One phone call was all it took for Broadway actress Hailey Hyde to learn she would be making her Broadway debut.
Hyde grew up in Utah in a home filled with music. With inspiration from her aunts, she attended Brigham Young University, where she studied music, dance and theatre.
“I felt really lucky to have that sense of calling, and there were definitely moments, in college, that felt impossible at being successful, but there’s always a lot of amazing theatre, so I’m grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had,” Hyde said.
Hyde joined the company of “The Outsiders” in Jan. 2025, where she performs backstage as a booth singer eight times a week.
“I am offstage, so my role looks a little different, because I’m what we call a booth singer,” Hyde said. “We have four booth singers in ‘The Outsiders,’ where we sing during all the ensemble numbers, because our show’s very physically demanding.”
When she isn’t backstage singing, Hyde understudies and covers the women principal and supporting roles.
“If someone on stage is sick or they have a vacation planned, then I step in as an understudy for Cherry, Marsha, and Beverly.”
Hyde made her unexpected Broadway debut as Marcia in “The Outsiders” in February 2025.
“My debut wasn’t a planned debut,” Hyde said. “Sometimes, if someone’s on vacation, you kind of know ahead of time, but I was on my way to Pilates, and I got a call from my stage manager saying, ‘Hey, you want to make your Broadway debut today?’”
As an understudy, maintaining a healthy voice and body is especially important when you’re not on stage consistently.
“It’s pretty wild. I will go a few weeks without being on stage, and then one day I’ll be on stage covering the ensemble tracks. If I’m not physically ready for that, it can be pretty shocking to the body. Onstage or offstage, I try to stay physically fit, feeding myself right, sleeping a good amount, exercising and drinking water.”
Hyde recently performed her solo show on July 12 at the Chelsea Table & Stage which featured songs that have shaped her throughout her life.
“I’ve never done anything where it’s just me, so it feels really intimidating, but I’m really excited about it.”
Remembering the importance of self-kindness is something that Hyde continues to learn.
“Being kind to yourself and others will get you so far. I think I have a lot of tendencies where I will do a show, and try to be a perfectionist. As I grow older, I’m still learning that you can be your number one cheerleader, not just your number one critic,” Hyde said.
