Jhailyn Paige Farcon, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’27, was leaving class at The Ailey School when she received the life-changing call informing her that she had been casted in “& Juliet” on Broadway. She soon made her Broadway debut as Imogen on Oct. 29, officially becoming both a Fordham student and a Broadway performer. Despite her demanding performance and rehearsal schedule, Farcon plans to graduate from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program in four years.
“I’ll do classes from 8:30 to 4:30, and then I’ll go to the theater and do a show,” Farcon said, casually describing a schedule that would likely overwhelm the average college student.
However, Farcon is not an average college student. She has been working professionally since she was six years old. Her resume boasts impressive experience, from supporting Justin Bieber at Madison Square Garden, to performing with Mariah Carey at Rockefeller Center. Notably, at the age of eight, she toured North America with “Billy Elliot: The Musical.” Farcon’s decision to continue her education while performing in “& Juliet” is unusual.
“A lot of people that book early who are in school either take a gap year or drop,” she said.
Farcon has received extensive training in dance since before her academic school days. She began with ballet, tap and jazz at three years old, and soon expanded to other styles
But for Farcon, the importance of a formal education was instilled in her from a young age. Even when taking jobs in grade school, she never considered dropping out.
“Education is so important to me and my family,” she said. “I just feel like having that extra training … sets you up in a way that you’re able to take on anything in our industry.”
Farcon has received extensive training in dance since before her academic school days. She began with ballet, tap and jazz at three years old, and soon expanded to other styles. She signed with her agency, McDonald Selznick Associates, when she was seven years old.
“Literally my whole life was school, dance, then go to bed and repeat,” Farcon said.
“It’s mainly just us two (my brother and I). My brother started dancing first and I was like, ‘I wanna do that.’” Jhailyn Paige Farcon, FCLC ’27
As a child, she competed in ballroom internationally with her brother and both of her parents, taking her and her family to England and France. Unlike many dancing families, Farcon’s parents did not pass down a love of dancing to their children — instead, they started to dance because their children danced. They were already spending plenty of time at the studio for Farcon and her brother, and figured they may as well learn.
“It’s mainly just us two (my brother and I),” Farcon said. “My brother started dancing first and I was like, ‘I wanna do that.’”
In fact, her brother, Jaryd Farcon, Ailey/Fordham BFA ’20, was an inspiration not just for her to start dance but to pursue it seriously throughout high school and college. Farcon followed in her brother’s footsteps by attending LaGuardia High School and eventually Fordham. While Farcon cites her brother’s experience as one reason why she chose the Ailey/Fordham BFA program, she said she admires the program’s reputability and location.
“It’s right in the city, where I want to be,” Farcon said.
“(Dance has) always been one of my first loves. Dance was and has always been one of if not the most important thing.” Jhailyn Paige Farcon, FCLC ’27
She also credits the program for their leniency with her demanding rehearsal schedule for “& Juliet,” according to Farcon, the program officials said they did not want to hold her back from what she was in the city to do — become a professional dancer. While theater was always something that Farcon considered as a future career, taking voice lessons in addition to her extensive dance training, she said that pursuing her degree in dance rather than musical theater was the right choice for her.
“(Dance has) always been one of my first loves,” Farcon said. “Dance was and has always been one of if not the most important thing.”
Her role in “& Juliet” reflects this love of dance as part of an ensemble featuring dancers. Even the audition, while requiring potential cast members to sing a few bars of a pop song (Farcon sang “No One” by Alicia Keys), largely focused on choreography.
The play “& Juliet” follows a “what-if” scenario where Juliet of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” decides not to commit suicide after waking up to find her lover, Romeo, dead. Together, a fictional Shakespeare and his wife, Anne, rewrite the play. The jukebox musical features the music of pop songwriter Max Martin, including hits such as “…Baby One More Time,” “Roar” and “I Want It That Way.” The show was nominated for nine Tony Awards in 2023.
“As silly as the show can get, … the message of love and support is so strong,” Farcon said.
On Sept. 30, 2024, the show made headlines when the new cast, which includes Farcon and TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, were announced to make their debut on Oct. 29.
“With such a new, fresh energy going into the show, opening night for me felt like opening night for the show,” Farcon said.
She said the best part of being on Broadway has been the group of people she has gotten to experience it with, feeling that the positivity of the community is “really rare.” She also cites the fans as an important part of shaping her experience on Broadway.
“The show affects so many people every night,” Farcon said. “It’s so great to see how people at the stage door are like, ‘ … Thank you for taking the time out to see us and sign our Playbills.’”
While Farcon has already achieved the dream of so many by being on Broadway, she is still a normal teenage girl. She expressed her love for Ariana Grande and excitement over the new “Wicked” movie being released soon. She recently declared a minor in film and television, hoping that it will help her see media differently. And Farcon still has even bigger dreams to achieve, from being in the original Broadway cast of a show to going on tour with an artist.
“I didn’t think I would do this so early,” she said.
She plans to continue to work commercially in television and film. Farcon emphasized that “everything” about her journey so far has been rewarding.