APPLETON (NBC 26) — Two students from Northeast Wisconsin had their Broadway dreams come true. Fox Cities Performing Arts Center students Josh Thorne and Amelia Gibbons were the two students in the region selected to perform at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards.
They, along with 90 other performers in the nation, got to spend 10 days in New York City, working with professional Broadway coaches and choreographers, getting to see what it's like to be a true Broadway performer.
"It was absolutely a dream coming true moment," Amelia Gibbons said. "I've really worked pretty much my whole life for this."
They performed on a Broadway stage, got to see their faces in Times Square, and got priceless advice from fellow performers.
"I think the one thing that really really stuck out to me was another person's success is not your loss," Josh Thorne said. "Being there was just a testament to theater kids everywhere being worth it."
They brought back a wealth of knowledge.
"I said that I hope that I come back with more of a passion and more of a flame for doing what I love, and I, I have absolutely turned out that way," Gibbons said.
Walking away from the experience feeling the utmost pride and happiness in themselves.
"Something I keep thinking about is, just, that if six-year-old Amelia who was in a production of Beauty and the Beast, if she could see 17-year-old Amelia now she would be so proud," Gibbons said.
