Kids These Days: Pearl Gold

Pearl Gold was 6 when she took her first class at Spotlight Kids on Reade, inspired by the Broadway shows her grandmother would take her to, along with her cousin Alice. She snagged a part as Ronnette, one of the singing narrators in “Little Shop of Horrors” and that was all it took. Just three years later and now she’s on Broadway in Tom Stoppard’s new play “Leopoldstadt.” And another thing: she opens the show. And has the first line. And she has to say it in a British accent. But wait, there’s more.

“We get to eat cake,” Pearl tells me of one of the first scenes, which takes place in 1899. “It’s gluten free and dairy free and somehow it’s still really good. I always eat the whole piece.”

Back it up a bit, to days before the world shut down for the pandemic, Pearl auditioned for a program called Kidz Theater, scored a part and then everything went on Zoom. But that kept her going through the lockdown. It also launched her professional career. When the world reawakened, she started a new routine: wake up, go to school, go to Washington Market Park, leave the park for an audition, come back to the park.

Pearl is in fifth grade now at PS 234, and due to her rehearsal schedule, her routine is a bit different: she wakes up at 7:30, rehearses for a half hour, goes to school, runs out of class at 1 to meet her father outside (her teacher sets a timer so they don’t miss her exit), scarfs down some lunch and runs up to the Longacre Theatre. She doesn’t get to bed till 11:30. (The producers asked that we do our interview on Zoom  for covid’s sake.)

“Rehearsal is really long but it’s really fun,” Pearl says. “I get to be with the other kids [there are 11 in the show, among a cast of 38] and the other grown-ups and it’s really fun to talk to them. Even during tech, we all sit on a couch and hang out and talk.” The four girls in the cast share a dressing room, which right now is decorated for Halloween, where they hang out, play music, have impromptu dance parties.

Pearl is one of the few kids actually *in* school — the others come from all over the country and get home schooled. She figures she’s lucky to live where she does. “I don’t have as much time with my friends because of rehearsal, so I love going to in-person school.” But she’s definitely on a path. She wants to be a theater actor as an adult, and in the meantime, work on her triple threat status (she already is a lovely singer). “I can’t dance,” she says. “Yet.”

And here’s a quick TCQ&A from Pearl, with a couple questions adapted for the stage.

Favorite Broadway show
“Wicked” and “Waitress.” “Defying Gravity” is the best song ever and she floats up which I thought was amazing. For “Waitress,” I just love the pies.

If you could be in any play…
I would want to be Amaryllis in the “Music Man” because she loves to read just like me — it’s my favorite hobby.

Favorite song to sing
“What the Hell” from “Mrs. Doubtfire” or “Hello My Name is Sarah” from “Bedwetter,” the Sarah Silverman play. It closed, but it was amazing.

How long have you lived in Tribeca? Three years, moved from the West Village

Do you have siblings? No siblings, very close cousins

For special occasions, I go to: Sant Ambroeus

Best snack food in the neighborhood: Ice cream trucks

I’m so glad my cousins are in the neighborhood.

A recent enthusiasm: Magic tricks! .

Rainy-day activity: Reading and movies

Tribeca could use more Candy Stores

If I couldn’t live here, I’d live in  Mexico

I wish you had asked me about: My room, I love it!

 

4 Comments

  1. We love you Pearl, congrats!!!

  2. So proud of your Pearl!

  3. Really nice girl. So proud of you Pearl! Congrats!

  4. Congrats Pearl! Can’t wait to see you!

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