Emirati singer Rashed Al Nuaimi nominated for US theatre award

The local talent has been hailed for his role in the musical 'Oliver'

Rashed Al Nuaimi has been nominated for an award for his role as Bill Sykes in a production of Oliver at Boston's New Repertory Theatre. Instagram / @r__a__n  

Rashed Al Nuaimi has been nominated for a prestigious US theatre award.

The Emirati singer and actor is up for the Elliot Norton Award in the Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor category, for his role in the popular production Oliver.

Established in 1983, the annual ceremony honours the best and biggest achievements in the Boston theatre scene.

The accolade comes after Al Nuaimi's acclaimed performance in the villainous role of Bill Sykes, in what was his debut at Boston's New Repertory Theatre.

Al Nuaimi is presently studying a MFA in musical theatre from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

The ceremony was originally set to be held on Monday, May 11, but it will now be held virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A promising music career

The news was received with joy by Noura Al Kaabi, the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, who tweeted that she was “super proud” of his achievement.

The move marks another leap forward in a promising music career.

The former Dubai resident grew up with a passion for soul music and Broadway musicals. He explored these interests further in university, where he undertook vocal lessons, which eventually led to his love of classical music and jazz.

Al Nuaimi made national headlines back in 2015, when he used his vocal chops and film-making abilities to produce a quirky YouTube video where he covered Frank Sinatra's Fly Me to the Moon in a duet with himself, thanks to some nifty editing skills. 

On the left side of the screen was Al Nuaimi dressed in a kandura, as he interacted with a suit-wearing version of himself, performing on the right.

The resulting buzz led Al Nuaimi to make his debut solo performance at Abu Dhabi’s National Theatre in December 2017.