A rising star in Summerville

Wander into Cuppa Manna, a corner coffee shop in Summerville SC any Tuesday night and one open-mic performer will shine above everyone else as she picks off tunes on her ukulele. Olivia Gainey is the Lowcountry’s ascending star. At age 14, she has her sights set on Broadway and her most recent accomplishment is landing the role of Tobias in The Flowertown Players upcoming performance of Sweeny Todd. This will be Olivia’s most challenging role as she will be portraying a young boy.

Olivia started performing with ballroom dance at age 8 and since then has been chasing and catching the spotlight. If you were to mention Rumba, Fox Trot, and Cha-Cha to most teenagers they would think you were speaking a code for Call of Duty but these are only a few of the 11 dances Olivia has mastered. She was accepted to the Rollings Middle School for the Arts, where she completed the 7th and 8th grade, and began working with Impact Creative Arts Academy. In her first audition, she landed the lead in Yes, Virginia. Since then she has been cast in 6 leading rolls amidst Charleston’s musical theater scene; Bye Bye Birdie, Legally Blonde Jr, and Annie.

Olivia has auditioned for a few TV series but when asked if she sees herself as a movie star she states she prefers musical theater. “I like to make people happy and see their reaction”.

Despite her creative talent and affinity for the spotlight, Olivia’s personality is by far her greatest gift. She has a true desire to help those less fortunate and make a difference in the lives of both the young and old. Poised, gracious, and exuberant; this thespian prodigy is an inspiration to those she sparkles upon both off and on stage.