Brooke Heffernan, top, and Savannah Green perform the duet that won Best in Show at the recent District Thespian competition. After winning the Critic's Choice Award at the District 1 Thespian Festival in Crestview, two Pensacola Beach residents, Savannah Green and Brooke Heffernan, will head to Tampa on April 7 to perform at the opening ceremonies of the state competition.

The girls competed as members of Pensacola High School's Drama Program. Savannah and Brooke both attended the International Baccalaureate program at the school.

"It's probably one of the highest achievements I've ever had," Savannah, 14, said, "especially as a freshman."

Freshmen aren't usually invited to the district competitions, but she paired up with Brooke, an 11th grader, to perform a duet from "Little Women." The heart-rending performance portrays sisters, one of whom is ill, dreaming of a normal life together.

Approximately 500 students, representing 24 area high schools, took part in the competition, which included singing, acting, monologues, set design and publicity among other categories.

The winners from each category were entered into competition for Best in Show, and Savannah and Brooke's duet won the overall award.

Savannah's mother, Gail Green, said she did not even realize what had happened when the overall winners were announced that night.

“One minute I was sitting there, enjoying the show and the next thing I remember is one of the other mothers running over and saying, ‘do you know what just happened?’”

It took a few moments to sink in, but once it did both Gail and Brooke’s mom, Lea, were showing tears of joy.

The pair will now take stage before approximately 4,000 people at the state event, in an honorary performance to entertain the audience prior to the competition.

The girls met at Pensacola High School and discovered that their lives were eerily similar.

Both girls grew up on Pensacola Beach, attending the Beach school just two years apart. Both lost their homes in Hurricane Ivan, and both elected to attend the IB program at Pensacola High School. Both have been pursuing acting and singing careers, and both have a diminutive stature, each barely brushing the five foot mark.

"We were friends with the same group of people but we never crossed paths," Savannah said, until they both performed as Von Trapp children in "The Sound of Music" at Pensacola Junior College.

Brooke, 17, was aware of Savannah and her talent prior to meeting her.

"I've watched her perform and I always wanted to meet her because she was amazing," Brooke said.

Savannah said she was thrilled with Brooke invited her to sit beside her during one of the first rehearsals for The Sound of Music.

Because of her intense schedule which includes singing, acting, dancing and piano lessons, as well as being a mentor for the fifth graders in the Pensacola Children's Chorus, Brooke is now enrolled in the Florida Virtual School program which affords her a flexible schedule.

Savannah began performing at age 7 in B.E.T.A. Children’s Productions, continued taking voice lessons and began auditioning for roles in New York City. She was one of the final five children of 500 being considered for a role in the production of "Annie." She's performed with Pensacola Little Theatre and Pensacola Junior College productions and two years ago was in a production at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. She's performed the national anthem at the Pensacola Ice Pilots game and continues to take piano and dance lessons.

Both girls look forward to taking stage on April 7.

"It's an honor to perform. It's like you've already won at state," Brooke said.

Brooke Heffernan, 17, and Savannah Green, 14, discover their lives are on eerily similar paths:

Both grew up on Pensacola Beach, attended PBES, lost homes to Hurricane Ivan, attended PHS’s IB program and are pursuing performing arts careers.