Local teen to perform in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Grayson Alan Gilbert of Santa Rosa Beach has been selected to perform at the 83rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Grayson attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in Loch Sheldrake, New York this summer and will join 60  fellow performers from that program in a first ever singing/dancing finale for the famous parade.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, celebrating the holiday since 1924, is today viewed live by over 2 million spectators along the route and an estimated 65 million NBC viewers nationwide.

Grayson, 17, has attended Stagedoor Manor for two years and has appeared locally in every school play and musical at South Walton High and is an intern at the Seaside Rep. Theatre.

More than 400 singer-dancers auditioned and applied for the Macy's performance troupe. There are 22 states and three countries represented in the cast, ages 10 to 18. Students will bring a new twist to the Santa Claus finale, performing in front of the Macy's flagship store on 34th Street.

Grayson will join high profile celebrities, iconic floats, giant balloons, and elite marching bands in this American tradition recognized by most as the official start of the holiday season.

“We are thrilled to be chosen by Macy's for this exciting new addition to their program!” states Stagedoor owner Cindy Samuelson. “The preparation, the rehearsals, have been a once in a lifetime experience for these talented kids.”

Stagedoor Manor is a summer of total immersion in theater for young actors, singers, and dancers. For 35 years the program has been educating those who aspire to careers in the entertainment industry and have a long list of successful alumni including Natalie Portman, Zach Braff, Josh Charles, and Robert Downey Jr.