26 Feb 2016
In what she's described as the most exciting time of her life, former Dubbo College student Thalia Smith will take to the stage across Australia in the smash hit musical "We Will Rock You", based on the songs of Queen.
The talented dancer, singer and actress, who graduated from Dubbo College in 2012, has been in rehearsals for the musical for the past week and will make her debut performance on opening night in early May.
The 21-year-old is not only a member of the ensemble but will also cover, or understudy, for the leading female role of Scaramouche, a major coup for the recent graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).
"I can't remember a time in my life when I've been more excited," Thalia said.
"I found out I had won the role just before I graduated from VCA and I am thrilled at having the opportunity to work in the industry I trained for.
"I fully expected to be waiting tables and working in retail to fill the void but instead I find myself with twelve months of paid work in a dream job."
Thalia is the daughter of locals Allyn and Lydia Smith who contribute their acting and singing expertise to the Dubbo Amateur Theatrical Society (DATS).
"Mum and dad have been the perfect combination in terms of motivation and support for my aspirations," Thalia said.
"I have never been pressured but have always felt lovingly supported in determining my own goals.
"Dad recently said to me ‘you are living the dream' and I do feel very lucky, but I can also attribute my success to the drive and work ethic instilled in me by my parents."
Thalia also credits her time at Dubbo Ballet Studio with providing structure, discipline and team work to her vast array of skills.
A student of Dubbo College for six years, Thalia is grateful for the support and patience of teachers, who she said had made her more worldly and intelligent.
"There were a lot of teachers who were very patient with me and often gave me the extra push that I needed," she said.
"In the entertainment game, the smarter you are the better off you are – intelligence always pays dividends.
"Teachers like Brian Saxby, Jules Marshall and Michelle O'Callaghan all contributed to my success."
Another person Thalia is grateful to is former Dubbo girl Emma Canalese.
A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and The Neighborhood Playhouse New York, Emma is both a performer and a teacher, and according to Thalia has "popped in and out of her life".
"I would call Emma a mentor to me and I really appreciate that she is so grounded," Thalia said.
"What I like most about her is that she is her own person and always does exactly what she wants to do, despite external demands and expectations."
Thalia's success in musical theatre caps off three years of hard work studying her Bachelor of Fine Arts in music and theatre.In her graduating year at VCA she played the lead role of Peggy Sawyer in "42nd Street", with other credits including principal dancer for the Masters of Choreography students, Mrs Millennium in "Urinetown", Dance Captain for "Lil Abner", and Dance Captain for "The Wild Party".
She was also one of a few students selected to travel to New York as part of the Global Atelier Scholarship program.
Thalia said the ground work for her career came from her experiences growing up in Dubbo.
"I've had great experiences and opportunities in my home community but I have had to work very hard to prove myself against others who have been city-based," Thalia said.
"I think the real difference is that you often don't have the same arts connections in a rural community that Sydney and Melbourne-based performers have.
"But Dubbo certainly gave me the determination and drive to succeed and I would say that in the end hard work makes good luck."
Rehearsals for "We Will Rock You" will resume in Sydney next month. Thalia's role in the musical will take her to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in the next twelve months.