Gaelen Gilliland

Gaelen Gilliland is an American musical theatre actress born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose Broadway career spans from 2002 to 2019 across five productions.

Gilliland's Broadway work includes both original cast and replacement engagements. She joined the original Broadway cast of Legally Blonde in a multi-role capacity, playing Mom, Courtney, and Whitney while also understudying Paulette, Vivienne, and Enid. She was part of the original Broadway cast of 9 to 5: The Musical as a swing, covering the roles of Doralee and Judy, and appeared in the original Broadway cast of Honeymoon in Vegas as an ensemble member. Her replacement credits on Broadway include Wicked, where she performed in the ensemble and understudied Madame Morrible, and Kinky Boots, where she served as a swing understudying Pat, Trish, and the Milan Stage Manager. Her most recent Broadway engagement was with the original cast of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, in which she played the Mayor of Bikini Bottom.

Beyond Broadway, Gilliland has accumulated significant national touring credits. She originated the role of Mayzie LaBird in the first national tour of Seussical: The Musical, a production that featured Cathy Rigby. She joined the first national tour of The Addams Family as a replacement in the role of Alice Beineke, and she appeared in the original cast of the American tour of Mean Girls, playing Mrs. Heron, Ms. Norbury, and Mrs. George. She also contributed to the pre-production and out-of-town performances of Finding Neverland.

Gilliland's regional theatre work includes the role of Diana Goodman in Next to Normal at the Holmdel Theatre Company in Holmdel, New Jersey. Her documented special skills include tap dance, inline skating, French language proficiency, aerobics certification, marathon running, and sketch comedy and character work.