Rising Central Florida actor has many talents
Actor Lillie Thomas, star of ‘Head Over Heels,’ loves mathematical numbers as much as musical ones
Lillie Eliza Thomas, star of“Head over Heels,” is an environmental engineer, singer and lover of ballroom dancing in addition to being a talented actor.
Lillie Eliza Thomas is explaining to me how to rehabilitate a drainage well. With gusto.
It’s a surprise, coming from one of Central Florida’s finest actors.
A two-time Orlando Sentinel award winner, Thomas has appeared on stages from Orlando Shakes at Lake Eola, where she just starred as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors,” to St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, from Theater West End in Sanford to the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden.
Her latest role: Queen Gynecia in Encore Performing Arts’ “Head Over Heels,” which features the music of the Go-Go’s.
But Thomas is full of surprises. Like her pet hedgehog, Sonic, or her love of ballroom dancing.
Her knowledge of drainage wells gets put to use in her day job as an environmental engineer with GeoSyntec Consultants, a national firm with an office in east Orlando. Thomas also can speak knowledgeably about retrofitting stormwater drainage
systems — and with the same enthusiasm she displays when discussing a favorite Broadway musical.
“I’m helping the environment one place at a time,” says Thomas. “I grew up outside, in the garden, hiking, all that stuff.”
She also grew up singing, playing piano — and studying violin, viola, alto sax and oboe along the way.
Born in Miami, Thomas spent her childhood in Pembroke Pines, singing in church and making music with her three siblings. Her parents’ records exposed her to classical, pop, soul and opera. But — foreshadowing her future — she loved mathematical numbers as much as musical numbers.
“I love math!” she exclaims — not a phrase you often hear from an actor. Thomas earned a spot in a Florida program that gave her an early start at Broward College, while she studied vocal and piano music at Florida Atlantic University.
She came to Orlando to study at the University of Central Florida, where she earned two bachelor’s degrees — in engineering and environmental studies — and a master’s in environmental engineering.
Thomas has performed extensively in Brevard County theaters, but her first Orlando-area role came in 2018, also in “Little Shop of Horrors,” when she played killer plant Audrey II for Celebration Theatre Company.
Since then, she has portrayed warmhearted teacher Kate in Theater West End’s “If/Then,” cousin Eustace in Orlando Repertory Theatre’s “Miracle in Bedford Falls,” Papa Ge in Osceola Arts’ “Once on this Island,” Eve and Noah’s wife in “Children of Eden” at St. Luke’s, and a trio of roles at the Garden Theatre: Sophie in “A Class Act,” Miss Honey in “Matilda the Musical” and Irene Molloy in “Hello, Dolly!”
the beginning” is my favorite line and it actually comes during the ride. Mummy is intense, but I’m drawn to the slower, décordriven stretches with pop-up soldiers, mummified Reggie still wearing a red cap and scarabs.
SeaWorld Orlando
Manta: Once secured into the seat, there’s a groaning noise and you’re shifted into a parallel-to-ground position. If it were yoga, it would be Sitting Superman. After the horrific hill and G-force loop, I look forward to gliding over the water, sideways.
Mako: Climbing the hill is pokey, but it builds anticipation for the drop to come. Plus, you might see nearby Kraken in action. Best of all is the airtime going through the second hill. It’s how airtime was meant to be.
Kraken: This is another deliberate ascent, but the tension continues as the car turns the corner into that first drop. Several inversions later, I’m happy to end with the curves near the ride entrance.
Journey to Atlantis: Surprised to see this on the list? Sure, it’s mostly a water ride, but and then when it actually does turn into a coaster, it’s freewheeling.
Magic Kingdom
Space Mountain: The trippy tube after leaving the loading station is a classic. There’s a certain sameness to the rest of the ride, a very dark experience with the occasional nearby shriek. For my second like, I’m going with the exterior, which has screamed Tomorrowland since 1975.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Just as I’m almost brave enough to raise my hands in the air, there’s a wooden structure overhead that seems just too close to chance it. Also, the ride’s length and design make folks surprised when it’s not quite over yet. It’s bonus rail!
It’s a simple pleasure. “Heigh Ho” by 7D lovingly distracts from the drop to come. Coming out the other side, there’s a chance to see the castles of Cinderella and Eric.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Animal Kingdom
Expedition Everest: Again, a dead-end gets me, followed by a backward stretch in the dark (did that get more prolonged somehow?), then down. It’s a good combo. Going up the big lift hill at night somehow gives you Florida beauty (and faux Florida beauty.)
Hollywood Studios
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Well, duh, that superstretch limo launch at the beginning is everything. Later, going through the “O” of the Hollywood sign is genius, perfectly themed
and Day-Glo.
Slinky Dog Dash: The first major drop allows you to make quick eye-to-eye contact with folks on the ground (frequently standing in the SDD queue). Do them a favor and look mortified. After the go-go-go launch, I like the humps in the backstretch heading back to the station. Friends have told me that’s the worst part of Dash, but they’ve been wrong before. Somehow this disagreement leads to a warm-versus-frozen butterbeer argument, even though we are miles from either park (and the correct answer: classic butterbeer).
We’ll shout it out next time.
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