Maria was born and raised in Miami, Florida and was only seven years old when she first stepped on stage for her first musical. From that point on, she knew that theater would be her first love. Fast forward to high school, she was accepted into the Drama Magnet at Coral Reef Senior High. While doing shows in school, she also performed in many productions at her local community theater - Miami Children’s Theatre.
After graduating, Maria continued her training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AMDA) conservatory in New York City and graduated in the spring of 2018. Her first professional production came later that fall at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre in their production of Evita. Since then, she has worked around the country in shows such as On Your Feet (Gloria Estefan), In the Heights (Nina Rosario), and Anna in the Tropics (Marela.)
In 2023, Maria made her Broadway Debut in the highly anticipated revival of Sweeney Todd starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, playing the role of Johanna Barker. Her performance received praise and rave reviews, hailed by The Guardian as “an astonishing Broadway debut.”
The show itself went on to be nominated for eight Tony Awards as well as earning a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theatre Album. Bilbao is the first Latina to play Johanna in a production of Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and is extremely proud of her Cuban heritage. She most recently appeared as Susan in Tick, Tick, Boom! at Actors’ Playhouse in Miami, Florida, opposite Emmy and Grammy Award Winner Adam Kantor.
