Julia Dale has already performed the national anthem at the Miami Heat NBA finals and Miami Marlins games and is now playing Tina Denmark in “Ruthless! The Musical” — and she’s just 12 years old. Dale is a South Florida native and a seventh grader at Indian Ridge Middle School. I chatted with her about the play and her life as a performer.
What’s your favorite part about living in South Florida? Do you like to go to the beach?
Yes, I love South Florida. I love the beach. I love the people. I just love everything about it. It’s such a great place to be raised and I am just lucky. I’m so happy to be here.
How did you get involved in theater and with singing?
Well, I knew from a young age that I just loved to sing and act around the house. I would watch musicals like “The Sound of Music” and my mom tells me stories all the time about how I would get dressed up and pretend to be that character and sing the songs all around the house. It’s what I’ve always loved, so I’ve always tried to do as much as I can in that business — to do what I love — so, I’ve been really lucky to be able to do that.
What’s your favorite part about performing?
Only when I’m performing, I get the feeling of “This is where I belong and this is what I love to do.” I really can’t describe how amazing it feels.
Do you ever get stage fright or get nervous before a performance?
I do but I think it’s more excitement than [stage fright]. I think it’s good to be nervous because it gets you focused on what you’re about to do and it’s mostly excitement when I just get out there and do what I love. It’s so fun. I love the whole experience of it, even the nerves. I love it all.
Can you tell me what the audition process was like for “Ruthless”?
I went in with my high ponytail and a bow in my skirt, and I was all dressed up and I went in and sang some songs from “Ruthless” and did some acting and some tapping. The acting is really hilarious. It’s such a funny show, so it was really fun and the cast is so talented. Everyone was so talented, and it was a really exciting experience.
Can you tell me about your character, Tina?
Tina is definitely a very interesting character and role to play. She wants to be a star. She thinks she has what it takes to be the biggest and brightest star out there, and she’s determined to get there, and she will do definitely whatever it takes to get there — whatever it takes.
And you’ll definitely see that in the show. She does it in the funniest way possible, so you’ll just be cracking up the whole entire time. She’s very determined to get what she thinks she deserves, and she just has so much talent and she can go out there and get it. She knows who she is and she’s very determined to get to the top.
What was it like performing the national anthem at the NBA finals for the Miami Heat?
It was crazy. It never even got old, even though I did it for three years. Every time was like the first time. The crowd and the fans and everyone there was just so supportive and amazing that it makes it so fun to do every single time. It’s just such a great experience to get the feedback after you sing. The feedback — it’s loud, it’s crazy. When I sing for them, I feel like this is what I want to do the rest of my life, this is where I belong.
Did you get to meet any of the players?
I did. I got to meet Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. Some of the players come up to me before some of the games and they’re like, “I love your voice,” and it’s crazy to even think that they would be saying that to me. I was just out there doing what I love, and for them to be able to appreciate that, that’s just crazy.
I feel as if you’re already a big star, but I know you’re going to get bigger. Have you signed any autographs yet?
I actually have. People have asked me to do that, and I can’t even believe it because that’s crazy for people to appreciate what I love to do. It’s the coolest job because you get to go out there and do what you love. And then people actually appreciating it and loving it right back — it’s something crazy. And kids at school also ask me sometimes, which is good; they’re really supportive.
What other performances have you done?
I do a lot of corporate and charity events around South Florida. I’ve sung the national anthem for the Marlins games, some of the Nascar games, different sporting events and some charity events.
In the future, do you want to transition from the stage to the big screen or would you rather focus on music? What’s your goal, what do you hope to achieve, what’s your ultimate dream?
I have a lot of things that I want to do. Anything that has to do with performing, that I’ve tried so far, I’ve loved, so I’d like to do as much as I can. I’d even love to write my own books.
What do you like to do for fun? It sounds like all of this is what you do for fun, but besides performing, how do you relieve stress?
Usually, I love to read so I’ll sometimes read. I have a little sister, so she really helps to relieve stress. She’s so amazing and really helps me through that. And, also my friends and my cousins and everything — people my age and even my mom and dad, they help me. Even just talking to them helps me relieve stress.
Do you have a favorite performer or singer?
That’s not a nice question! So hard. I like modern pop music and I also love old music. I love Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. I love all of them, but then again, I love new pop, like Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. I have a wide variety of music that I like.
“Ruthless” premiers soon. Are you ready to go? Are you pumped?
I’m so excited to perform; I knew even before I read the script. I read the script over and over, and every time I read it, it just got funnier and funnier. The show is hilarious and I’m so excited to see how people react to it because I know people are going to be dying with laughter. It’s going to be fantastic and I’m really excited to see the crowd’s reaction.
“Ruthless! The Musical” premieres Oct. 9 and runs through Nov. 3 at the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. For tickets, go to actorsplayhouse.org/index.html and to follow Dale’s journey, go to facebook.com/juliadalefanpage.
