VYT's FREAKY FRIDAY Opens This Friday

Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) will open the final production in the theatre company's 30th season, Disney's Freaky Friday, The Musical, on Friday, June 14, at The Herberger Theater Center. The show will run through June 30. Tickets are available for purchase at www.vyt.com or by calling (602) 252-8497.

The cast and crew include more than 50 Valley performers, tech crew and orchestra, between the ages of seven and nineteen, as well as five professional adult actors from the Phoenix area. The show is directed by VYT's 24-year Producing Artistic Director, Bobb Cooper. Music direction is by Mark Fearey, choreography by Nathalie Velasquez, scenic design by Dori Brown, lighting design by Jeff A. Davis and sound design by Brian Honsberger.

Thirty-two young people (ages 11 to 19) from all corners of the Valley will appear as cast members, eight will serve as technical crew and eleven will perform in the orchestra for every performance. Auditions for Freaky Friday took place April 16 and 17, in which more than 100 girls and 30 boys vied for roles. More than 200 hours of intense rehearsals have taken place since April 22 and the final dress rehearsal, Thursday, June 13, will be performed before an audience of chronically and terminally ill HopeKids and their families. At least twenty performances of Freaky Friday will be presented throughout the show's run, including four daytime performances designated for school field trips.

The new musical, Freaky Friday, is based on the beloved 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, (developed by Disney Theatrical Productions expressly for licensing to theatres), features a book by Bridget Carpenter - the co-executive producer and writer on the beloved TV hits, "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood" - and music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey - the Pulitzer Prize-winning composers of Next to Normal and If/Then.

To view the playbill with a complete list of bios, go to: https://issuu.com/cozettephifer/docs/freaky_friday_playbill_2019_final?e=33107500/70109387

According to Cooper, "As with all of our productions, Freaky Friday gives everyone involved the real-life experience and real-time schedule of a professional theatrical production. It's important to us the make sure auditions truly are open to every young person in the Valley. Cast, crew and orchestra members never pay fees to participate. They don't have to rent or purchase costumes or equipment and there are never requirements to sell tickets." He adds, "They also aren't required to have any previous theatre experience or any theatrical education. We just strive to recognize potential and to match talent and skill levels with the requirements of each role. I think that's very evident in this production."

For more information about VYT and its performing arts programs, go to www.vyt.com.