Spotlight has to be one of the best things that has happened in my life. Without it I would still be insecure about being in front of people and public speaking. I never knew I could even sing until I joined less than a year ago. The director there, Ms. Angela is one of the most influential people in my life. She has shown me, and many other students at Spotlight, potential they didn t know they had. She cares selflessly for the growth of her students-a characteristic every good teacher should have. Ms. Angela goes the distance. I think that anyone interested in theatre should try this place. The director is very kind and the environment is very welcoming.Spotlight is my home away from home.<3
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After watching 3 productions at spotlight and hearing from friends who have starred in shows there, it seems very poorly managed. There's a lot of other theaters in charlotte that put on much better productions.
It sounds to me like some comments that have been written over the last couple of days are by children who had their feelings hurt. That is a very sad and immature way to express that. Angela is a strong teacher and certainly challenges her students (which we love as parents of athletes we know it helps improve them and bring them to their best potential) however, she is kind, understanding, hilarious and extremely professional. My daughter started with Angela several months ago and we couldn t be happier. They are like a family (actually much like ours). It is unfortunate that some children would take it upon themselves to clearly try to hurt this woman and her business. I humbly ask that you ignore the non-sense in these comments as they are clearly trying to smear her possibly because they didn t get their way. We love you Angela and look forward to a very long relationship with you!
I took classes and performed at Spotlight for 7 years. Angela is especially good with younger casts, putting on such fun shows and not putting an unhealthy amount of pressure on younger performers to be perfect (tho she does expect her older students to live up to what she s taught them!) I recommend classes at spotlight to everyone with kids that I know, and encourage people to do shows when they have time. Highly recommend spotlight for people with kids venturing into theatre - it s a great place to learn!!!
Spotlight is amazing and I am so happy I found it I have met so many amazing people who are all rly sweet and supportive including Angela who has helped so much and I love doing her shows and taking voice lessons with her she has helped so much and spotlight has been great!!
Angela is a bad person and I highly doNot recommend this place as a child he s had friends to go there I would listen to me more than the parents commenting underneath it
I m not sure what the catalyst is for the rash of reviews over the past 24 hours but it appears as though someone got offended and recruited others to use google reviews in an attempt to discredit a local small business which is unfortunate. All three of my children have participated in productions at Spotlight with one of them consistently involved for the past five years. All of my experiences with Spotlight have been positive and I highly recommend it for anyone who s child would like to experience musical theater.
Spotlight Performing Arts has become my daughter's second home. She has made great friends and, under the direction of Angela Mills, has become more comfortable and capable in her singing and acting skills. Not only is she able to perform in scheduled shows throughout the year, Summer Camps are an amazing opportunity to experience musical theater, whether you're a newcomer to the stage or looking for more performance opportunities. I am continually amazed at how, within the course of a one week camp, students are able to audition, learn music, script and choreography and at the end of the week put on an entire show with costumes and sets - a show that parents and students are proud to share. We continually look forward to all that Ms. Angela and Spotlight have to offer!
Both of my kids and have attended camps with Spotlight Performing Arts Academy. We live in SC and allowed our kids to stay with family members for their camp weeks. My son went 5 years in a row and he absolutely loved it. My daughter was in the Trolls JR performance recently. My daughter (7) has always danced but wanted to try acting. She was terrified to sing because she had never done it before in front of people. Angela took my daughter and one other child who was scared into a private room for them to audition. She encouraged them and helped them get passed their fear. My daughter could not read music yet Angela took her personally to help her out so she didn t feel behind . Angela always has lifted others up and has never shamed others for anything. We absolutely love Spotlight and Angela!!
My two children have been part of Spotlight for several years and would not miss a production. They are motivated and inspired by the brilliant team at Spotlight. It is hands down the best dramatic instruction, music lessons including voice and camps in the metro area.
I highly do not recommend going. One of the guys there bullied my friend who had a terrible experience as well as her siblings who had a terrible experience into deleting their comment. The place itself is terrible and mentally draining. Be careful. The owner Angela should not be a teacher.
Spotlight Theatre has been a phenomenal place for my kids. Both of them have grown and matured through the years that they have attended. I cannot say enough great things about Angela. She has really helped one of my kids grow as a person more than you will ever know. Heck she even got me started with learning how to play the guitar. Spotlight Theatre has been really good for all of the kids that have gone there over the years. My wife and I have always enjoyed watching the shows. Thank You Angela for working so hard with everyone. You are loved by many people.
Our experience with Angela Gordon Mills and Spotlight Performing Arts has been phenomenal. We have been a part of this theater for 2+ years. This is a locally run theater group (small business) offering a variety of music and performing arts classes. All 3 of my children have participated in a variety of offerings such as music lessons, voice lesson, summer camps, and productions. Angela has always been supportive, encouraging, and fun. She helps build their confidence and pushes them to try new things. Thank you, Angela for your hard work.
As for the negative reviews- it is deplorable that people "adults" feel the need to be so hurtful. With so much chaos in the world, we all need some peace, compassion, and understanding. None of the negative review are constructive or helpful- clearly a personal attack.
Angela Gordon Mills is an incompetent director with no regard for her students, the shows she produces, and the space she performs in. Theatre is supposed to be an inclusive and fun art form used for storytelling, yet with Angela, her priorities seem to be focused more on how everyone else can make HER look good. Instead of bringing people up to make the show greater overall, she tears down her students with micro-aggressions to reaffirm her position of director . The only thing that made performing fun at Spotlight, was finding good people who share a REAL passion for theatre that overlooks their want for attention. If you want to find somewhere to perform, I assure that you can find places with directors who love what they do because they love the art and the people, not the money.
I have been involved with spotlight performing arts heavily over the last three years. I was involved in productions as an actor, as a technical director, and as a carpenter. Although I met many people there that I am still close with, overall my experience was a negative one.
The main issue that I have always had with spotlight has always been Angela, the owner and director. Time and time again, she has been unprepared, unprofessional, and on several occasions, downright rude and abrasive.
Many people that have performed there that are in Angela's camp will chalk this up to "the director having high expectations". I have worked with several theaters in the state, including Matthews Playhouse, CPCC, and several groups based out of the Chapel Hill area. In all of these situations, the directors have had very high expectations. Only in spotlights case has the director ever been as unprofessional as to bully her students via passive aggressive comments and backhanded compliments.
The facet that stands out to me most fervently, however, is the situation that occurred during the 24 hour production of Sweeney Todd. During this production, we rehearsed for 24 straight hours, and then put the show on. Angela was billed as the director, yet was not present until several hours into the rehearsal process, leaving other staff and students to run things. This was fine, but when Angela did arrive several hours into the rehearsal process, she spent an hour hosting a dance party and then left, providing nothing meaningful to the production at all. This stretched the other production staff thin and caused stress and production difficulties.
Overall, I am grateful for the friends that I made in my time at spotlight. In spite of this, I would urge you to spend you or your child's time and money elsewhere. Matthew's Playhouse has delightful programs, for example. There are other options that are better in almost every facet.
Local theater is a wonderful way to experiment with acting and the arts. But Spotlight is so much more: it is professional, engaging, and a way to improve your craft. The owner Angela creates dynamic shows where everyone shines. We LOVE Spotlight!
This place is seriously not worth you money! There are many, many issues with the staff, and COVID Safety Precautions . Please consider going to another theater company, as there are a good amount of better and safer alternatives.
I ve read the recent reviews numerous times and am simply stunned. I cannot alone change the minds of the people who are so relentlessly attempting to destroy a kind and compassionate woman s business, reputation, and overall well-being. What I can do is give an account of my experience I ve had at Spotlight over the years in hopes that future customers reading these reviews may be able to decipher truth from deceit.
My former high school did not (at the time) have the funds to produce a play/musical each year/semester, so Spotlight was my outlet to perform on stage, express myself, and grow as an actor. When I first walked in the doors of Spotlight about seven years, I was warmly greeted by Angela Mills and a former director of the show I was auditioning for. I ve been a part of some fantastic shows here both in ensemble and as leads and each show always taught me something new. If I was ever unsure about something, such as an uncertainty with a section of a song, an insecurity with a dance number ( cause God knows I m no TikTok dancing star), or even doubt about myself as a performer in general, Angela s support and encouragement always pushed me to be a better version of myself. Yes, Angela does have high expectations, but doesn t any good teacher/mentor have these same ideals for those who they believe to be good leaders and role models?
I would also like to say that I was a part of the 24-hour Sweeney Todd production in the summer of 2018 and just want to give another perspective take what you will from it. Firstly, I absolutely loved this show and is by far my favorite of all the shows I ve ever done. Secondly, yes, Angela did show up a few hours after we had started rehearsing. However, from what I recall, we were already on a break and dancing to music before she arrived. We had been rehearsing tirelessly for four or five hours surely a break was needed, yes? And yes, she went home after but as I recall I believe she was suffering from heat stroke.
I highly recommend Spotlight for people of all ages and anyone who loves theatre who wants to have the opportunity to sharpen their skills. You will learn and meet fantastic people.
I am and will always be grateful for my time here at Spotlight. Angela has poured her heart, soul, money, time, and energy to make Spotlight a positive place for aspiring artists to find their light. I m not sure what ignited the most recent reviews, but I pray for peace, love, and happiness amongst you all. Words are more powerful than we can ever imagine; they can either speak life, or they can speak death. We do not know the circumstances that others are going through nor can we alone change those circumstances. Someone could be going through an extremely rough patch in their life and your words can make or break them. What we can do is choose love. Be uplifting, have patience and compassion, and allow forgiveness. If something someone did to you is bothering you, please approach them in person rather than hiding behind the mask. You will be much happier in the end and will find peace.
Spotlight has been such an incredible experience!! Mrs. Angela is one of the most amazing directors ever and puts together such astounding shows! The environment is so safe and inclusive and everyone gets a chance to showcase their talent! Not only is Mrs. Angela a great director, but an extraordinary mentor as well! She has improved my singing and acting and has been nothing but nice to me since the day I arrived! Since I started theater here i've gained more confidence and really found a place where I belong! I have also found some incredible people here who are so talented and so sweet and have really had an impact on me but the most impact has been from Mrs. Angela she is so encouraging and so talented and she always knows how to make me smile she really is an unbelievable director who knows how to really put a show together and teaches people like me what theater really means! I have had such an incredible experience her and have found not just friends but family here! Love you Mrs. Angela and I love Spotlight and I definitely don't plan on leaving anytime soon! :)
I took dance lessons here a few years ago and managed to learn next to nothing. If you didn t pick it up fast enough she (Angela) would not slow down and help, rather make somewhat discouraging comments. If you are interested in dance lessons its better to seek out somewhere else rather than this cash grab.
Spotlight theatre has tremendously enriched the life of my teenage son. Performing in musical productions has enabled him to be confident in front of an audience. He is able to articulate himself and has gained skills that he will use his whole life. He has gained incredible friendships. We are so grateful for the director, Angela Mills, as she passes her expertise and love for theatre on to others.
I always wanted to do theatre ever since my sister was doing it as well. Although I sometimes never get the role I wanted, I m still happy I get to do shows with the friends I made along the way. And yes, Angela may be harsh sometimes, but she has good intentions in doing so, like making sure we are at our A Game, and taking these shows more seriously. If you ever need a starting place in doing theatre, Spotlight is the place to be!
I wanted to wait a while for things to cool down before posting my review because I know it s been absolute chaos. I started coming to spotlight back in 2016. It s where I found my love for theater, it s where I found confidence in myself and broke from my shell, and it s where I ve had the opportunity to make some amazing friends along the way. I ve been in four shows in my time at spotlight and I definitely want to continue to do more. I don t know everyone s perspective, but for those who were/are trying to cancel Angela, I can only wonder how you can be so awfully cruel with your words, and think that s the right thing to do. Some of you haven t even been in shows under Angela to my understanding and are just doing it to hop on a hate wagon. You re being five year olds. Have you even stopped to appreciate the foundation that spotlight and Angela has laid down for some of you? She s literally done so much for all of you and I know she cares for each of her students. There s nothing wrong with using your freedom of speech, but it appalls me that people could see freedom and use it for such hatred to try and tare down someone s business. To those who have never had the spotlight experience, I would totally recommend it, both shows and classes! I ve been coming here since I was 12 and I ve enjoyed every minute of it and I hope you do too!
We have been part of Spotlight for almost 8 years and it has been a wonderful experience for us. Both of my kids have done multiple shows and classes at Spotlight. The owner Angela has done so much for my kids and the community. She welcomes everyone into her theater and just askes for a positive attitude and hard work. She is truly a gift and we appreciate her!
There s a lot I could say on the subject of my experience at Spotlight. I had been apart of that company for approximately 4 years. From the moment I did my first show here to the moment I quit mid show due to all the emotional stress. Spotlight was nothing but pure chaos. Not only have I first handedly seen Angela bully and harass young actors and actresses, But have even received heavy backlash myself for simply trying to stay quiet and do what I was there to do. Put on a show. I also know that she would trash talk students in front of other students to embarrass them or just to be out right rude. Rehearsals often involved a lot of yelling and a lot of running around not knowing that was supposed to be happening. A lot of the times, actors and actresses had to meet outside of regularly scheduled rehearsals with another employee in order to actually learn what we were supposed to. Some students would even meet up with each other to learn harmonies and songs on their own accord because Angela stated that we should know how to site read and read sheet music. Keep in mind. Kids ranged from ages 8-18. Most of which don t even play an instrument.
Angela has also shown up to rehearsals drunk or even to shows hungover and take it out on us. She s made kids who have mental disabilities go into an anxiety attack in front of the whole cast, has body shamed students, etc. The list goes on.
I ve seen Angela talk horribly about other theatre companies. And had threatened us that we would not be welcomed back to spotlight if we left to do shows elsewhere.
The only thing that kept me at spotlight were the fellow students I met. In a way, we all got close because we all were going through verbal and emotional harassment. Please do not send your kids to this theatre company. I recommend other theaters in the area such as Matthews Playhouse. They have professionally trained teachers who are very patient and kindhearted.
I have been doing this since I was seven years old and nothing made me happier than doing one of these plays and working with here. All she cares about is helping us and trying to make us better.
I am a performer, a teacher, & a dance instructor in the charlotte area, & whenever I have a parent ask about a theatre program for their child, Spotlight, under the direction of Angela Mills, is the first place I recommend. Angela was my chorus teacher my junior year of high school (as well as my music appreciation & musical theatre teacher), & let me tell you, she knows her stuff! In her classes, I improved my technique significantly, expanded my knowledge of what I love to do, & grew as a performer both in ability & confidence. Whenever I am preparing for an audition, I can hear Angela s voice in the back of my head correcting my pronunciation! My little brother began performing at spotlight shortly after I met Angela. He has done several shows there & has raved about his experience every time. Over the past five years, I ve seen him, as well as his returning cast mates, improve tremendously! If your child loves theatre & wants to learn more while having fun, they will do great at Spotlight. If your child has a good attitude, a willingness to learn & be corrected, & a good work ethic, they will do great at Spotlight. Spotlight performing arts academy is a wonderful place for your child to learn, grow, & be actively involved in the arts.
Angela Gordon Mills should not be teaching. While she does have her bearable moments, and some talent, the verbal and physical abuse she puts some of her students through her should not be tolerated. I have seen her throw books at students, and yell at them relentlessly. She expects her older students to act like adults even if they are legal minors, and berates them when they do not act accordingly. Her employees, her are the same way. One employee, whom I will not name, bullied one of their students into a mental breakdown. While I have had good memories here, the only reason why I stayed was the friends I had, (and to be brutally honest), to build up my repertoire. Angela and her staff her so obviously precast and typecast shows, and cast the same people repeatedly as leads. If you are not in her good graces her, the chances are you will probably not get a lead role. Also, she showed up drunk to a rehearsal. If you are looking for a theatre in which you have to walk on eggshells in, and employees who care not for the mental, physical and emotional well-being of their students, this is the place for you! Majority of the positive reviews posted are from students who have not seen Angela s true, wretched nature; and parents who do not understand the atrocities that occur behind Spotlight Performing Arts Academy.
I ve been doing shows at spotlight for almost 3 years now and I love it. I started voice lessons there last year and my voice is continuing to get better and better. The people at spotlight are amazing and Angela is really helping me improve and build my confidence with my voice.
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