Gina Naomi Baez
EducationBFA in musical theatre
Alma materPace University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Singer
  • Songwriter
Websiteginanaomibaez.com

Gina Naomi Baez is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. With a flourishing acting career having landed roles in Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, Orange is the New Black and most recently CBS's FBI. She has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway and regional stage plays including as Celia in Rattlesnake Kate, Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dulcinea del Toboso in Man of La Mancha, and Agnes in A Taste of Things to Come (among others). Baez has also seen great success with her YouTube channel which has built an impressive following. Her infamous "Lizzo's Truth Hurts x Hocus Pocus" parody music video went viral after LIZZO herself reposted it, as well as Bette Midler. She has also released several songs, including a 2015 EP (You and Me) and a variety of covers on her YouTube channel (often with Tinkerbelle the Dog).[1]

Early life and education

Baez is a native of Rockville Centre, New York.[2] She began singing as young as age six and started writing songs in eighth grade. Around that time, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.[3][4] She underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy which caused her to lose her hair. While undergoing treatment, she founded the non-profit, Kids Performing Who Kare, which continues to exist and raise money for the NYU Winthrop Hospital's Cancer Center for Kids where she was treated. The non-profit puts on stage productions and concerts with children ages 6 to 18.[2][5]

Baez attended South Side High School in Rockville Centre and graduated in 2006. She moved on to Pace University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre in 2010.[2][4] Prior to graduating college, Baez earned a role in Under Fire which ran during the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) at the Theater at St. Clement's in September and October 2009.[6][7] In January 2010, she appeared in the ensemble cast for Pace's production of Quanah at the Schaeberle Studio.[7][8]

Career

After college, one of Baez's first roles came as Anna Leonowens in an August 2010 production of The King and I with the St. Gregory Theater Group.[2] In October 2010, she directed a production of the musical, 13 in association with the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts.[9] The following month, she and select cast members from a Kids Performing Who Kare production of Sweeney Todd were asked to perform for a benefit at the New World Stages theater.[10] In October 2011, she played Jo March in a Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts production of Little Women.[11]

In September 2013, Baez premiered a music video for a song entitled, "Downtown," at a movie theater in Westbury, New York. Tinkerbelle the Dog was featured in the video.[4] In January 2014, she released a video cover of the song "Let It Go" from the 2013 Disney film, Frozen. The video again featured an appearance from Tinkerbelle the Dog,[12] who also appeared in the August 2014 music video for Baez's song, "Cupcakes."[13][14] In November 2015, Baez independently released an EP entitled, You and Me.[15][16]

In January 2016, she auditioned for and appeared in an episode of the 15th season of American Idol. She sang Meghan Trainor's "Lips Are Movin" but failed to progress beyond the judges.[17] That month, she also had a leading role as Agnes Crookshank[18] in a production of A Taste of Things to Come at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania.[5][19] In June 2016, she appeared in a small role in an episode of the Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. The following month, she appeared as Nancy for a production of Oliver! at the Warehouse Theater at Fairfield Theatre Company in Fairfield, Connecticut.[20][21] In September 2017, she earned a role as one of the street urchins, Chiffon, in a production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.[22][23]

In May 2018, Baez appeared in Women on Fire: Stories from the Frontlines at the off-Broadway Royal Family Arts Space.[24] In November 2018, she took on the role of Esmeralda for a production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon, New York. In 2019, she will have a recurring role as Marisol in the second season of Spike Lee's Netflix series, She's Gotta Have It.[3][25]

Credits

Theatre

Year Title
[7][26]		 Role Dates Venue Notes
2009 Under Fire La Muchacha September 30 – October 12, 2009 The Theater at St. Clements (NYMF) Off-Broadway
2010 Chautauqua! Ensemble January 7–17, 2010[27] The Public Theater Off-Broadway
Quanah Ensemble January 19–24, 2010 Pace University's Schaeberle Studio Theater Pace New Musicals
The King and I[2] Anna Leonowens August 2010 St. Gregory Theater Group Regional
13[9] Director October 22–24, 2010 South Side Middle School Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts
2011 Little Women[11] Jo March October 21–23, 2011 South Side Middle School Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts
2013 In The Heights Nina Rosario April 12–21, 2013[28] Montclair Operetta Club Regional
2016 A Taste of Things to Come Agnes Crookshank January 30 – February 21, 2016 Bucks County Playhouse
Oliver! Nancy August 20–21, 2016 Warehouse Theater at the Fairfield Theatre Company New Paradigm Theatre Company; regional
2017 Man of La Mancha Aldonza/Dulcinea May 25 – June 18, 2017 SaGaJi Theatre (Colorado Springs, CO) Regional
Little Shop of Horrors Chiffon September 19 – October 15, 2017 Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA) Regional
2018 Monument Lead February 3–4, 2018[29] Times Center Prospect Theatre Company
Women on Fire: Stories from the Frontlines May 11 – June 1, 2018 Royal Family Arts Space Off-Broadway
Fatty Fatty No Friends Sally August 1–4, 2018 The Green Room 42 (NYMF) Off-Broadway
The Hunchback of Notre Dame Esmeralda August 18–19, 2018 Warehouse Theater at Fairfield Theatre Company New Paradigm Theatre Company
November 8 – December 30, 2018 Argyle Theatre (Babylon, NY) Regional
2022 Rattlesnake Kate Celia February 4-March 13, 2022 Denver Center for the Performing Arts Regional

Television

Year Title Role
[21]		 Notes
2016 Orange is the New Black Singing Inmate No. 3 Episode 4.2: "Power Suit"
2019 She's Gotta Have It Marisol[3] Post-production; recurring role
2021 FBI NYPD Uniform Episode 4.4: "Know Thyself"

Film

Year Title
[7][26]		 Role Dates Notes
2022 Triple Threat Laura June 21, 2022

Discography

EPs

List of EPs with selected album details
Title Details
Me and You
  • Released: November 10, 2018 (US)
  • Label: Independent
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
List of EPs with selected album details
Title Details
Ginita
  • Released: August 5, 2022 (US)
  • Label: Independent
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

List of singles showing year released and album name
Title
[30]		 Year Album
"Everything to Me" 2014 You and Me
"Cupcakes" Non-album single
"Don't Forget Your Pet on Christmas" 2016
"Ugly Christmas Sweater Party" 2017
"Unwrap Your Heart"
"White Christmas" 2018
"Piñata""Harvest"

"Hidden Hurt" "Skyline" "Stick Around"

 Ginita

References

  1. ↑ Polyn, Glenn (April 1, 2017). "Dogs of Influence: The Popularity of Social Media Pets". Pet Age. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnson, Natalie (August 15, 2010). "Local Actress Shines in Starring Role". Patch. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Greben, Deidre S. (November 16, 2018). "Gina Naomi Baez has fighting spirit in 'Hunchback' and in real life". Newsday. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Bronner, Stephen J. (September 19, 2013). "Leaving Cancer Behind, Hewlett Singer to Premiere Music Video". Patch. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Johnson, Liz (June 24, 2016). "YouTube star Gina Baez can relate to her role in drama at Bucks County Playhouse". The Intelligencer. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  6. ↑ Bazalzo, Dan (September 3, 2009). "Brenda Braxton, Felicia Finley, Carly Jibson, Leslie Kritzer, Jack Noseworthy, Mary Testa, et al. Set for NYMF Shows". Theater Mania. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Gina Naomi Baez". About The Artists. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  8. ↑ Gans, Andrew (January 8, 2010). "Gatlin and Dodge's New Musical Quanah to Receive Staged Readings". Playbill. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts presents '13'". Long Island Herald. October 6, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Rockville Centre teens in the spotlight". Long Island Herald. January 19, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Bottan, Anthony (October 12, 2011). "PREVIEW: RVC Guild Presents 'Little Women'". Patch. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  12. ↑ Barness, Sarah (January 13, 2014). "Gina Naomi Baez Does Amazing Rendition Of 'Let It Go' From 'Frozen,' While A Dog Watches". HuffPost. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  13. ↑ Jacobs, Matthew (August 7, 2014). "Gina Naomi Baez's 'Cupcakes' Is The New 'Friday,' So Enjoy The Sprinkles on Top". HuffPost. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  14. ↑ Freda, Elizabeth (August 7, 2014). "Cupcakes" Is the Latest Painfully Awful Song From the Same People Who Brought You "Friday"". E!. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  15. ↑ Huspeni, Andrea (November 10, 2015). "Tinkerbelle Is Having a Birthday Blowout to Celebrate Her Fourth Birthday". This Dog's Life. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  16. ↑ "You and Me – EP". CD Baby. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  17. ↑ Kumari Upadhyaya, Kayla (January 21, 2016). "'American Idol': Final Audition Round Wraps As Hollywood Week Looms on the Horizon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  18. ↑ Panzer, Lisa (February 8, 2016). "A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME (BCP): Delicious flavors". Phindie. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  19. ↑ Loria, Keith (January 25, 2016). "'A Taste of Things to Come' to premiere at Bucks County Playhouse". CentralJersey.com. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ Sasso Janis, Nancy (July 27, 2016). "Preview of 'Oliver!' by The New Paradigm Theatre". Patch. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Gina Naomi Baez". IMDb. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  22. ↑ Holahan, Jane (September 23, 2017). "Fulton's dazzling, spirited 'Little Shop of Horrors' a terrific season opener (review)". LNP. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  23. ↑ Mehrenberg, Rich (September 23, 2017). "BWW Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Fulton Theatre". Broadway World. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  24. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (May 17, 2018). "Women on Fire, With Kathleen Chalfant, Maddie Corman, Penny Fuller, and Mary Testa, Extends Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  25. ↑ Gans, Andrew (November 8, 2018). "Argyle Theatre's The Hunchback of Notre Dame Begins November 8". Playbill. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  26. 1 2 "Gina Naomi Baez". BackStage. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Chautauqua!". The Public Theater. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  28. ↑ "In The Heights". Broadway World. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Monument". TDF.org. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Gina Naomi Baez". CD Baby. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
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