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Abby Schneckloth had always dreamed of performing the role of Katherine from “Newsies” on Broadway, and that may become a reality as she is a national finalist for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Within the week, Schneckloth will stay in Omaha practicing and performing with other nominated students by the Nebraska High School Theater Academy to determine which two students will represent Nebraska at the national competition in New York. Schneckloth is an incoming senior at Grand Island Northwest High School, and was nominated as an “outstanding actress” for her lead in “Newsies” as Katherine, which also qualified her as a finalist.

Schneckloth said she realized she wanted to do musical theater when her grandparents took her to watch the 2011 traveling Broadway show of “Mary Poppins” in the Omaha Orpheum Theater. Although Schneckloth was only 9 years old, she had the opportunity to go backstage and meet Omaha native and Broadway star Quiana Smith.

“It felt like another whole world, like that sense of magic you get from Disney World,” Schneckloth said. “I just loved it, and later that year I auditioned for Broadway.”