# Joy Woods
**Joy Woods** (born 1999) is an American musical theater actress from Chicago whose Broadway roles include [Catherine Parr](https://www.edgepedia.org/catherine-parr) in *Six*, Middle Allie in *The Notebook*, and Louise in the 2024–2025 revival of *Gypsy*, for which she received a 2025 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) • [2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joy-woods-533982) She has twice been a casting first: the first Black woman to play Audrey off-Broadway in *Little Shop of Horrors* and the first Black woman to play Louise on Broadway.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1999; originally from Chicago[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gypsy-star-joy-woods-the-show-stopping-striptease-that-could-make-history/) • [4](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/joy-woods/profile/) |
| Training | American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), New York, graduating in 2019[5](https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/465242/Joy%2BWoods) |
| Broadway debut | Catherine Parr in *Six*, March 14, 2022, at the Lena Horne Theatre[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) |
| Signature role | Louise in the Broadway revival of *Gypsy* (December 19, 2024 – August 17, 2025) opposite Audra McDonald; 2025 Tony Award nomination[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joy-woods-533982) |
| Casting firsts | First Black woman to play Audrey off-Broadway; first Black woman to play Louise on Broadway[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) |
| West End debut | Sally Bowles in *Cabaret* at the Playhouse Theatre, announced April 2026, opposite Jamie Muscato as the Emcee[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) |
| Current Broadway role | Virginia Galilei in *Galileo* at the Shubert Theatre (2026)[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) |
## Early life and training
Woods grew up in Chicago in what she describes as a musically rich household, the youngest of six siblings.[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gypsy-star-joy-woods-the-show-stopping-striptease-that-could-make-history/) • [5](https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/465242/Joy%2BWoods) She began formal dance training in middle school, having taught herself choreography at home before that, and performed in her public high school's drama program in productions including *A Midsummer Night's Dream* and *Spamalot*.[6](https://playbill.com/article/in-gypsy-joy-woods-is-stepping-into-her-power) Her mother is a dancer, and Woods has said dance was the part of her so wholly that it seemed the only option for a living.[7](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/203654/ones-to-watch-joy-woods-star-of-broadways-the-notebook-is-no-imposter/)
Two weeks after graduating from high school she moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA).[6](https://playbill.com/article/in-gypsy-joy-woods-is-stepping-into-her-power) After about a year at the academy, at age 19, she was cast as Chiffon, one of the Urchins, in the 2019 [Off-Broadway](https://www.edgepedia.org/off-broadway) revival of *Little Shop of Horrors* at the Westside Theatre, in a cast that then included [Jonathan Groff](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-groff), Christian Borle, and [Tammy Blanchard](https://www.edgepedia.org/tammy-blanchard).[6](https://playbill.com/article/in-gypsy-joy-woods-is-stepping-into-her-power) • [1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) She has described that first job as her real education, learning to sing eight shows a week by watching castmates; she has called it "the Christian Borle school of acting."[6](https://playbill.com/article/in-gypsy-joy-woods-is-stepping-into-her-power) The production shut down after six months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and when it reopened in 2021 she asked to cover Audrey and was accepted.[6](https://playbill.com/article/in-gypsy-joy-woods-is-stepping-into-her-power)
## Stage career
**Off-Broadway beginnings.** In 2020 Woods appeared in the ensemble of the New York City Center Encores! concert production of *Mack and Mabel*, and in 2021 she took part in the virtual *Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical*.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) In 2023 she returned to *Little Shop of Horrors* in the lead role of Audrey, becoming the first Black woman to play the part off-Broadway, and later that year played Martha Mills in *I Can Get It for You Wholesale* at Classic Stage Company.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/)
**Broadway.** Woods made her Broadway debut as Catherine Parr in *Six* on March 14, 2022, playing the role through July 31, 2022.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) • [2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joy-woods-533982) Between Broadway engagements she played Deena Jones in North Carolina Theatre's *Dreamgirls* in February 2023.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) In September and October 2022 she played Middle Allie in *The Notebook* at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, then reprised the role in the original Broadway production at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, opening March 14, 2024, and remaining through October 20, 2024.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) Middle Allie, which she originated, was her first created role on Broadway; she shared the character of Allie with Jordan Tyson as Younger Allie and Maryann Plunkett as Older Allie.[7](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/203654/ones-to-watch-joy-woods-star-of-broadways-the-notebook-is-no-imposter/)
**Gypsy.** Woods starred as Louise Hovick in the 2024–2025 Broadway revival of *[Gypsy](https://www.edgepedia.org/gypsy-musical)* at the Majestic Theatre, opposite [Audra McDonald](https://www.edgepedia.org/audra-mcdonald) as Rose, in a production directed by George C. Wolfe.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) • [8](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/theater/how-audra-mcdonald-and-joy-woods-made-gypsy-their-own) She was the first Black woman to play the role on Broadway and received a 2025 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, along with a 2025 Drama League Distinguished Performance nomination.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) • [2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joy-woods-533982) McDonald, in turn, was the first Black actor to play Rose.[8](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/theater/how-audra-mcdonald-and-joy-woods-made-gypsy-their-own) Woods had been announced to star as Sarah opposite [Joshua Henry](https://www.edgepedia.org/joshua-henry) in the New York City Center gala production of *Ragtime* but withdrew to take the *Gypsy* role; Nichelle Lewis played the part instead.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/)
**London and return to Broadway.** In early 2025 Woods appeared in [Trisha Paytas](https://www.edgepedia.org/trisha-paytas)' Big Broadway Dream! at the [St. James Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-james-theatre), and on September 21, 2025 she appeared as Woman #1 in the 30th anniversary concert of *Songs for a New World* at the Eventim Apollo in London, with composer [Jason Robert Brown](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-robert-brown) directing and playing piano.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) In April 2026 it was announced that she would make her West End debut as Sally Bowles in Rebecca Frecknall's production of *Cabaret* at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre, opposite Jamie Muscato as the Emcee.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/) • [9](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/interviews/joy-woods-is-perfectly-marvellous-casting-in-cabaret) She had applied for the same production when it opened on Broadway in 2024, and the creative team later approached her for the West End cast.[9](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/interviews/joy-woods-is-perfectly-marvellous-casting-in-cabaret) She returns to Broadway in *Galileo* at the Shubert Theatre, playing Virginia Galilei.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/)
## Viral visibility
Woods's performance of "My Days," the 11 o'clock number in *[The Notebook](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-notebook-musical)*, spread widely on TikTok, with users posting videos of themselves attempting the song's demanding vocal lines; she has described the trend as validating a show whose online reception contrasted with its ticket sales and reviews.[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gypsy-star-joy-woods-the-show-stopping-striptease-that-could-make-history/) She remains active on social media, though she scaled back posting on Instagram and TikTok as her career advanced.[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gypsy-star-joy-woods-the-show-stopping-striptease-that-could-make-history/)
## Working pattern
Woods has been in near-continuous production since 2019, moving from *Little Shop of Horrors* to *Six*, *The Notebook* in Chicago and on Broadway, *Gypsy*, and then *Cabaret* in London with no extended break; in a 2025 interview she said she was filling out her first-ever vacation request form.[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gypsy-star-joy-woods-the-show-stopping-striptease-that-could-make-history/) She left college early for the 2019 *Little Shop* run and has said she learned much of what she would have studied in school on the job.[9](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/interviews/joy-woods-is-perfectly-marvellous-casting-in-cabaret)
## References
1. [Joy Woods (Actor) – Broadway & Theatre Credits, Bio, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joy-Woods/)
2. [Joy Woods – Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joy-woods-533982)
3. [Kevin Fallon, "'Gypsy' Star Joy Woods: The Show-Stopping Striptease That Could Make History," The Daily Beast, April 29, 2025](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gypsy-star-joy-woods-the-show-stopping-striptease-that-could-make-history/)
4. [Joy Woods Biography, Broadway Buzz, Broadway.com](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/joy-woods/profile/)
5. [Joy Woods Biography, All American Speakers](https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/465242/Joy%2BWoods)
6. [Jeffrey Vizcaíno, "In Gypsy, Joy Woods Is Stepping Into Her Power," Playbill, December 9, 2024](https://playbill.com/article/in-gypsy-joy-woods-is-stepping-into-her-power)
7. [Hayley Levitt, "Ones to Watch: Joy Woods, Star of Broadway's The Notebook, Is No Imposter," Broadway.com, January 18, 2024](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/203654/ones-to-watch-joy-woods-star-of-broadways-the-notebook-is-no-imposter/)
8. [Audra McDonald and Joy Woods, "How Broadway's Audra McDonald and Joy Woods Made Gypsy Their Own," Interview Magazine, April 30, 2025](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/theater/how-audra-mcdonald-and-joy-woods-made-gypsy-their-own)
9. [Olivia Rook, "Joy Woods is perfectly marvellous casting in 'Cabaret'," London Theatre, June 5, 2026](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/interviews/joy-woods-is-perfectly-marvellous-casting-in-cabaret)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stage practitioners and craft › Acting: theory, technique, and teachers › Acting coaches and training biographies › Acting coaches to the profession and celebrity coaching*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license