Valley Youth Theatre will stream their 2019 production of They Chose Me!, a musical written to create understanding and acceptance among and for children who are adopted or in the foster care system, on three dates in April.
Written by adoptive parent Ned Paul Ginsburg and Michael Colby and featuring 23 young performers from around the Valley, They Chose Me! will stream at noon on Saturday, April 3; at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 9; and at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 11. Tickets are $22.50 per household and on sale now at www.vyt.com.
Valley Youth Theatre’s producing artistic director, Bobb Cooper, premiered the work in Arizona in 2013 and produced the show again in October 2019.
“In an effort to provide our audiences with a magical theatre experience until we can return to live performances, we are streaming our 2019 production of They Chose Me!,” said Cooper. “This has been a very difficult year for us all and we have to believe it has been even more difficult on our foster care and adoption community. We felt this would be a great opportunity to reach out to our audiences with a very powerful, impactful and uplifting musical!”
The musical takes a realistic look at foster care and adoption through the voices of young people who have experienced numerous aspects of the child welfare system. From enduring challenging foster situations and learning that they’re adopted to living with single-parent, same-sex parent and multi-racial families, the show is often funny, always heartwarming and ultimately inspirational.
“Once again, we’re taking a risk with a production that delivers a meaningful and important message,” added Cooper. “They Chose Me hasn’t been a smash hit on Broadway, it isn’t based on a popular movie or television show and it doesn’t come from a classic fairy tale. What it does do, however, is help audiences understand the many kinds of families that exist and encourage them to accept those who may not have the same kind of family they do.”
Cooper, who grew up in the foster care system, is the recipient of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from the 40th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards. The award honors his lifelong commitment to serving young people – a commitment born of his own experiences in the child welfare system.
“Theatre saved my life,” Cooper said. “Even when everything else was going wrong, theatre made me feel like I was worthy and had purpose. My purpose at VYT is to ensure children have a similar positive experience, and it’s why They Chose Me! is so close to my heart.”
They Chose Me! was directed by Cooper, with musical supervision by Mark Fearey, choreography by Nathalie Velasquez, costume design by Karol Cooper and musical direction by Tristan Peterson-Steinert. Cast members, three of whom are adopted, are from Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Guadalupe, Goodyear, Gilbert, Glendale and Buckeye.
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