"As the crown jewel of the piece, Jillian Michelle Smith as Ariel was equal parts ingénue and ingenious playing the plucky, curious, and steadfast lead. Her strong voice, contrasted with the delicacy of her decision to make a fateful trade with Ursula, was masterful and hinged the drama of the production."
(Sam Desmond, The Long Island Advance)
Jillian Michelle Smith is an actor/singer/theatre-maker/marketer/wearer-of-many-hats(!!) based in New York City. Born and raised on Long Island, Jillian grew up training and performing in the NYC metro area before moving up north to study theatre at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan (yes, it was very cold). She then went on to Marymount Manhattan College, where she recently graduated with her BFA in Musical Theatre (with additional studies in journalism, marketing, and graphic design)!
Notably, Jillian earned recognition and critical acclaim for her portrayal of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, which has garnered more than a million views on TikTok alone and inspired the 54 Below concert, The Little Mersisters. While in college, Jillian was also featured on the Broadway Princess Party tour alongside Susan Egan, Christy Altomare, Courtney Reed, and Adam J. Levy (md. Benjamin Rauhala). Other select credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Ella), The Sound of Music (Liesl), and Spring Awakening (Anna).
Jillian also loves working behind the table. Her producing and directing work has been seen on major stages in NYC and London, such as 54 Below and Crazy Coqs. As the artistic director of Jillian Michelle Entertainment LLC (aka JME) and marketing director for Princess Playdates (+ some other fabulous companies!), Jillian has honed her leadership, communication and marketing skills, making her a multi-faceted, all-around-creative professional.
As a Jewish and neurodivergent artist, Jillian aims to increase acceptance and accurate representation of these communities. She also adores working with children, is a dog magnet, and has been a vegetarian for 19 years :) Jillian aims to bring creativity, positive energy, and empathy into every room she enters.