Inner Views
BIO
Gabrielle is at home in Theater, TV/Film, Live Concert & Cabaret performance, and Commercial Modeling. She has held title roles in Broadway, National, and European tours, Off-Broadway, and regional productions. Select favorites include: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (as Billie Holiday), Intimate Apparel, Once On This Island, Smokey Joe’s Café, Ain’t Misbehavin’, All Night Strut, Showboat, Dreamgirls, among others. Gabrielle is especially proud of her work (and ongoing development), portraying the legendary Ada “Bricktop” Smith, doyenne of Parisian cabaret, where she starred in the world premiere of Bricktop: Legend of the Jazz Age (Co-creator). On-screen Guest Star favorite roles include Chicago P.D., Blue Bloods, FBI, Bull, Madam Secretary, Law & Order, and the HBO Max–nominated short 27 Candles. She makes her feature film debut in the supernatural thriller The Block, to be released in theaters in 2026, directed by Craig Singer and starring alongside Jack Falahee and Chris Noth. Concert appearances with: New York Pops, Cab Calloway, and Ray Charles Orchestras. Gabrielle has provided backing vocal appearances with Aloe Blacc, Angelique Kidjo, Steely Dan, Common, Marvin Hamlisch, Natalie Cole, and served as a lead backing vocalist for Harry Belafonte. As a writer/producer, her Blackbirds Legends concert series has enjoyed national and international success, earning rave reviews at Feinstein’s 54/Below. She serves as the Sr. Artist Advisor and Creative Developer for her Artists’ Digital Press Kits. Gabrielle is a recurring performer with Sing For Your Seniors (SFYS), a committee member of the Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project. and has contributed book-reads for organizations such as Scholastic Inc., SAG-AFTRA’s Storyline Online, and Book Pals. She enjoys volunteer work as an International Ambassador, granting wishes with Make-A-Wish Foundation Int’l, and is delighted to be a part of the Influence Women family. Member: AEA | SAG-AFTRA | Dramatist Guild East
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: Working in the media, entertainment, music, and the arts industry, staying focused is required, but it is often difficult for creatives. Can you share with us how you stay focused?
Gabrielle Lee: God has been teaching me the importance of focus—what’s really important and what’s not. More specifically, what or who am I giving my attention to, and for how long? In a world saturated with “influence,” (especially as a performer here in NY), it’s easy to get caught up and find yourself paying more attention to other things, to others in general—(how they’re shining, i.e. what they’ve won, what they’re wearing; this issue or that headline) —without realizing how much time and energy has been diverted from our own God-given assignments. You look up and realize, “Oye, where did the time go?” especially when deadlines are approaching, projects are unfinished, and even more, the presence of insurmountable stress has come upon you. That “other” thing— whatever it is—has subtly taken first place. In the midst of juggling auditions, learning music, script memorization, working contracts -I’ve had to pause sometimes and examine: Who, what is influencing me, my mind and attention the most right now? Is it God—or is it the noise around me? Am I letting outside voices shape my thoughts more than the Word of God? God’s been reminding me to be still. Be still enough to listen—not just hear, but really listen. The Holy Spirit often nudges us: “That’s enough time spent there.” If you sense the Holy Spirit nudging you to stop and you delay or ignore it, that’s a signal: you’re spending too much time and energy with it. Your response time serves as an indicator—how long did it take to shift your focus back to doing what you need to be doing? God points the way back to intimacy, to focus, to peace. He wants to be “First.” So, ask yourself: What are you focusing your attention on most? Recognize, if it’s serving you forward, in that moment, or is it a distraction? God will always gently reveal where our focus has drifted—not to shame us, but to lovingly realign us. To pull us close again. To remind us: Keep Me first. (more…)
Journal
With the recent tragic death of Charlie Kirk, many are realizing that we continue to be caught in a spiritual battle for our culture and a Biblical worldview. Those battles are often played out in the media and affect the careers of artists who want to maintain a Biblical foundation and worldview. Working as a believer of Christ in the media and entertainment industry is a constant battle on many levels. Audition, pitch your script or project, network, audition and pitch again, write some more, and then do it all over again and again. You just keep stabbing it out with seemingly no results. Life in the arts and creative field takes grit, and the battle never ends. And wanting to uphold a Biblical worldview as a Christian is even more challenging.
Yet, even if you have a trophy case of awards to show for your work, talent, and success, with each project or production ending, you start from scratch – ground zero, fighting for the “next.” You train yourself to stay and think positively and trust someone is out there thinking and cheering for you, thinking about you for that next job, and will be in the trenches for you. But are they? The industry requires a life of humility and endurance. And as a Christian, it is imperative to have your feet firmly planted in scripture and an intimate engagement with God. It also takes others supporting you with their words of encouragement, prayers, and willingness to stand and keep cheering for you as you battle on. That’s why The Influence Lab and Influence Women were created. But it also means you have to be prepared for the kind of battle you are actually fighting. Is it a spiritual battle? Or is the battle a result of an “out of line” choice that has resulted in a struggle you created for yourself?
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31
Whether a spiritual battle or one that you created due to your choices, what’s your responsibility and duty? God calls you to be ready, disciplined, and stay diligent. He instructs us to stick with His plan and not ours. And…compromising is not permitted in the wait. Elijah hid in a cave until the smoke cleared from his prophecy that put a price on his life from King Ahab. Joseph was thrown into a pit for a time, David had to run for his life twice, and Daniel was in a lion’s den. Was God teaching all of them lessons and giving them wisdom during these times? Did God provide? Yes. Was it challenging? Yes. But each of them trusted God, and they were victorious in the end. Victory is mine, says God – 1 Corinthians 15:57.
Faith is liberating, and uncompromised faith is rewarded. (more…)
Journal
“I just wanted someone to hug me.” This was the comment I had from one of our Influence Women members on a Zoom webinar as the pandemic was coming to an end. We had been discussing why relationships matter and why Influence Women is essential. She was single and, during the pandemic, had been left for weeks without much outside conversation or actual physical touch – a hug. “It was one of the most difficult times I have ever had to experience in her life,” she said.
Touch is essential to humans.
Many studies have been done on the effects of babies left and never touched or picked up, of people who were left untouched in nursing or care homes, or even for long periods on deserted islands. The result is often irreversible trauma emotionally, physically, and sadly even spiritually. God created us to be in relationships. Jesus touched the people He healed. Thomas required Jesus to show him his hands and feet after He had been resurrected. Jesus said to him, “… “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20:27 (NIV). The reason God sent Jesus to our broken, sinful world was so that we could touch, see, and hear God physically through the flesh of Jesus. In today’s 24/7 access to information and emerging AI technology, physical touch is becoming more important than ever to knowing and experiencing real truth and love.
I’ve been blessed to be married for many years (more than I was ever single) to a loving husband who likes to touch things. I do too. He sometimes laughs at me when I shop because I touch things. But I have had to stop him from time to time when he talks to someone he doesn’t know because he, with his caring manner, will lightly touch their elbow or back when he stops to talk to them. People today don’t like to be touched because they aren’t touched anymore. It can unfortunately feel offensive instead of caring. My children and grandchildren don’t live near me, and I miss their physical touch, and not being able to squeeze them regularly makes my heart ache. “Facetime” is great, but it’s just not the same as hugging their necks.
We can still feel God’s touch on us today.
God wants us to touch Him and longs for our engagement with knowing Him intimately. He doesn’t require anything of us but to love Him and spend time with Him. He is love – perfect love. We feel His touch through our personal encounters. It’s a mystery to me still, but I feel God in my prayers and meditations when I read the Bible. I feel Him through the arms and hugs of other believers. Sometimes it is just the squeeze of a hand in a prayer circle or a pat on the shoulder, or a high five. Sometimes I feel God in a crisp Autumn breeze or in the sound of ocean waves pounding. Sometimes it is the aroma of flowers or pine trees or the smell of a baby’s cheek. I sense God’s joy in the sound of children giggling, a dog’s wet nose-nudges, or in the expressions of praise, song, music, and worship as believers gather together.
God touches you when you touch each other.
My heart leaps for joy at Influence Women’s gatherings when you come together at events, and I see you touch others’ lives. When you hug each other, the room explodes in a deafening noise of love. It’s why the Influence Women community of women touching each other needs to grow more. We need to gather others so that we can touch the world with our stories, projects, music and art, and ultimately share God’s loving touch with a depressed and lonely world. Our culture needs to touch each other through our artistic and creative work. When we collaborate and intimately connect, the darkness in our world is changed by the Light of the World.
I hope you will make an effort to schedule the Influence Women event dates in your calendars when they are announced and show up to touch others. Join the relationship-building INspire gatherings and bring a friend to the larger professional events. Register for the online Bible study or a mentorship series. Come and volunteer. Your touch matters to someone, even if it’s just a smile on a screen, a caring prayer you give, or an encouraging word about something you’ve learned. We grow stronger and more powerful when we touch each other. You have touched me, and I am forever grateful. Keep touching others – they need you. We need you.
Register for the in-person Hollywood Chapter Professional Brunch, and bring a friend – We want to see you there and hug your neck!
