Southern Door’s Noah Rass has become used to the bright lights of the stage, but none were brighter for him than appearing on a Broadway stage earlier this week as a part of the Jimmy Awards held in New York City. Rass and Green Bay East’s Jennifer Duarte Castillo were nominated for the national high school musical theatre awards after being named the best leading actor and actress at the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Showcase last month at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. The pair spent ten days in New York City, living on the Julliard campus while preparing for the awards show, visiting with Broadway professionals, catching a show, and attending the Tony Awards. Both Rass and Castillo smiled ear to ear when they talked about making their Broadway debut with a medley that included songs from musicals like “& Juliet,” “Back to the Future,” and “Spamalot.”

While Rass and Castillo performed in three different ensembles during the show, Southern Door School District hosted a watch party to celebrate their recently graduated senior performer, who starred in the high school’s production of Mary Poppins to earn his spot in the showcase. Rass says it meant a lot to have the support of so many over 1,000 miles away from New York’s Minskoff Theatre, where he was performing.

Rass and Castillo will stay in-state while pursuing their dreams in the performing arts. Castillo will attend UW-Madison this fall, while Rass will attend UW-Stevens Point. The Jimmy Awards annually grants thousands of dollars in scholarships to students nationwide so that young actors can further their education. You can watch our full interview with Rass and Castillo below.