Milanis Clark is reaching for the proverbial brass ring and she’s close to grabbing it at a mere 11 years old. She’s already put in meaningful time learning her “trade” singing in local restaurants at 3 years old, taking part in school productions later on, and sharpening the talents that now gain her such note. Her first forays into the upper echelons of the entertainment world are guided by steady professionals, but she’s lucky to have input from two very important women.
Her mother Yeimis enjoys considerable respect and consistent employment as a professional dancer currently touring with 80’s and beyond legends Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. She’s always an important philanthropist, as well, responsible for co-founding Designed to Dance, Inc., while her stepmom Toni Menage isn’t far off. She’s creative director and personal manager for Lisa Lisa, but likewise a talented performer and singer in her own right. Their long experience in the entertainment industry provides an invaluable sounding board for two people legitimately concerned about Clark’s position in life.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: https://www.milanisclark.com/
This wealth of experience has helped her secure the role of Young Alline (Young Anna Mae’s older sister) in the Broadway show Tina – The Tina Turner Musical. The world of auditioning, hustling, and making your way through the casting process of any Broadway production is rigorous and often levels individuals far more mature, presumably, than Clark. Her ability to weather the selection process and stand out in a crowded field attests to the special aura surrounding this young talent.
I’m taken with the poise she shows. Stating flat out that the most important thing in her life right now is honing her craft and involving herself with as many quality projects as possible displays an intensity of commitment remarkable in anyone, let alone someone so young. It’s the sort of feeling that causes me to believe Clark will be around in two decades or more with innumerable productions in her rearview mirror and always moving on to the next thing. She has that incandescent drive I associate with such performers.
You see it in her work in Disney+’s Better Nate than Never, working with a top-notch cast including comedic titan Lisa Kudrow, and there’s always more in the offing. These high-profile projects are the first salvos in a barrage of work likely to catapult her from relatively anonymity to the sort of widespread recognition that her talents obviously deserve. She’s only a 5th grader at the moment, not even close to driving age, but she’s already piece by piece conquering worlds performers far older than her cannot enter.
She’s keeping her head about it as well. It’s important for this performer to maintain constant touch with the behind the scenes movers and shakers responsible, in part, for placing her in such an advantageous position. She will continue taking advantage of the chances that come her way and, I am sure, and her talents will only expand with each new project. She’s in this for the long hail and it’s well worth following her from here.
Timothy Ball
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