East High to the Tony’s! What you need to know about the first nominee Julia Lester

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Ashlyn would be so proud! After Juliet Lester has left its mark High School Musical: The Musical: The Seriesshe had set her sights on Broadway.

After the third season of the Disney+ spin-off aired in July 2022, Lester spent her TV hiatus on the Great White Way. The Los Angeles native – who plays aspiring musician Ashlyn Caswell HSMTMTS — landed the role of Little Red in the anticipated 2022 revival In the woods in central New York. The production, to wide acclaim in the theater community, eventually transferred to Broadway, where Lester made her Broadway debut.

“I had never done a show in New York before, so I am learning how different processes work. But usually you have months of rehearsals and months of previews before a show starts,” Lester shared Vulture in August 2022 of joining the Encores! production, which was initially planned as a limited edition. “It was a crazy undertaking to put together a show in ten or eleven days with one technical rehearsal. I really made a point to get as prepared and solid as possible in my choices.

She continued at the time: “I knew I wanted to surprise the audience with who [Little Red] could be. I’m 22 too, but playing a kid, and I didn’t want people to say, “This is an adult trying to be a little girl.” I didn’t want it to be campy and weird, so I liked playing in the darkness and hard attitude of it all. It was accepted and welcomed to Encores!, and I was able to make those choices and progress into the Broadway production.

The Prince of Peoria alum starred in the production until September 2022, which ultimately earned her a Tony Award nomination.

“Wtf do I have to say about this❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. I am a Tony nominee and that is actually a made up sentence????” Lester stumbled on Instagram in May 2023. “Sorry, I don’t know how to be vulnerable on social media, but just know that I am extremely grateful to the New York theater community for welcoming me with open arms and encouraging me💃 Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU.”

Lester is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical along with other stage stars Ruthie Ann Miles, Bonnie Milligan, Natasha Yvette Williams And Betty Wolfe. The 2023 Tonys will be broadcast live from New York City on CBS on June 11, 2023.

Scroll below to get to know the Tony-nominated starlet: