Gabriella Perez - Allendale Columbia

Gabriella Perez is a senior at Allendale Columbia and because of her talent and her skill, she's won a huge following.

Perez turns heads whenever she's on stage.  She performed as Diana Moralez in "A Chorus Line."  She wowed the crowd during the show at Allendale Columbia School last November.  She says, "It was just very exciting to play one of my dream roles in high school with all my friends."

Gabby also has a lead in the school's upcoming production.  Much of her time is spent in rehearsal now.  Not to mention dance lessons, voice lessons and an academic schedule that puts her at the top of the class.

She lives, breathes and eats theater and she gets plenty of it in her hometown.  "We're kind of spoiled for a city so small, with the Eastman Theater down the street.  It's a nationally known school...Auditorium Theatre, Geva, it's incredible regional theater, Color Purple was just here, Blackfriars is a great theater."

"There's something inside, there's a little fire, that she won't quit until she gets her dream which is to be on Broadway."  Teacher Jeannie Hines-Clinton says Gabby is destined for great things.  "You just kind of go 'Wow', and then she opens her mouth to sing and you go 'Wow', and then she acts, 'Wow!' She's everything all in one."

Gabby will take all this experience with her when she heads to college next fall.  She'll study musical theater with her heart and soul set on the Big Apple.  She can almost taste her first big break.  "Audition for every show I can, hopefully sign with an agency, see where I go.  National tours, hopefully Broadway.  We'll see."