Laurie: My love for musical theater has definitely bloomed over the last few years. It kicked off in 2016 when I saw Hamilton for the first time. A couple of weeks later, I was on Dancing with the Stars. We had a Broadway night — we got Chicago — and Idina Menzel was a guest judge. I remember geeking out and being so excited.

When the Olympics got delayed, I was thinking, I don’t know what to do with my time. I wound up taking an online acting class and writing class, and I had such a blast. The Olympics ended up not working out, and I retired in 2021. But I always thought I might want to get into acting and entertainment, so I wasn’t shocked that it was a career path for me once I retired from gymnastics.

In 2022, I started at NYU for drama and creative writing. I just graduated this past May, and I’m so relieved! I’ve had such a blast in this world, and I could not wrap my head around the fact that my acting career kicked off while I was graduating. I graduated while I was in & Juliet, and I could not have been more grateful for the opportunity. 

I was getting ready to take a big vacation when I got the audition for Spelling Bee. I was so happy to join the cast and, again, grateful for the opportunity. Everyone is so talented, kind, and lovely. This is definitely a new chapter for me.