Moving back to Hall County about a year ago, Amanda Watkins feels like a local again. She was born and raised in Hall County, and attended Gainesville High School. During her years of high School, Amanda developed a love and talent for performing, and for the next four years, she was an acting star at GHS. At 18, she moved away to attend Florida State University. She later attended New York University (NYU) for graduate school.
In her 20 plus years of living in New York City, Amanda performed in eight Broadway shows. Currently, she has two positions: the general manager of a non-profit organization known as “The Broadway Dreams Foundation,” which provides musical theatre programming for young adults across the country. She also is a working producer with the “Araca Group.” In her time with Araca she is doing many great things, like producing the play “Disgraced” a Tony nominated Pulitzer Prize, winning play.
While Amanda is still a working professional and a member of the Broadway League, along with being on the Board of Alliance Theatre, she loves doing other things, too. Playing tennis, going on the lake, cooking, gardening and spending time with her husband, John Bush, and three awesome step children are all activities that fill Amanda with life.
Question: What inspired or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I was at the Gainesville Ballet Company dancing at the age of 4, and because of that I always knew that I wanted to do something in performing arts.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A: “Mellow Mushroom. I love the Magical Mystery Tour pizza.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “I grew up living in Hall County, but moved away when I was 18. I moved back and have been living here for a year.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Hall County?
A: “Donna Mayo, the Dean of the Mike Cottrell College of Business at University of North Georgia.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “Spain, specifically Barcelona because I retained a lot of Spanish from high school and I have always wanted to apply what I learned in another country. Also, they have great tennis resorts.”
Q: What is your favorite movie OR what is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
A: “The first movie I remember seeing was ‘Amityville Horror.’ I’m not a big movie person, I love reading books!”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people
A: “Do not go with a crowd of people.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I would love to go to Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania because I want to climb to the top.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ three bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “The original Rolling Stones, Olivia Newton John and Damien Rice.”
Q: “What local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County?
A: “Georgia Power because my dad worked there.”
Q: Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative: with whom would you love to have lunch with? Why this person? Where would you take them locally to eat?
A: “President Jimmy Carter. He is filled with integrity, was a brilliant politician and I love his morals. I would take him to Johnny’s BBQ.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “Lake Lanier, for sure.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “My life will be the same, but I see myself in education, teaching.”
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “That I am a small town girl.”
Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern: Ashley Filson
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.
