Cranberry Township 8-year-old makes Broadway debut
Mila Jaymes, 8, of Cranberry Township, knew she made it big when she started rehearsing for a musical in New York City. And acting alongside a Tony Award winner was another milestone. But there was another marker of her first Broadway show that signified a big step up in her acting career.
“This would be my first show I would ever be in with an intermission,” Mila said Tuesday, May 20.
Mila is playing Baby June in the Broadway revival of “Gypsy,” which stars six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald. The show debuted May 20 at the Majestic Theatre in New York City.
Mila’s mom, Tammy Croftcheck, said Mila had acted in a touring Broadway production of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical.” Croftcheck said Mila initially got a call to audition for “Gypsy” while she was on the road with the Grinch, but the 8-year-old wanted to finish the run with the children’s musical before stepping into one geared more toward an adult audience.
“She wanted to do Cindy Lou Who first and get the experience of being in a show,” Croftcheck said.
Croftcheck said the two found an apartment in New York that is close to the theater where Mila is performing, and the youth has found a new love for scootering around the city streets. The day of the show’s opening night, Mila said she was excited to greet the audience with her character’s opening line.
“I get to burst through a piece of paper onto the stage as Baby June. It’s basically a piece of fabric, and there’s a piece that goes under it,” Mila said. “And I say, ‘Hi, everybody. My name is June. What’s yours?’”
