Gabrielle Treas shines on & off the stage
Published 12:05 am Saturday, January 4, 2020
- Gabrielle Treas was recently named Teen Miss Festival of the Bonfires XXI.
LAPLACE — Gabrielle Treas strives to use her talents to spread joy to others, whether she is performing on stage or singing patriotic songs for residents of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home.
The Riverside Academy 10th grader is taking on a new adventure in 2020. She was recently named Teen Miss Festival of the Bonfires XXI, and an exciting year of travel lies just around the corner.
Gabrielle has been part of the St. John Sugar Queen Pageant since she was 5 years old, assisting backstage and appearing on stage for entertainment. This time around, she chose to compete as a contestant in a pageant that embodies one of her favorite holiday traditions.
“I love Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year,” Gabrielle said. “On Christmas Eve, we always ride up and down the levee and look at the bonfires. That night, we’ll watch the lighting of the bonfires. It’s always been a tradition for us, and I know it’s a very important tradition for everyone around here. It brings families and the whole community together. It’s such a good thing to represent.”
Gabrielle Treas, pictured at right, is part of the Victory Bebés, a teen vocalist group inspired by the Victory Belles.
Gabrielle’s Teen Queen responsibilities will begin next month as she travels to Baton Rouge to support the Miss Queen at the prestigious Queen of Queens Festival. She will have a booth to educate visitors from around the state on the River Parishes’ bonfire tradition.
Before Gabrielle entered the pageant, she made sure she would be able to balance the responsibility with her spring and summer theater commitments, according to her mother, Alison Hotard-Treas.
Gabrielle is confident she will be able to give 100 percent effort to the pageant world, school and River Parishes Community Theatre productions.
Surrounded by family members with a love for theater, Gabrielle knew from a young age that she was destined to take the stage.
Her first big production with RPCT was Shrek the Musical in the summer of 2016. The next year, she starred as Annie. It was a role she fit into perfectly with her fiery red hair. In 2018, she was part of the ensemble cast in Beauty and the Beast, and she appeared as a supporting character in the summer 2019 production of Mary Poppins.
Throughout the year, she participates in RPCT variety shows and Christmas shows.
Riverside Academy sophomore Gabrielle Treas starred as Elsa in a production of Frozen Junior.
Gabrielle also starred as Queen Elsa in a summer 2019 production of Frozen Junior held in Rivertown, Kenner. At Riverside Academy, she is a member of the RA Ovations drama club.
“I really enjoy bringing joy to others through performing,” Gabrielle said. “I like to make other people happy.”
Gabrielle especially loves giving back to veterans in the community. She and her friends, Mallory Commander, Madeline Core and Ava Young, drew inspiration from the acclaimed Victory Belles vocalists to form the Victory Bebés.
“When we first got together, we wanted to come up with something we can do at the Veterans Home,” Gabrielle said. “We thought it would be nice since the Victory Belles don’t always have the chance to go over there since they are so busy.”
In addition to performing at the Veterans Home, the group has appeared in parades, at a fair in St. Amant and in the RPCT Christmas show. Songs feature a lot of three-part harmonies, which entail a lot of practice and planning.
Gabrielle has extended her vocal talent to the Allovus Carnival Ball and other local events, including Trinity Outdoors Disabled Adventures functions and Relay for Life of St. John and St. Charles parishes.
At Riverside Academy, Gabrielle also takes part in Senior Beta Club, Student Council and a weekly Trivia Club.
After high school, she plans to attend a college where she can minor in theater and eventually pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. Her long-term goals include enrolling in the Disney College program and having the honor of being chosen as a Victory Belle for the National World War II Museum.
Alison Hotard-Treas said she is most proud of Gabrielle when others compliment her kindness, humility and positive attitude. She said her daughter’s strength of character shines even brighter than her acting and vocal talents.
“No matter what she accomplishes, she is always this kind, humble soul,” Hotard-Treas said.
Gabrielle describes herself as optimistic and faithful, and she always keeps God as a priority in her life.
