At 9 years old, Leila Gross ‘27 stood in a Manhattan audition room, fidgeting with her dress and trying not to stare at the casting table. She didn’t know it then, but that audition, one of hundreds to play Young Anna in Frozen, would soon lead her to Broadway.
Gross has been performing since she was four, appearing in local shows before her parents started exploring professional opportunities. “At first, my parents were so hesitant for me to get into the real world of performing because there’s not a great reputation about child actors,” she said. “They didn’t want me to be constrained to this one route in my life.”
Eventually, she signed with her manager Jason Bercy of Bercy Talent, opening doors for Gross in the professional performance community.
Out of roughly 500 girls, Gross landed the role of Young Anna, making her Broadway debut at just 9 years old on Nov. 14, 2018. “That was the first time I really noticed that this was real and it wasn’t just something I did after school,” she said.
After her contract with Frozen ended, Gross continued performing, this time in front of tens of thousands. She began singing the national anthem for the New York Knicks and Rangers, and has performed at Madison Square Garden nearly eight times. “There are no words to even express how grateful I am for that opportunity and to have done it so much,” she said.
In between performances, both inside and outside of Masters, Gross is a full-time student and co-captain of Masters varsity field hockey. Jack Sobolewski ‘27 touched on her busy schedule. “She finds out [about performances] just a few weeks before, so she definitely has to use her time management skills, but she never lets her artistic success hinder her academic success,” he said.
Gross is also the co-founder of Songs for the States, a performance initiative she created with Sobolewski to raise money for underfunded arts programs.
Since its inception in December 2022, the group has staged shows at venues like Green Room 42 and will debut this year at 54 Below, a Tony Award-winning cabaret space underneath Studio 54. “We really wanted to give back in a way that reflected what the arts community had given us, Gross said.
Sobolewski noted that the cast itself reflects Gross’s approach to leadership. “We’ve always been proud that the group isn’t just filled with great performers, but really great people,” he said. He added, “Leila has really been holding it all together and making sure everyone feels valued while still keeping our focus on the cause.”
Despite her growing list of credits, Gross keeps her goals simple. “My dream venue is to be back on Broadway,” she said.
