FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2024 Columbia, SC – Broadway actress and singer Bonita Hamilton-Caesar will headline Allen University’s 18th Annual UNCF “A Mind Is…” Scholarship Gala & Richard Allen Awards on Friday, February 9, 2024, at the Cantey Building on the State Fairgrounds. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by a formal program at 7:00 p.m.
Hamilton is a highly decorated actress, singer, voice-over artist, and speaker. Her 18-year tenure on Broadway includes her role as Shenzi, the hyena in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The Lion King, as well as pre-Broadway workshops for The Color Purple, The Legend of Stagecoach Mary, and Mandela the Musical. Recognized as a leader among her peers, she has also been commissioned to speak at the Annual Women’s Day on Broadway, has served as a mentor for Vanguard Theaters Broadway Buddies, and has taught Masterclasses in voice and theater at Duke University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Alabama State University.
A master storyteller, Hamilton brings words to life in her voice-over performances. Recent roles include ESPN’s NBA Countdown & Heisman Trophy ceremony; Marvel’s Wolverine Podcast; commercials for Walmart, Marzetti, and Novartis; the Academy Award-nominated film, Can You Ever Forgive Me, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Judas and the Black Messiah, Respect: The Aretha Franklin Movie, Till, Beauty, Rustin, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, FX’s Archer, and the animated series Through the Woods.
No stranger to success, Hamilton has performed solo as a vocalist on Good Morning America and at NBA games. Her body of work also includes a recurring role in HBO’s The Knick, NBC’s Manifest, the award-winning short film The Announcement, a commercial for Trelegy, and high-profile speaking roles for Disney Musicals in Schools and Alabama State University's Founders Day Convocation.
Hamilton obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alabama State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater from Brandeis University. She was selected as one of Alabama State University’s 50 Under 50 distinguished alumni. She is a certified teacher and practitioner of the Being Acting Technique and serves as a mentor to theater students at her alma mater, Alabama State, and high school students in her community.
Contact:
DR. Dub Taylor
Vice President for Institutional Advancement Allen University
P: 803-376-5725 | E: dtaylor@allenuniversity.edu