Kelly Ripa is celebrating her youngest son's 23rd birthday. In a heartfelt and emotional Instagram post, Ripa shared various photos of her son over the years, sharing his sweet and charismatic personality as he prepares to make his Broadway debut.
© @kellyripaRipa shared the post on Tuesday, sharing plenty of Joaquin's childhood photos alongside his siblings, his parents, and his mom. Through them all, Joaquin is seen dressed in white at his baptism, being held by Ripa, who opted for blue, and his dad, Mark, who wears a black suit.
Other photos show Joaquin and Lola as toddlers, with his elder sister holding and hugging him from behind as they both giggle for the camera.
© @kellyripaMore photos highlight Joaquin's similarity to his mom, with him sporting dirty blonde hair, eating ice cream, and hugging his mom in different poses.
One playful image shows Ripa and Joaquin bound together by some handcuffs, with both showing off their acting chops for the camera. "Happy birthday to the Broadway bound newborn who is 23 years old today! We love you Joaquin, you are a bright light in this world!" she captioned the post.
Joaquin's exciting Broadway future
Joaquin Consuelos recently graduated from the University of Michigan and has landed his first acting job post-college. He'll be starring in a production of "Death of a Salesman," where he'll share the stage alongside Broadway icons like Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf.
The cast is rounded out by an exciting crop of New York actors, including Christopher Abbott, Ben Ahlers, K. Todd Freeman, Jonathan Cake, John Drea, Michael Benjamin Washington, Tasha Lawrence, Jake Silbermann, Jake Termine, Karl Green, and Jack Falahe.
Joaquin's Broadway debut coincides with his father's return to the stage. Mark Consuelos will be starring in "Fallen Angels", alongside this year's Oscar nominee Rose Byrne, Kelli O'Hara, and more.
“I've been wanting to do this,” said Mark to PEOPLE. “I love getting on stage. It's been years since I've had a chance to do it because of travel, and living here in New York City, I'm pretty much anchored here now. I'm trapped! So, I thought it would be a good idea!”
This all makes for an exciting moment for the family, even if it's a bit anxiety-inducing for Ripa. “Every night, I'm going to have this choice, like, 'Who do I see tonight?'" she said in a January episode of 'Live with Kelly and Mark'. "Do I go see my husband, or do I go see my beloved son?"
© Kelly Ripa/IG
