Shakiera Sarai is a New York based performer and writer born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She is a proud alumna of Dekalb School of the Arts and Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta (YEA), both based in her hometown.
Like the "Chicken and Waffle", she is the unexpected but harmonious combination of savory and sweet; southern pleasantries and city sensibility, rock/soul belt and lyrical soprano, classical/traditional and modern/avant-garde, video gaming and dress shopping.
Shakiera earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee; the heartland of Blues, Soul, Rock n' Roll (and Bar-B-Que!) It was here that she became featured cast at FreakEngine Improv, and played a wide variety of leading and supporting ladies around the city of Memphis including Madame Giry in the first ever university licensing of The Phantom of The Opera, Mrs. Lyons in Blood Brothers (Irene Ryan Nomination) and Jenny Diver in Three Penny Opera (Ostrander, Best Actress in a Musical).
Shakiera solidified her decision to move to New York after participating in the American Theatre Wing's 2 week actor intensive, Springboard NYC, in 2012.
In 2014, Shakiera joined National Players' 66th tour playing Rosalind in As You Like It, Stephano in The Tempest and Mayella, Mrs. Stephanie and Mrs. Dubose in To Kill A Mockingbird, for which she was also the Music Director.
Shakiera's career has taken her internationally (including The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006), domestically (in both tours and regional theatre), and through nearly every borough of the "Big Apple"!
Shakiera can be seen as The Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz" at the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre until July 1, 2018.
Like the "Chicken and Waffle", she is the unexpected but harmonious combination of savory and sweet; southern pleasantries and city sensibility, rock/soul belt and lyrical soprano, classical/traditional and modern/avant-garde, video gaming and dress shopping.
Shakiera earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee; the heartland of Blues, Soul, Rock n' Roll (and Bar-B-Que!) It was here that she became featured cast at FreakEngine Improv, and played a wide variety of leading and supporting ladies around the city of Memphis including Madame Giry in the first ever university licensing of The Phantom of The Opera, Mrs. Lyons in Blood Brothers (Irene Ryan Nomination) and Jenny Diver in Three Penny Opera (Ostrander, Best Actress in a Musical).
Shakiera solidified her decision to move to New York after participating in the American Theatre Wing's 2 week actor intensive, Springboard NYC, in 2012.
In 2014, Shakiera joined National Players' 66th tour playing Rosalind in As You Like It, Stephano in The Tempest and Mayella, Mrs. Stephanie and Mrs. Dubose in To Kill A Mockingbird, for which she was also the Music Director.
Shakiera's career has taken her internationally (including The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006), domestically (in both tours and regional theatre), and through nearly every borough of the "Big Apple"!
Shakiera can be seen as The Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz" at the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre until July 1, 2018.