Laurie Hernandez’s Transition from Gymnastics to Broadway
Laurie Hernandez has officially made the leap from the gymnastics floor to the vibrant world of Broadway. Her debut in the musical & Juliet brought a moment of celebration that instantly reminded her of the high-stakes environment of the US Olympic Trials.
A two-time Olympic medalist, Hernandez is making waves in the entertainment industry after retiring from artistic gymnastics in 2021. At just 25 years old, she made her Broadway debut in the musical & Juliet on March 17, 2026, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City. In this production, she plays the role of Charmion, and the debut run will continue until June 14 of this year.
During a recent interview, Hernandez shared a memorable moment from her Broadway debut that brought her back to the intensity of the US Olympic Trials. She described the feeling of confetti falling at the end of the show, which reminded her of the Olympic trials when the confetti comes down and the athletes take in the moment of pride and accomplishment.
She said, “I remember the confetti. There’s a lot of confetti that happens at the end of the show. I had immediately thought of, like, Olympic trials, when all the confetti comes down, and you’re kind of just taking in that moment, and there’s a feeling of pride, and ‘I made it, and I did it.’ And I never thought that I would have a similar feeling to that again, and I had that during bows.”
Hernandez also reflected on her first performance as Charmion in the musical. She remarked, “Oh my goodness, the first performance, the Broadway debut, was just… It was, it was pretty mind-blowing. I also completely forgot that when I get really nervous or when I’m anxious for something, that I get really short of breath, and I’m trying to sing and dance at the same time, and all of a sudden, I’m like that’s definitely not the note I’m supposed to be singing.”
She concluded by saying, “Just make sure to take in the bows. The bows are, like, the most important part, and I feel like I was able to do that.”
On April 30, & Juliet hosted a select group of Olympic athletes to watch fellow Olympian Hernandez perform. Among those in attendance were names like Amber Glenn, Anthony Ponomarenko, Alysa Liu, Danny O’Shea, Emilea Zingas, and Haven Shepherd.
Educational Journey and Olympic Legacy
Laurie Hernandez is currently graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Throughout her gymnastics career, she never competed in the NCAA after going elite as a junior in 2012 and transitioning to the senior level in 2016. After retiring from the sport nearly five years ago, she is now completing her studies at the Tisch School of the Arts.
Hernandez was part of the US women’s team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where they won the gold medal in artistic gymnastics. Alongside Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman, she was famously known as the “Final Five” in the sport. She also earned a silver medal on the balance beam at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Following her initial retirement, Hernandez decided to return to elite gymnastics ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, she couldn’t make the US Olympic trials to qualify for the Olympics and eventually retired soon after.
