Her perseverance paid off: The day after high school graduation, Molloy nabbed a lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Whistle Down the Wind." Though the show wasn't successful enough in its Washington, D.C. run to merit a Broadway run, Molloy wasn't discouraged. She headed back to New York City and stayed with friends while waiting tables and searching for her next role. She got a part in Broadway's "The Civil War." She also played the title role in the musical version of "Romeo and Juliet."