It all started when Dad invited Mom to watch him sing in a barbershop quartet for their first date. She was smitten, they married, and eventually had 5 "G''- named children. Yes, Mom and Dad's names start with "G" too. The youngest of the Gilliland brood, Gaelen, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eventually landing in Pittsburgh, Gaelen's initial hope in life was to be a dancer, but it never was in the cards for her. After high school, she left that crazy "G"- filled house and headed off to Syracuse University to get a BFA in Musical Theatre where she discovered that her real passion was singing. Although she loves to dance today, it is " better off left to others," she says. After graduation, her immense talent led Gaelen to tour with productions of: Grease (Marty/Jan understudy), Sound of Music (Maria understudy), Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Evita, Norma Desmond) and Seussical (Mayzie). After having the pleasure of traveling the country four times over, Gaelen won roles in the following regional productions: Casper The Musical (Coco), Kiss Me Kate (Kate), Side Show (Daisy) and Beauty and the Beast (ensemble, Mrs. Potts u/s).

Gaelen's quick wit and wonderful sense of humor helped to land her in her first Broadway roles as Shen Shen and Madame Morrible u/s in the award winning hit musical Wicked. After Oz, Gaelen went back to "college" in the new musical Legally Blonde where she performed the roles of Whitney, Elle's Mom and Paulette/Vivienne/Enid understudy. Ever versatile, Gaelen has also been seen in several television commercials for sponsors such as Jaguar, Optimum and Road Runner. Recently, she added  Nick Jr.com video spots to her list of accomplishments. Most recently, Gaelen was working "9 to 5" as Judy/Doralee understudy in Dolly Parton's new Broadway musical of the same name. In her spare time, Gaelen loves to spend time with her "G"-named siblings, her nieces and nephews, and play with her adorable pup Riley. She loves what she does and plans to continue it as long as she can. She is thankful every day for the support and love of her friends and family on this journey.