Local girl performing in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

An 11-year-old Springboro girl should be singing and dancing in front of the Macy’s department store in New York City on Thursday during the 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Lily Nevers said Tuesday during a break from rehearsals in New York for a performance of Irving Berlin’s “This Is A Great Country” during the iconic parade, typically seen by 3.5 million live spectators and more than 50 million viewers.

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Nevers, a 6th grader at Incarnation Catholic School in Centerville, is one of 128 kids from 104 cities picked by the Camp Broadway theatre-arts enrichment company for this year's production.

“I’m very excited for the parade,” she said. “I’m so happy to be part of it this year.”

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The Camp Broadway cast is made up of children 9 to 16 years old, representing immediate family members of active duty military personnel, veterans, reservists, wounded warriors and fallen heroes from all branches of United States Armed Forces. They are to march with the parade and perform on Herald Square in front of the store.

Lily is the daughter of David and Lesley Nevers. David Nevers retired little more than a year ago after 21 ½ years in the United States Marine Corps.

Lily has performed at the Town Hall Theatre in Centerville and aspires to a career on Broadway. The family submitted a video audition of her singing "You're a Grand Old Flag," doing the dance moves in the Thanksgiving Day show and a head shot.

The family learned early last month she had been selected.

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“I was just over the moon for her,” Lesley Nevers said. “It’s her dream. She’s been walking on air.”

Mother and daughter also managed to find time to shop along Time Square and catch a Broadway show.

“It’s really important to live in the moment,” Lily added. “I’m really honored to have this opportunity.”

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