Malea Joy Moon
(Photo by Dia Dipaspil/Getty Images)
Maria Joy Moon is a 21-year-old actress who made her professional debut starring opposite Alicia Keys. Hell's Kitchenwon a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical during its inaugural Broadway season.
“This is the biggest dream come true,” she said. Broadway Shows “I am truly honored to be in this category with such incredible women that I now call friends and colleagues,” she said after accepting her trophy in the Tony Awards press room. Among those women are past Tony Award winners Mary Ann Plunkett.notebook) and Kelli O'Hara (Days of wine and roses(O'Hara attended the ceremony as an eight-time nominee, but it was Moon's performance as Ali, a budding artist and rebellious teenager growing up in New York City, that stole the show this season.
In his acceptance speech, Moon dedicated the award to his parents.Hell's Kitchen “This is a story about a 17-year-old trying to achieve his dreams. I can't imagine how many dreams have been postponed and how many sacrifices have been made to give me the life I have today,” she further said. Broadway Shows “My mom has been my biggest influence on me. She's my bond and my best friend,” Ali said after leaving the stage, referring to her mother, Fabia Jeffries, who emigrated to the U.S. from Belize. “She came to the U.S. when she was 17. Ali is 17. I think that's such a beautiful coincidence.”
Moon also couldn't ignore her connection to her biological mother. Hell's KitchenThe fictional Jersey story was inspired by Keys' mother. Hell's Kitchen “It's a story of love between a mother and daughter,” she says. “Alicia often talks about the similarities between Jerzy and her mother, and the commonality is that they both, in some ways, had to give up their dreams or put their dreams on hold so that their children could have the best life possible.”
But self-sacrifice is just one example of the maternal figure that has figured in Moon's life this season. Her Broadway experience has been filled with motherly figures who have taken on the roles of guide and mentor. She befriended Shoshana Bean, who plays the overprotective Jersey, and taught Moon how to handle the demanding work of eight-show weeks. Keysia Lewis, who won a Tony Award for her performance as Ali's piano teacher, Miss Liza Jane, claimed the title of “mom” to Moon and the cast backstage, reading the young performer's mood after each show, and Keys herself has been protective of Moon since her Broadway debut. Hell's Kitchen “She's one of the most down-to-earth, protective people I've ever met,” the actress said of Keys while holding her Tony Award. “She's someone so special in terms of her energy and her spirit and her drive for life. And she always reminds me about what's really important, which is this moment.”
“It really does take a village,” Moon added, thanking everyone who contributed to this milestone in his life and career, “and I hope that holding this medal gives them a sense of pride.”
