Celia Rose Gooding, star of Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill, on her journey from page to stage and why teens can relate to the musical’s deep subject matter.
By Rachel Sokol

AT: Tell me about your childhood.

CG:So, as a teenager I was pretty outgoing. I was the loud one in class, always, ironically enough, very dramatic as a kid. I was a theater girl; outspoken, really passionate—Iloved communicating. I loved reaching out to all different kinds of people. I welcomed lots of families to my school and was always talking about something, whether it be theater or softball or the arts. Additionally, I was the spokesperson for the arts at my school. If we had families coming who were really interested in theater, they would always pair them with me and make sure that I was the one reaching out to them. I was confident in myself, but I didn't really understand why until I realized I was meant to be in the theater. That's why I'm so outspoken.I'm actually born and raised in New York and went to school in Tarrytown.

Your mom is Tony-award winner LaChanze, who was in Broadway’s The Color Purple, Ragtime, If/Then, and the movie The Help. What’s it like having LaChanze as your mom? Did you grow up signing non-stop showtunes with her?

I'm really, really lucky to have the mom that I do. She's my biggest support system. She has always influenced me to pursue my passions, no matter what they were, she was always really supportive. We didn't grow up singing show tunes specifically, but we're a very musical family. There was always music playing in my house such as Erykah Badu, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Prince, Earth, Wind & Fire, there was a lot of good soul music in our house!And when it came to theater, when she started understanding that I was going to be actively pursuing this, she had her doubts, of course, because the arts is not always a stable source of income. 

She had her hesitancies because it’s such a tough field, right?

All parents want for their kids is for them to be happy, but also to be safe and in all senses; physically, mentally, emotionally, and also, financially. They want us to have successful lives where we don't have to struggle. But once my mom understood that this is something that I'm going to be doing regardless of what comes of it, she was super supportive. And she was the one setting me up with vocal therapists and she got me my agent and she's my manager right now. Once she understood that this is something that I'm going to be taking seriously, then that was when the chips started to fall. And now I'm in Jagged…and without her I would not be as competent in theater as I am today.

Before the show transitioned to Broadway you were a college student.Would you return to school?

I've been working on the show since high school, so I never really graduated without the idea of Jagged Little Pill. I had time before the show went to Broadway and went to Pace University for a year with a minor in psychology and a major in musical theater.

Would you ever go back to Pace to finish your degree?

I think about it sometimes. It may not be going to an actual college. It may be online stuff, but I'm in love with my work and if I can continue to work and continue to get paid to do what I love then I'm going to keep doing that. But college is always an option, it isn't going anywhere.

Jagged Little Pill features the music of musician Alanis Morrisette. Did you know her music prior to joining the cast?

Just as everyone knows Beyonce and Madonna and Lady Gaga, everyone knows Alanis Morissette. You may not know her name, but you know her music.And so, the song that I auditioned with, "You Ought to Know" was for my first initial reading. Her music has always been in my life. I just didn't know Alanis Morissette as a woman and an artist. I was like, "Oh, she has a few of my favorite songs; I knew her song Ironic, Hand in my Pocket, and You Ought to Know. And now one of my favorite Alanis songs is one that I didn't know beforehand until the show, and it's Wake Up. That's a good one!

Alanis Morrisette’s been around since the 90s. Why do you think she’s still so popular?

I think she sparked the movement of women speaking a truth in music. I think, especially modern music, there are lots of songs by powerful women and they're expressing their feelings and I think that without Alanis Morissette I don't think they would have thought of that as an actual option; something that could actually happen. Alanis Morissette's music is relatable to teens today and that's why there's these folks doing so well, in my opinion, because there's a new generation being exposed to this brilliant work of art and it transcends time. Jagged…will always be a fantastic album for generations to come because Alanis has done such an incredible job of speaking truth in music.

What can you tell me the show itself?

The show to me is all about the importance of open dialogue and open communication between generations. It’s a perfect platform for generations to have communication and to open the idea of what's important and what isn't.The show follows this family of four; I play a black girl adopted into a white family and we talk about the importance of open dialogues about race. A tragedy strikes in the Connecticut town we live in, and although I won't spoil it for you, what we're dealing with in the show is incredibly important.I also think the show provides an opportunity for people to talk about the things that may scare them and the things that they may want to keep ‘down’ to save face and be pretty, and thus, we deny ourselves of the ugly and important bits of life. Jagged…re-opens the idea of honesty and what it means to be honest about yourself and what you're going through.

What career advice do you have for young performers who aspire to be professional?

Show up at auditions; do the work.It's really easy to get disheartened in this business once your dreams are dashed one time.I think it's really important to remind ourselves as people in theater that it's a business first, and (rejection’s) not personal, even though it may feel like it is. Sometimes there are just certain requirements that have to be hit in order for a show to be deemed successful. And if you're willing to meet the work that is demanded, it's a dream.And it's super, it's wonderful and it's everything that I've ever wanted. It's nothing I completely expected, but if anyone were to ask for my advice, I would say just understand that it looks like a lot of fun because it is, but it requires workand it requires passion. For a thousand "no's," there's that dream, "yes" and if you quit after a few "no's" thenyou'll never know if the "yes" was there for you. Just continue to believe in yourself even if you feel like the business doesn't believe in you.

Follow Celia on Instagram at: @celiargooding. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview was conducted just two weeks before the global COVID-19 quarantine in which everyone was strongly encouraged to stay home and engage in social distancing. As a result, all Broadway shows closed indefinitely due to the pandemic, and, at press time, it’s unknown when Jagged Little Pill, and Broadway in general, will re-open. Out of immense respect for Celia Rose Gooding, the Broadway community, and our young readers craving normalcy, we decided to move ahead with this interview in a spread of love and admiration for the performing arts.