by Rebecca Rudnyk – This may be wildly inappropriate. Knowingly stepping out of my lane. I write about theatre. But writers need to write, out of...
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Critic’s Picks: Best of Local Theatre 2019
by Rebecca Rudnyk
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The decade ascends into history, and we enter 2020 anew. Another year of incredible local theatre comes to a close…
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24th Annual ‘A Winnie-The-Pooh Christmas Tail’ Lights Up Valley Youth Theatre
The holiday season is officially upon us. The fresh air is cool and crisp, with the distinctive and rare scent produced by burning fireplaces. Indoors it smells of balsam, cinnamon pine cones, and pumpkin spice candles. Wreaths adorn front doors and sparkling lights glitter both inside and outside of our homes. Thanksgiving, the most glorious and gluttonous of holidays, is in the rearview. We are in the year’s home stretch. Christmas is nearly here. And, aside from many other things, that means Valley Youth Theatre’s annual production of A Winnie-The-Pooh Christmas Tail has officially arrived…
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Valley Youth Theatre Brings Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ to Life
by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Matilda is a musical based on the beloved children’s novel written by Rold Dahl, the author of other acclaimed classics including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach.” The show premiered in London in 2011 before moving to Broadway. It was nominated for a multitude of Tony Awards in the 2013 season, winning Best Book, Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design…
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Get ‘Freaky’ with Valley Youth Theatre at the Herberger
by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Freaky Friday is a story familiar to most (if not all of us) thanks to the original 1972 book by Mary Rodgers, and its subsequent film adaptations, most recently in 2003 starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan. The musical version premiered on stage in Virginia in late 2016, with a cast album released in 2017 and a Disney Channel Original Movie airing in 2018…
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Comes to Valley Youth Theatre
by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Valley Youth Theatre has done it once again. This lovely little theatre company that provides a forum for young people to develop and hone their skills continues to show its range, and tear down the stigmas that often shadow children’s performances. This is not a middle or high school school production. These kids care. They don’t just care. They aren’t just going through the motions. They are laying their hearts out on the stage every night. They are serious about our forum. They are planning their future theatre careers, and ambitiously working towards those goals. And because of them, I am confident that our beloved forum will continue…
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Catch the Holiday Spirit with Valley Youth Theatre’s ‘A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail’
by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Much of theatre is about moments. Moments that touch us and stay with us. Sometimes it’s an impactful scene, a performance so good it lingers, a note so arresting it haunts. And sometimes it’s the moment when when a young person in our life gets bitten by the theatre bug, as we once did, and we know there is no going back…
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‘Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical’ Inspires Audiences at Valley Youth Theatre
by Rebecca Rudnyk
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Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) began its 30th season with a huge bang, producing a beautiful spectacle with Newsies. Its second show of the season, Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical, is much more understated. That is not to say it is without vibrancy and talent, because it is jammed full of it. But Polkadots is a different type of show…
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Valley Youth Theatre’s Newsies Sends Spirits Soaring at the Herberger
by Rebecca Rudnyk – Newsies is a musical inspired by the Newsboys Strike of 1899, when impoverished children who sold newspapers on the streets of New...
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