center's 'Chicago'

By JAKE DODOHARA The Breeze

Many people have a specific playground they remember going to while growing up. Junior musical theatre major Bailey Ryon is no different.

Except her childhood playground was in New York City, where she played with her fellow child actors before returning to the Shubert Theater to perform as the titular role in “Matilda the Musical” on Broadway.

“I think they called it the ‘Chuck E. Cheese’ of Broadway that year because it was just swarmed with children,” Ryon said, describing her downtime playing at a specific park with “Broadway kids” like Sadie Sink, Gaten Mazzarato and Caleb McLaughlin, who grew up and went on to star in the Netflix show “Stranger Things.”

Ryon, who is now 20 years old, has over a decade of theatre experience under her belt. Her credits include originating the role of Matilda on Broadway in 2013 and performing as Cindy Lou Who in a national tour of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2011.

Still dedicated to her craft, she’s now studying within the JMU School of Theatre and Dance.

“It’s just what I love … When you have that experience when you're younger, you kind of are like, ‘OK, cool, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,’” Ryon said, noting that she’s never wavered pursuing a career in entertainment.

Contrary to what one might think, Ryon described herself as a “very shy kid” who rarely spoke while growing up in rural Glen Rock, Pennsylvania. One of five children, Ryon was introduced to the performance world through her mother — Ciara Driscoll — who went to school for theatre and dance education. When Ryon was a baby, Driscoll said, she would bring her into a dance studio every night, placing Ryon’s carseat on the stage as she worked to choreograph productions like “Grease.”

Years later, after participating in her first-grade play and taking some dance and voice lessons, an 8-year-old Ryon heard an advertisement on the radio about an audition for a cereal commercial in Philadelphia.

“She came home and she kept talking about this thing she heard on the radio … and she remembered the telephone number from the radio at 8 years old without a pen and paper,” Driscoll said. “Finally, after a week, I was like, ‘OK, she’s not letting this go.’ So we sat down and talked about it.”

Driscoll said she explained to Ryon that auditioning for a professional project was “like a job” that required commitment and “not just a fun hobby” that could be easily dropped.

“We talked about ‘as soon as I hear you complain about memorizing lines or going to the audition, we’re done because we’ve got four other kids and there’s a lot going on in our lives,’” Driscoll remembers saying to Ryon before eventually scheduling the audition in Philadelphia.

Upon their arrival at the audition, Driscoll soon realized the casting call was a “scam,” asking for $5,000 from each family for their services. Driscoll allowed her daughter to participate in the day’s activities before leaving. However, a legitimate talent agent at the event saw Ryon and became interested in representing her.

After an official meeting with her agent in New York City, Ryon went on several auditions. Her first weekend in New York, she booked the role of Cindy Lou Who for a national tour of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2011 — a rarity, considering the extensive number of auditions actors typically take on before booking their first role.

“Touring, I’ve found, is my favorite,” Ryon said, reminiscing on how close a cast of performers can become while working in a road trip-like environment. Additionally, Ryon found she thrived being around adults. While she enjoyed playing with other child actors in the dressing rooms, she remembers adult actors noting her intensity and professionalism, with them joking that she was “literally [10 years old] and more responsible than” they were.

In 2012, after “Grinch” concluded its seasonal tour, Ryon auditioned for the Broadway production of “Matilda the Musical.” After a total of 11 auditions, she booked the role, rotating performances with three other actors, which included Milly Shapiro, who later starred in the acclaimed 2018 horror film “Hereditary.”

“Being a part of the original cast, you have months and months to get to know these people,” Ryon said, detailing how close she and the other Matilda actresses became.

Although Ryon and the other actresses were deemed ineligible for a Tony Award nomination — due to the four actresses sharing a singular role — they were awarded the prestigious Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater. Ryon and the other actresses also attended the 2014 Grammys, where “Matilda the Musical” was nominated for Best Musical Theatre Album.

“It did register a little, but also I was a very chill kid,” Ryon said when asked if as a child she recognized the magnitude of performing on Broadway and attending prestigious award shows like the Tonys and Grammys. “When you’re a kid, you’re so fearless and there’s no nerves, like I was never nervous … You would think that would stick with me as I got older, but as I get older, I sing in class now and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so nervous.’”

After her run in “Matilda the Musical” concluded, Ryon returned to Pennsylvania, focusing on attending high school with her peers, while intermittently returning to New York for any big auditions.

“It’s been amazing watching her do what she’s done, especially because she’s done it with such confidence and resilience and grace,” Driscoll said. “I’ve kind of given her the ‘out’ all the time. [I’ve told her], ‘You did this as a kid, you don’t have to keep doing it as an adult’ ... and she’s like ‘Nope. This is my life, this is what I love. It’s all I want to do.’”

Unsure if she wanted to attend a traditional college or train at a dramatic conservatory, she auditioned for JMU’s musical theatre program for “kicks and gigs” to appease her cousin who’s a JMU alum. She said she soon fell in love with the school and felt the musical theatre department actually cared about their students.

“It’s a smattering of different journeys towards a career in [musical theatre],” Kate Lumpkin, a visiting assistant professor of musical theatre, said, describing the diverse backgrounds within JMU’s musical theatre department. “There are things that Bailey knows about contracting and scheduling in the professional world that maybe some of the other students don’t know. But, also, those other students have had life experience that Bailey hasn’t had, so they can continue to learn from each other and become better artists.”

While Ryon said she’s “having a blast” rehearsing for the Forbes Center production of “Chicago” — running Feb. 28 through March 4 — she also enjoys attending football games and being “a normal kid for once.”

“Being a normal college kid isn’t something that I thought I’d enjoy,” Ryon said. “But I’m having a great time at JMU and I love it.”

CONTACT Jake Dodohara at dodohajh@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.