Quiantae Thomas is proof that dreams do come true.
The Carver School of the Arts graduate is now a featured cast member in the award-winning hit musical “Hamilton,” where she sings, dances, raps, and acts eight times a week as part of the featured ensemble at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
Thomas is indeed living her dream while playing the character of “Woman 4” in the blockbuster musical.
“It’s been amazing. It’s always been my dream to perform at the Fox and to be able to do what I love, which is sing, dance and act,” said Thomas, an Atlanta native and alumna of the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta who earned her bachelor of fine arts degree in dance from Alabama State University in 2018. “This has been a huge dream and accomplishment of mine that I’ve wanted for a very long time.”
As she reflects on her fledging career, Thomas, who began dancing as a young child, is immensely grateful for the strong performing arts foundation she received as an Atlanta Public Schools student.
And although Carver School of the Arts no longer exists, Thomas said its influence on her career is undeniable.
“Carver prepared me and really gave me motivation to make it out and be proud of where I came from,” she said. “I’ve always been the type of person who wanted to do this as a career and make money while fulfilling my passion.”
After graduating from Alabama State, Thomas soon journeyed to New York City where she auditioned for “Hamilton” during the fall of 2018. After auditioning several times – which included multiple callbacks, type castings and boot camps – Thomas finally landed the role of “Woman 4.”
Thomas’ first performance was on Nov. 12, 2019. However, the show abruptly came to a halt in March 2020 following the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The whole process took one year, and it was definitely a long year for sure,” Thomas recalled.
Through it all, Thomas has always been able to rely on mother, Quiefa Smith, who has inspired and motivated her to follow her dreams. Smith works as an accounts payable association in the Accounting Department at APS.
“My mom has always been very, very supportive. Anything I’ve ever wanted to do, she’s always been my No. 1 fan,” said Thomas, noting that Smith once served as her dance teacher at church when she was younger. “After graduation, I remember telling her, ‘I’m not coming back to Atlanta,’ and she said, ‘OK, that’s fine.’ She always knew that my dreams were way bigger than Atlanta, but I didn’t know at the time where my dreams were going to take me.”
While her performance in “Hamilton” will likely last through October 2022, Thomas isn’t quite ready to reveal where her talents will take her next.
But, she can guarantee that just like the show’s title character, Alexander Hamilton, she’s not going to throw away her shot.
“As artists, our dreams are so huge and there are so many elements to those dreams,” she said. “There are so many things that are confidential and haven’t been put in play yet, so I guess everyone will just have to wait and see what I do next.”
“Hamilton” will play at the Fox Theatre through Sunday, Sept. 26. Tickets can be purchased by visiting: https://www.foxtheatre.org/events/detail/hamilton-2020.
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