Lily Gilliam, 12, of Nocatee will be the first actress to play Young Jessie in "Imitation of Life," a new musical with music and lyrics by John Legend.

Performances begin Saturday, Nov. 21, at The Griffin Theater at The Shed in Manhattan's Hudson Yards, as first reported by the St. Johns Citizen. The limited run continues through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, with an official opening Thursday, Dec. 3.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage wrote the script. Tony nominee Whitney White directs.

The cast includes Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren as Delilah and Jessica Vosk as Bea, who plays the mother of Lily's character in the show. The musical draws on Fannie Hurst's 1933 novel and its 1934 and 1959 film adaptations, following two single mothers and their daughters building a shared life across 1920s Atlantic City and 1930s New York.

Lily joined the production during a four-week workshop in New York earlier in 2026, helping the creative team develop the material before its public debut, the Citizen reported.

Her mother, Michelle Gilliam, a third-grade reading teacher at Jacksonville's Global Leadership Academy, told the Citizen that the distinction of originating the role stands out even alongside the famous company her daughter is joining.

Auditions far outnumber bookings, but Lily has learned to handle that uncertainty, her mother said.

"She doesn't view it as rejection," Gilliam said. "She understands what it is, which is just not everybody is the right fit."

The off-Broadway debut adds to a growing list of credits. Lily voiced the title character in the English-language version of "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain," which earned an Academy Award nomination for best animated feature in 2026.

She also plays Anthony Mackie's daughter in "Exoplanet," an Audible science-fiction thriller written by Benjamin Percy and executive produced by Andy Weir, set for release Nov. 5, according to IGN. The cast includes Ariana DeBose and John Leguizamo.

Her parents share travel duties to New York. Michelle Gilliam fits trips around her teaching schedule. Lily's father, who owns an IT recruiting business, works remotely and stays for longer stretches.

Lily now studies through Florida's virtual Flex program after the combination of full-day school and auditions became too much, her mother told the Citizen. Moving schoolwork into the daytime has helped protect the hours when she can simply be 12.

Performances of "Imitation of Life" run Saturday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, at The Shed in Manhattan's Hudson Yards.