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As a young child, Gabrielle Beckford ’17 never dreamed of being on Broadway. But for the foreseeable future, that’s exactly where the Rider alumna will be as she makes her Broadway debut in the new musical comedy 

Beckford plays the role of Rapunzel, the tower-bound princess traditionally known for being rescued by a gallant prince and his hair-climbing abilities. But this is no traditional story. “She may be trapped in a tower,” says Beckford of her character. “But she definitely has a little street cred.” 

Based on an original story written by Jon Hartmere, Once Upon a One More Time is a revisionist fairy tale set to the hit music of Britney Spears. The plot follows the lives of storybook princesses Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and more who, after years of living out their pre-scripted “happily ever afters,” have had their world turned upside down when they’re gifted a copy of Betty’s Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. 

Featuring more than 20 songs by the princess of pop, including ...Baby One More Time, Oops!...I Did It Again and Toxic, as well as plenty of exhilarating choreography, the show puts the old princess tropes to bed in an empowering and modern way. 

As part of the original Broadway cast, Beckford had the unique opportunity to influence the formation of her character. “I always wanted to make something authentically my own and now I get to be this iconic princess as Gabrielle Beckford,” she says.

Originally from Queens, New York, Beckford grew up singing in her local church, but never even considered musical theater until high school. “I performed in the school talent show my freshman year, when the woman who ran the music department hunted me down and told me I needed to do the musical,” she says. “The following year I was cast as Dionne in Hair. On my first day of rehearsal, I had that once-in-a-lifetime moment where I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”

Beckford went on to pursue her newly found passion at Rider where she majored in musical theatre. “I absolutely loved my experience at Rider,” she says. “I just loved how intimate our classes were and the one-on-one interaction you would get from the faculty members.” 

She credits her teachers for helping her understand the kind of performer she wanted to be. “They helped you tap into a part of yourself that you didn’t even know existed,” she says. “And when you found magic, they gave you the techniques to help you master it.”

At the end of her junior year, Beckford booked her first job – a summer production of All Shook Up, at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, California. She returned to Rider excited and hopeful about the future, and spent her senior year balancing school work and nonstop auditions. Her hard work paid off when, after watching her perform in her senior showcase, Hudson Artists Agency took interest and offered her a contract. She’s been with the agency ever since. 

“I’ve been very fortunate to have worked almost nonstop since finishing college,” she says.

Beckford shares the Broadway stage with noteworthy performers such as Justin Guarini (American Idol, Wicked), Adam Godley (Succession, Mad Men), Briga Heelan (Great News, Ground Floor) and more. Some of her previous credits include roles in the first national tour of The Prom and regional tours of The Wiz, Crowns, Gloria: A Life, Nina Simone: Four Women, Hair, Aida, Hairspray, Sister Act and Big River. 

 is playing at the Marquis Theatre, New York, New York.