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Local children’s performing arts group, Christian Youth Theater, is set to bring two full winter productions to the Tri-Valley in the coming weeks.
The group has announced “Five Children and It” and “The Battle of Boat” as the two musicals to be debuted at the Village Theatre in downtown Danville.
“Five Children and It” will play from Feb. 23-26, with Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows starting at 7 p.m. and afternoon shows on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
“The Battle of Boat” runs from March 2-5 with 7 p.m. performances held that Thursday, Friday and Saturday and afternoon shows that Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Rita Cheung Baird, playwright and musical director for “Five Children and It”, spoke to the Weekly about her vision for the show and experience with CYT.
“My goal with ‘Five Children and It’ was simple: to write something that a Christian Youth theater group would love to perform. It had to be beautiful and challenging for the older actors but still fun and appropriate for the younger actors,” Baird said.
Based on E. Nesbit’s classic children’s novel of the same name, CYT brings “Five Children and It” to the stage in a musical context for the first time ever.
“It was perfect — magic, a sand fairy, five children, a family, a town,” Baird said. “It had a great variety of characters and aspects that were appealing to both children and adults. I also wanted a story that taught something without being preachy, and the themes jumped out at me pretty quickly.”
Baird and her family first got involved with CYT in early 2019 when her children worked in stage production and later began performing in shows.
“As I watched the actors and directors at work, I really fell in love with CYT,” Baird said of her initial time with the group. “I saw the friendships my daughters had, I saw their striving for artistic excellence, I saw the joy on their faces, and the joy it gave me too.”
When reflecting on joining CYT and becoming involved with the productions, Baird said she feels gratitude above all else.
“Personally, I have grown immensely as a musician and an artist. CYT has encouraged me to use my talents and inspired me to do things I had only dreamed of doing,” she said. “It has become a second family for us, and my family is all involved now in different ways.”
“This is community theater at its best because it truly involved a community. So many people were involved in the development of these shows,” Baird added.
“The Battle of Boat”, which is making its West Coast premiere with CYT’s production, tells the story of children finding their way in the world in 1916, in the midst of World War I. The musical features almost the entire dialogue through song.
CYT was founded in 2014 with the mission of teaching children ages 4 to 18 the intricacies of theater production and performance art. Students of the theater are taught skills in a variety of topics, such as performing, stage management, singing and tech.
Over the years, the group has held performances across the Tri-Valley.
To purchase tickets and find out more information about CYT, visit www.cyttrivalley.org.
