Jia started with her studies that began in Houston, Texas USA at the famous School for the Performing and Visual Arts. After studying there for three years, Jia landed her first big break in a Six Flags park called Astroworld After one season there she then started university at UT at Austin. And studied Architectural Design. After one year Jia came home for the school break and a major audition came through Houston. Out of the 1200 who auditioned for this Broadway Show, Jia was the only Houstonian to make it to New York. This was the break every young talent is waiting for and Jia took it with all she had.
Jia had landed a chorus and understudy role for one of the all time 7 Tony award winning musicals of all-time; Michael Bennett’s legendary “Dreamgirls”. Nothing could stop her now. Initially touring the US with the show then to Broadway New York with powerful artists as Felicia Aires-Allen (Mother on Cosby Show), Michael Peters (choreographer for Michael Jackson),Jennifer Holliday, Cleavant Derricks-Carrol and David Allen-Greer, these 2 years flew by. Living out of suitcases became second nature as Jia went out on tour with “Dreamgirls for a second stint but this was a world-wide tour. What better way to see the world than while you are working.
Living in New York at this time was certainly an experience for a South West gal like Jia. Jia made many life long friends and contacts. Many times these contacts lead to roles in shows, commercials, television, photographic print, modelling, and industrial work.
Following on from her tour and other work after Dreamgirls, Jia then toured with her own cabaret show, formed a girls group in Texas that performed as a house band in Cody’s and other major functions in Houston, Texas. Jia ended up in London after performing on board The Crown Odyssey, which set sail each time from England shores. This brought Jia into talks with various record companies over performances and deals.
Performing in London
Never one to sit around waiting, as talks and legalities progressed with the record companies, Jia looked at other avenues of the performing industry and immediately landed a role in the musical “Ain’t Misbehaving”. The show, based on the songs of Fat’s Waller, with a cast of only 5. Jia was put into the show as it was about to move from the Tricycle theatre to London’s West End ( Shaftesbury Theatre). Despite being used to having a leading role, Jia took the gig, which meant covering two lead roles and before long she had her chance to show London what she had to offer in the realms of musical theatre . Her first night was an amazing success, with a long standing ovation for her emotive rendition of “Keeping Out Of Mischief”. Over the run of the show in the Apollo Theatre, Jia made many friends and fans.
However, when it comes to fans, her next show “Buddy”, gave her an army of
fans.“Buddy”, initially at the Victoria Palace, then moving to the Stand Theatre where
Jia started, allowed Jia to have fans who would attend the show on an almost weekly basis! Buddy was based on the all to short life of Buddy Holly, the show ran in the West End for 13 years and is currently on tour. Jia was actually in the show twice, one year 1st contract and 6months the final. She was asked back when Producer Paul Elliot saw Jia in a Production of The Wiz at the Hackney Empire and had to have her back in Buddy. The CD soundtrack from the show is still selling well.
Jia’s appearance in The Wiz at the Hackney Empire was a very personal experience. The motivation and turning point in her adolescent life; to go become an entertainer, was seeing the show ‘The Wiz’ with Stephanie Mills and Andre DeShields on Broadway NY. Jia played the role of Dorothy and this was more than a dream come true for her. Because of the importance of this to Jia, the role of Dorothy was both emotionally demanding and draining each night but rewarding and worth every moment.
The Stage newspaper reported: “Heading a cracking cast, Jia Frances matches Dorothy’s vulnerability with the cool confidence needed to marshal her bizarre travelling companions, anchoring the various sections of Ease on Down the Road with ease”.
When shows such as ‘The Wiz’ are not running at the Hackney Empire, Friday nights is given over to talent contents, where the ‘not so good’ get a very rough ride from the audience and the ‘great’ bring the house down. It’s so strange that her next project, 125th Street, would be based on the world famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, where it’s reputation was built on exactly the same thing – only more so.
The Apollo Theatre in New York’s Harlem launched some careers of household names such as Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Sarah Vaughn. So follows the storyline of “125th Street which opened in The Shaftsbury Theatre in London; launching many careers of the performers represented. The show was set in the late 50s and 60s in the Apollo Theatre; the night of a TV broadcast, where the main stars booked to perform were all caught up in the riots and traffic outside arrived leaving no choice but to produce a TV show from the pool back-stage girls and boys who were regulars at the Apollo. This is how several truly got their chance at fame. Jia played ‘Debbie Robinson’, organiser of the backing singers for all the acts that performed at the Apollo. Debbie is one who gets her chance at fame and love and truly rocks the house with her voice. She soon becomes the star she always dreamed of.
The US newspaper, Variety, commented on Jia’s singing, it as” perfectly clear and feisty (when she caught George cheating on her) “…by hurling at him a “Piece of My Heart” and brought the house down. The Stage newspaper said “A high point towards the end of the show was “Georgie Blue and Debbie” “back up singer, played by Jia Frances, singing a climatic onstage duet that brought tears and the audience to their feet.” Street Live Section of BOYZ Mag states” Jia Frances blew me away with her powerful vocals particularly Jia’s emotive rendition of “Piece of My Heart’”.
TV & Film
Showing her versatility as a serious actress, Jia played the character of Wanda in ITV’s Flight 97. Hosted by Trevor MacDonald; a drama recreation of the World Trade Centre hi-jacking incident. Even though this was filmed a year after the incident but still an emotional and quite draining experience for most of the cast). This drama ended with the planes destruction, but avoiding further loss of life in Washington DC, because of the heroic actions of the flight crew and a few passengers aboard
Jia’s becoming a bit of a regular on the BBC’s Children In Need appeals, having performed 3 different numbers from three different shows for the last three years !
Other TV appearances include Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, Open House with Gloria Hunniford, and others
On the Film scene, Jia was still a student when she gained the chance to appear alongside Denzil Washington in “The George McKenna Story”. More recently, she had a Cameo appearance in the film “Don’t Look Back” with New Forest Pictures, which was shown at the Cannes film festival
Other appearances
Jia was featured in a centre pages article in the Daily Express - talking about her fitness regime as it relates to her work. She’s also appeared in local papers and at local radio stations whilst on tour (in the US and UK). Jia has also toured with the Kent Radio Station Invicta (part of the Capital Radio Group) in their summer roadshow.
Jia’s original music has had great reviews in NME and Blues & Soul magazine. Look for Jia’s own stuff to hit out in a short while. When not working on her own music, Jia has performed backing for Westlife, Dane Bowers, Lulu, Steps etc….
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