Her passion for acting began during the summer of fourth grade at the Willoughby Fine Arts Center[2] where she attended theater classes.
She continued taking acting classes, and in her senior year of high school attended Beck Center as well as Cleveland State University.
[4] After graduation her first professional job was performing with Theatre for Young Audiences, a touring children's theater company.
[2] She played Serena Katz in the North American Tour of Fame with Gavin Creel as Nick Piazza.
Gambatese followed "Footloose" with the musical Hairspray, directed by Jack O’Brien that ran on Broadway from August 2002 through January 2009.
She likes to keep active by practicing yoga and bike riding as well as playing on the field as second base with her Broadway Show League.