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Hello TheatrePeople! Boy, do I have a special surprise for you this week. Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Afra Hines.
Afra is a veteran Broadway performer, from the likes of Hadestown, the original company of In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the First National Tour of Hamilton.
Afra is remarkably talented, so sweet and generous—I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
Afra Hines, actor, dancer and singer, Broadway Performer in Hadestown.
Passing Strange! The actors and musicians were phenomenal. It was funny and heart-breaking, and I really related to the feeling of not fitting in, or not being enough of one thing or another.
When I found out I would be understudying the role of Disco Donna (played by Ariana DeBose) in SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway.
Oof – can I tell on myself? As I hit the button of my first full song of the show (playing Donna Summer), my wig came off and was hanging onto the back of my head by two bobby pins.
As an audience member, I love being swept away into the story, I love sitting in a dark theater with hundreds of people all reacting to something in real time.
NEW PERSPECTIVES
Seeing the world through the eyes of someone else.
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Currently performing in the new Broadway musical Hadestown (where she understudies the role of Persephone), Afra is a veteran performer with 8 Broadway credits to her name. Some of her favorites include SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical where she played Michael/Maid and understudied Disco Donna Summer (performing the role 25 times), In The Heights (Original Broadway Company with Lin-Manuel Miranda), Shuffle Along (Original Broadway Company along side Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter and Joshua Henry with choreography by Savion Glover), Ghost (Original Broadway Company, understudy Clara/Louise), and Motown (understudy Tina Marie). She also spent a year on the First National Tour of HAMILTON (Angelica Tour) playing San Francisco and Los Angeles. Additionally, Afra was a Radio City Rockette for 7 years. You can see Afra in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon with Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams, on FX. Other television work includes Boardwalk Empire (Onyx Dancer), Curb Your Enthusiasm (Hamilton ensemble), The Detour (B.Frank ensemble), Mozart In the Jungle, and SNL.
Allison Emmerich: Event Planner – Theatre People
Rob Forbes: Producer and Director – Theatre People
Mitch is the Founding Creative Director of Theatre Avenue, where he designs digital projections for the performing arts. For the last 14 years, Mitch has produced digital content for theatre and ballet companies, universities, and schools internationally. His work ranges from original illustration, animation, and motion design for productions such as Willy Wonka, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Lion King and beyond. Mitch travels the country teaching projection design workshops, conducts virtual learning sessions, publishes media content, and writes for theatre magazines and blogs. Before his dive into the theatrical world, Mitch was an art director and designer creating nationwide campaigns for corporate and non-profit organizations like NBC News, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Alzheimer’s Association. He worked for 10 years with hundreds of clients as a graphic and web designer, illustrator, and motion graphics artist. Mitch earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at Ball State University, where he studied art and design, the humanities, and computer animation.
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