Elizabeth A. Davis is getting ready to welcome her second baby — with the love and support of her costars from the Broadway revival of 1776. She is expecting baby No. 2 with her husband, TV and film director Jordan Richard, with whom she also shares 5-year-old son Josiah.
Davis, who plays Founding Father Thomas Jefferson in the recent musical revival and opened the show seven months pregnant, was celebrated by her fellow castmates — some of them moms — at a recent baby shower.
"The baby shower was so lovely and brought back wonderful memories," 1776 actress Carolee Carmello exclusively tells PEOPLE.
"I was so happy that Elizabeth had that experience. Actors are very supportive, loving people, despite what people outside of the business might think. And I find that parents in this business really lift each other up even more because we know the challenges," Carmello explains.
Carmello continues, speaking specifically about the difficulty of being pregnant while simultaneously parenting another child and starring in a Broadway show.
"I think I can relate to what [Davis] is going through more than most, since my children have the same age difference," she tells PEOPLE. "I had a 5 year old when I was pregnant with my second child, and I was also doing eight shows a week. It's a juggling act for sure, and knowing that, I try to support Elizabeth as much as I can, even if that just means saying, 'I understand how truly exhausting this is!' "
And while working and parenting at the same time is hard no matter what the industry, Carmello gets real about the unique challenges of being a mom on Broadway.
"I've missed so many school concerts and baseball games and important events over the years because of my work. We work when most people don't," she says. "It's the nature of the beast."
Liz Mikel, another 1776 star, talks about working with Davis during this special time.
"I am so excited for Elizabeth and her family!" she tells PEOPLE. "Just to witness her as Thomas Jefferson helping to birth a new nation while carrying a life has been thrilling to say the least."
Mikel says the shower was wonderful and that everyone was so excited for Davis and her baby.
"The entire cast couldn't wait to celebrate Elizabeth and the baby! Everyone was all in, and it's one of the fondest memories of this entire run. I can't wait to meet that precious little bundle!" she says.
Jill Vallery, another costar from 1776, opens up about her friend's experience and how they lean on each other as moms on Broadway.
"I was one of the few people who knew about her pregnancy early on in the process," Vallery tells PEOPLE.
"It's been an honor to witness how she gracefully manages sustaining a new life, runs a household and shows up in full professionalism to her creative career," she says. "We sometimes laugh at the idea that the baby knows the show by heart and looks forward to places call so she can shine!"
Vallery also shares a nightly tradition she and Davis have that acknowledges their identities as moms: "Before one of our entrances, Elizabeth and I share a special moment of recognition and gratitude backstage that symbolizes the unsaid reassurance of 'I see you for all the strength, beauty and perseverance you possess, we got this mama!' "
Davis' baby girl is due Jan. 1, 2023.
The actress opened up to PEOPLE earlier this year about suffering two miscarriages before becoming pregnant with the couple's second baby — and how she "never intended" on returning to Broadway as an expectant mother.
"I consider it miraculous," she said at the time. "I feel as if I'm not in control of the story right now. And there's something so freeing about that. It's a gift, and sometimes you can't necessarily take credit for a gift."
Being part of a company comprised of females, non-binary and transgender actors, Davis said she felt a sense of "peace."
"There's just a felt understanding of what I'm walking through," she explained. "To be sitting on the stage [when] the bright lights are being adjusted [during tech rehearsal], and to feel her jumping around because she's feeling the bright light, it is such a full feeling."
