By Harris Brand Management
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
August 1, 2024 (New York, N.Y.) — Twelve-year-old Nia Thompson is no stranger to the stage. As a young three-year-old, Nia watched KeKe Palmer in her historic performances as the first Black Cinderella on Broadway in RODGER’S + HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA. As the curtains closed she turned to her mother and said, “I’m supposed to be on the stage.” Years later, the young phenom is set to conclude her epic run as one of the few Haitian-Americans to portray “Young Nala” in Disney’s THE LION KING on Broadway on August 18th. The fairytale manifestation of words from a young toddler resulted in nearly 200 shows that left audiences inspired and anxiously awaiting what is next from Thompson.
It is the kind of a story Walt Disney himself would write. On September 8, 2019, to celebrate her eighth birthday, Thompson set foot in the Minskoff Theater for the first time, to see THE LION KING with her two besties. As a special treat, her parents arranged a backstage tour led by seven-year ensemble member the late Sharron Lynn Williams. As the tour ended, Thompson stood on stage and shared her dreams of one day being in THE LION KING, to which Sharron responded by turning her around to face the empty theater and saying, “See yourself here one day…” Four years later on September 7, 2023, the night before her twelfth birthday, reality caught up with her dreams when Nia was cast to make her Broadway debut starring in the world’s number one musical as “Young Nala.”
Nia’s inspirational story began before she was even born. The rainbow child of her father, Marc Thompson, Jr., and mother, Coach Gessie Thompson, Nia is the manifestation of a 10-year battle with infertility caused by uterine fibroids.
Upon celebrating her 100th show in June, Thompson said, “This has been so very special. What a blessing. In this season I am building my confidence on the stage but also building my confidence in who I am and whose I am! When I think about me closing out my 100th show, all I can do is thank the LORD for all He’s done. I may be young, but this job requires lots of maturity, discipline and sacrifice. I’ve had to overcome a lot to be here. I’m so grateful for growth…100 shows later and I’m better than ever!”
Living her dream, Nia is the CEO of her own production company, Authentic Nia Inc., and was previously best known for singing Disney’s viral hit “Super Bonnet” from GRAMMY winners Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter’s NAACP Image Nominated animated short series “Rise Up, Sing Out.” The infectious bop championed diversity and inclusivity by inspiring young girls around the world to embrace and celebrate their curly, textured hair. She has also enjoyed recurring roles in the Obamas’ Netflix EMMY-winning animated series “Ada Twist Scientist” and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker’s “Godfather of Harlem” as well as an appearance alongside Queen Latifah in “The Equalizer.” She was most recently seen in Season 54 episode 29 of “Sesame Street” and can soon be seen in the upcoming HULU miniseries “Washington Black.”
As she prepares to shift from “Young Nala,” Thompson continues to build on her momentum looking to make history starring in THE AMIGO FAMILY–the first of its kind identifiably Afro-Latino TV series–alongside The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sitcom icon Tatyana Ali, who is starring in and executive producing the project; show creator and award-winning Bronx-Garifuna-Honduran born children’s book author and community activist Sulma Arzu-Brown; and writer Keisha Ansley (who has worked on many acclaimed shows, including Showtime’s Weeds, HBO’s Insecure and as a full-time writer on ABC’s hit show, Black-ish.) Thompson recently joined the cast for a live reading of the series pilot episode during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture as a feature of the ESSENCE Film Festival to rave reviews.
While fully committed to this project, Nia will also be very busy this fall performing at The 4th Annual Sustainable Goals Banquet in September and launching her “Authentic Voices” podcast in partnership with The Conscious Kid–an Education, Research and Policy Organization that supports families and educators in taking action to disrupt racism, inequity and bias.
For more on Nia, visit Authentic Nia.
