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Luanda de Hilster

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Luanda Lia de Hilster
Luanda Lia de Hilster
Luanda Lia in 2025
Musical theatre actress · Singer · Dancer · Choreographer
Personal information
Birth name Luanda Lia de Hilster
Also known as Luanda Lia; Luanda de Hilster
Born September 29, 2005 (age 21)
Torrance, California, U.S.
Nationality American and Brazilian
Based in Edmond, Oklahoma
Relatives David de Hilster (father)
Doris de Hilster (mother)
Career
Education Boca Raton Community High School (2023)
University of Central Oklahoma (2023–)
Degree(s) Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Musical Theatre, University of Central Oklahoma (expected May 2027)
Training Showtime Performing Arts Theatre; Taylor Made Dance & Theatre (2020–2023); Broadway Artist Intensive
Years active 2017–present
Performance
Notable roles Miss Adelaide (Guys and Dolls)
Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes)
Minnie Fay (Hello, Dolly!)
Heather McNamara (Heathers)
Dance styles Ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, samba
Music
Voice type Mezzo-soprano
Instruments Ukulele
Recognition & links
Awards Dream Awards nominee, Best Supporting Actress (2022, 2023)
Website luandalia.com
luanda.dehilster.com

Luanda Lia de Hilster (born September 29, 2005), known professionally as Luanda Lia, is a Brazilian-American musical theatre actress, singer and dancer. She is studying for a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre at the University of Central Oklahoma, where her roles have included Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes.[1][2]

Early life

Luanda was born in Torrance, California, to David de Hilster and his Brazilian wife, Doris. Her birth is documented in her father's feature documentary Einstein Wrong – The Miracle Year.[2] She grew up in the Los Angeles area. At four and five she studied voice with Alexa Gache at a music school in San Pedro, California, and gave her first two vocal performances there. From the age of five she also took tap, ballet and hip-hop lessons at Studio M in Long Beach. In her early elementary years at Birney Elementary School in Long Beach, she sang in the school's holiday shows. Her parents led a Brazilian samba school in California, so she grew up around samba music and dance.[2][3] She holds dual U.S. and Brazilian citizenship and speaks and sings in Portuguese.[2]

In 2014 the family moved to Boca Raton, Florida. There she attended Verde Elementary School and sang in its choir in fourth and fifth grade.[2]

Education

  • Birney Elementary School, Long Beach, California (c. 2010–2014): sang in holiday shows
  • Verde Elementary School, Boca Raton, Florida (c. 2014–2016): school choir in fourth and fifth grade
  • Boca Raton Community Middle School, Boca Raton, Florida (2016–2019): co-president of the Junior Thespian troupe
  • Boca Raton Community High School, Boca Raton, Florida (2019–2023): vice president of musical theatre in her senior year (2022–23)
  • University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma (2023–): Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre (expected May 2027)

Training

  • Music school in San Pedro, California (c. 2009–2011): voice with Alexa Gache; first two vocal performances, at ages four and five
  • Studio M, Long Beach, California (from age five): tap, ballet and hip-hop
  • Showtime Performing Arts Theatre, Boca Raton: classes, teen and adult productions, camp counsellor; member of ShowStoppers, Showtime's auditioned Broadway performance troupe
  • Taylor Made Dance & Theatre, Boca Raton (2020–2023), under Angela Morando-Taylor: College Prep Conservatory and College Audition Project
  • Broadway Artist Intensive (2022, 2023)

At Boca Raton Community Middle School she was co-president of the Junior Thespian troupe. She attended Boca Raton Community High School from 2019 to 2023.[2] Outside school she trained at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre in Boca Raton, run by Marilyn Perry, and from 2020 to 2023 studied at Taylor Made Dance & Theatre under Angela Morando-Taylor. There she took part in its college-preparation conservatory and the College Audition Project, and in 2022 she received the studio's Dot Taylor Scholarship and was named Head Studio Captain.[4] She also attended the Broadway Artist Intensive in 2022 and 2023.[5]

In fall 2023 she entered the musical theatre program at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre, expected in 2027.[6][5]

Career

Florida (2017–2023)

Luanda's first musical role came in sixth grade, in Boca Raton Community Middle School's Seussical (April 2017), directed by Joshua Tay. Cast as understudy for the Sour Kangaroo, she took over the role when the lead had scheduling conflicts. Her booming voice drew wide attention. Principal Peter Slack, who attended, asked afterwards: "Who was that girl who played the Kangaroo?" The following Monday he called her over in the school cafeteria and took her around the school to introduce her to the vice principal and other staff. She later performed the role again for incoming fifth graders at the school's open house.[7][8]

Her other early roles in school and community musicals in Boca Raton included Sebastian in The Little Mermaid and Alexi Darling in Rent with an adult cast at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre.[2] She was a member of ShowStoppers, Showtime's auditioned "triple threat" Broadway performance troupe for middle and high school students, alongside her friend Sarah Lash.[9] At Showtime she also played Tony Elliot, Billy's older brother, in Billy Elliot the Musical (September 2019)[10], and Davey Jacobs in Newsies (early 2020).[11] In December 2019 she played Heather McNamara in Heathers at Showtime.[12] Straight after Heathers she was cast as Patrice, the female lead, in Showtime's spring 2020 production of Jason Robert Brown's 13, a musical that had helped launch the career of another Boca Raton teenager, Ariana Grande.[13] Rehearsals were under way, and Showtime released trailers in February and March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut the theatre before the April opening and the production was never staged.[14]

At Boca Raton High School she also worked backstage. As a freshman (2019–20) she was on the audio tech team for the school's production of the musical Chicago, and as a sophomore she was assistant technical director for One Man, Two Guvnors.[15] On stage she played Kathryn Schaub in Radium Girls (2021), Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone (2022) and Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly! (2023), the year she served as the school's vice president of musical theatre. For the last two roles she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Dream Awards, the Palm Beach County high school musical theatre awards held at the Kravis Center.[16][17] She also won Superior ratings and perfect scores at Florida District and State Thespian competitions.[2]

Oklahoma (2023–present)

Her first UCO performance was the New Broncho Showcase in September 2023, a showcase for the incoming musical theatre class held at the Boathouse District in Oklahoma City. Faculty choreographer Michael Lomeka chose her as one of its two dance captains, and she performed his original choreography in the number "Adolpho".[18][19] At UCO she has appeared in Legally Blonde (2024) and as a Merry Murderess and dance captain in Chicago (2026), directed by Nathan Peck.[5][20] She was assistant director of City of Angels (2025).[21] Her first lead role at UCO was Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at Mitchell Hall in September 2025.[22] In fall 2026 she was double-cast as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, part of Mitchell Hall's centennial season.[23]

Her professional work in Oklahoma includes:

  • Bailey in The Polar Express Train Ride, produced by Rail Events Productions at the Oklahoma Railway Museum in Oklahoma City, over two holiday seasons (2024 and 2025). It was her first commercial show in Oklahoma.[5][24]
  • Directing and choreographing a Christmas production for Hobby Lobby's creative division (2025)[25]
  • Her debut with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, as a swing in Annie at the Civic Center Music Hall (June 2026)[26]

Selected credits

Year Production Role Venue / company
2017 Seussical Sour Kangaroo Boca Raton Community Middle School
2018 Bye Bye Birdie Mrs. McAfee Boca Raton Community Middle School
2019 The Little Mermaid Sebastian Boca Raton Community Middle School
2019 Rent (school edition) Alexi Darling / ensemble Showtime Performing Arts Theatre
2019 Billy Elliot the Musical Tony Elliot Showtime Performing Arts Theatre
2019 Heathers Heather McNamara Showtime Performing Arts Theatre
2020 Newsies Davey Jacobs Showtime Performing Arts Theatre
2020 13 Patrice (female lead) Showtime Performing Arts Theatre; cancelled before opening due to COVID-19
2019–20 Chicago Audio tech team (sound) Boca Raton Community High School
2020–21 One Man, Two Guvnors Assistant technical director Boca Raton Community High School
2021 Jekyll & Hyde Red Rat Dancer Boca Raton High School (streamed)
2021 Radium Girls Kathryn Schaub Boca Raton High School
2022 The Drowsy Chaperone Mrs. Tottendale Boca Raton High School
2023 Hello, Dolly! Minnie Fay Boca Raton High School
2023 New Broncho Showcase Dance captain; featured dancer ("Adolpho") University of Central Oklahoma, Boathouse District, Oklahoma City
2024 Legally Blonde Kate / Kiki / Judge University of Central Oklahoma
2024–2025 The Polar Express Train Ride Bailey Rail Events Productions, Oklahoma Railway Museum, Oklahoma City
2025 City of Angels Assistant director University of Central Oklahoma
2025 Guys and Dolls Miss Adelaide University of Central Oklahoma
2026 Chicago Merry Murderess; dance captain University of Central Oklahoma
2026 Annie Swing Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma
2026 Anything Goes Reno Sweeney University of Central Oklahoma

Honors

  • Dream Awards nominee, Best Supporting Actress: 2022 (The Drowsy Chaperone) and 2023 (Hello, Dolly!)[16][17]
  • Dot Taylor Scholarship, Taylor Made Dance & Theatre (2022)
  • Superior ratings at Florida District and State Thespian festivals (2019–2022)[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Luanda Lia". luandalia.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Bio". luanda.dehilster.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
  3. ↑ David de Hilster."Nurturing a Natural Talent". luanda.dehilster.com(2018-09-11).
  4. ↑ "Luanda Wins Taylor Made Scholarship & Named Head Studio Captain". luanda.dehilster.com(2022-05-30).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Resume". luandalia.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
  6. ↑ "Luanda to Study Musical Theater at the University of Central Oklahoma". luanda.dehilster.com.
  7. ↑ David de Hilster."Nurturing a Natural Talent". luanda.dehilster.com(2018-09-11).
  8. ↑ David de Hilster."Our Experience with Drama Club 2016-2017 – Amazing!". luanda.dehilster.com.
  9. ↑ "ShowStoppers Broadway Troupe". Showtime Performing Arts Theatre (archived).Retrieved 2026-11-07.
  10. ↑ "BILLY ELLIOT The Musical - September 2019 - Showtime Performing Arts Theatre". YouTube (Showtime Performing Arts Theatre)(2019-10-13).
  11. ↑ ""Newsies" the Musical Trailer - Showtime Performing Arts Theatre". YouTube (Showtime Performing Arts Theatre)(2020-01-15).
  12. ↑ "Luanda Lands Supporting Role in Heathers". luanda.dehilster.com(2019-08-23).
  13. ↑ David de Hilster."Luanda Lands Female Lead in the Musical "13"". luanda.dehilster.com(2019-12-30).
  14. ↑ ""13" The Musical Trailer 2 - Showtime Performing Arts Theatre". YouTube (Showtime Performing Arts Theatre)(2020-03-13).
  15. ↑ David de Hilster."Luanda Lands a Lead Role in Play "Radium Girls"". luanda.dehilster.com(2021-10-02).
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Luanda Nominated for Best Supporting Actress". luanda.dehilster.com(2022-05-16).
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Luanda Earns Dream Awards Nomination for a Second Year". luanda.dehilster.com(2023-05-10).
  18. ↑ David de Hilster."Luanda Lands First Musical Theater Roles at UCO as a Freshman". luanda.dehilster.com(2024-01-26).
  19. ↑ "New Broncho Showcase". University of Central Oklahoma – College of Fine Arts and Design events(2023-09-21).
  20. ↑ "Luanda Lia Named Dance Captain in Chicago Production by Director Nathan Peck". luandalia.com.
  21. ↑ "Luanda Named Assistant Director for City of Angels at UCO". luandalia.com.
  22. ↑ "Luanda Gets First Lead at UCO". luanda.dehilster.com.
  23. ↑ "Luanda Lia Cast as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes". luandalia.com.
  24. ↑ "Luanda Lands Lead in First Commercial Show in Oklahoma". luanda.dehilster.com(2024-11-11).
  25. ↑ "Luanda Lia Tapped to Direct and Choreograph Hobby Lobby Christmas Number". luandalia.com.
  26. ↑ "Luanda Joins the Cast of Annie at the OKC Civic Center". luandalia.com.

External links

Retrieved from "https://wiki.dehilster.com/index.php?title=Luanda_de_Hilster&oldid=179"