It takes most actors decades of hard work and hundreds of auditions to get to Broadway. Ten-year-old Zipporah Gatling is already there.

Since August, Zipporah, who lives in the Fordham Hill Cooperatives in University Heights with her family, has played the role of young Nala in Disney’s Broadway production of “The Lion King.”

But, in a way, she’s been preparing for the role all her young life. Zipporah began singing at her church when she was only two and a half. When she was 8 and looking for something fun to do on Saturday, her mom, Melody Gatling, took her to Brooklyn to work with YAIDTS (short for Young Artists with Integrity Destined to Succeed), an organization that coaches inner city youth in fine arts and performance.

It was at YAIDTS — where Zipporah won the All Around Artist Award for her talent in drama, dance, voice, and modeling — that she caught the eye of Cathy Hutcherson, a YAIDTS agent. Hutcherson encouraged Zipporah to audition for the role of Nala. It would be her first audition but Hutcherson was confident that Zipporah had a good shot at landing the role.

“She has star quality,” Hutcherson says. “Not so much so in terms of her ego, in terms of her talent alone. Her voice is very mature for a 10-year-old and her personality is as well. It grabs you as soon as you see it.”

At the four required auditions, Zipporah sang “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” and acted out the hunting scene. Over a thousand children auditioned for the two Nala parts and the two Simba parts. Out of the four kids picked, Zipporah was the only one that had no previous experience in the industry. In July, she began intense rehearsals that lasted between five and six hours a day. The rehearsals ran for about a month before Zipporah debuted on Aug. 18.

To turn herself into a lion cub for each performance, Zipporah wears an elaborate costume consisting of a hand-beaded corset, hand painted pants, and jazz shoes. To create the illusion of cub ears, her hair is braided and positioned on the top of her head. Peach face makeup and dark eye makeup make Zipporah complete the transition from school kid to lion cub.

“It’s very fun,” says Zipporah. “I’ve made some new friends, and I’ve met a whole bunch of people.”

Despite all the excitement, acting is still a challenge for the youngster. “It is hard work,” Zipporah said. “I have a real job.” Each week, she performs in four shows and understudies four shows. Her demanding schedule (she performs on Wednesday and Friday nights and on Saturday and Sunday nights) requires Zipporah to manage her time wisely and do homework on the weekends.

She is a conscientious fifth grade student at PS 6 on East Tremont Avenue. Zipporah’s teacher, Mr. Zinteman, has been very accommodating of her busy schedule. He gives Zipporah extensions when she needs them, and demands the best from her. In addition to schoolwork and performing, she also loves sketching and drawing. She considers herself a tomboy, and she loves running track and playing all sports.

“I am really proud of her,” said her mother. “She works hard on stage and she gets all of her homework done. This has been an awesome experience.”

Zipporah’s current contract as Nala runs through 2005, but it has been renewed for another season.

Hutcherson says this is just the beginning of Zipporah’s show-biz career.

“After this, we’re looking forward for her to do motion pictures,” she says. “She’s going to California to audition for some sit-coms and motion pictures and work with Disney. She’s looking forward to an exceptional career.”