Actress Gilbert Helps Youngster's Debut

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actress Gilbert Helps Youngster's Debut

Taylor Leigh Bera, age 11, just began her first professional national tour in the musical version of "Little House on the Prairie." In addition to a role as a schoolgirl, she also is an understudy for one of the leads.

She's already played Carrie Ingalls, the part she understudies, twice. She only found out about her first understudy performance 30 minutes before the curtain rose.

Luckily, she had a hand from Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the television series of "Little House on the Prairie," and who plays Ma in the musical.

"[Gilbert] is really nice. She helped me a lot when I was playing Carrie [that first night] because it was so last minute," Bera said.

Gina Wilhelm Actress