The brand new musical “The Velveteen Rabbit” was written by award-winning multi-disciplinary creator and Youth Performance Company’s recent Artistic Director Maya Washington and composed by Kymani Khalil in celebration of the a hundredth anniversary of this moving tale for young audiences.
In Washington’s adaptation, a toddler awakens to find a Velveteen Rabbit amongst their gifts. Adored at first, then solid aside, the Rabbit is snubbed by the opposite toys for being old-fashioned. Over time, their friendship blossoms.
The Velveteen Rabbit learns what it means to be truly loved and love yourself—and the grins and tears that come from being real. Youth Performance Company’s (YPC) staging of this updated “Velveteen Rabbit” places Twin Cities actor and director Antonio Duke on the helm as director, teaming up Washington as choreographer and Mary Cay Stone as musical director with a solid of diverse Twin Cities youth.
“When the show was hand-selected by YPC Founder Jackie Knight before I stepped into her tremendous shoes, it was vital to me to honor the work of Margery Williams, a lady author, on the a hundredth yr anniversary of her significant contribution to children’s literature.
“With the nudging of a few of our YPC Youth and community, I wrote the difference with intentionality,” said Washington. “On this production, under the direction of Antonio Duke, I’m excited to bring the emotional truths of self-acceptance and friendship to a brand new generation.
“I’m hopeful that the approach, and the range of our solid—diversity broadly defined—makes this story resonant for youth and families navigating how we connect with what matters most, and what it means to be real in a world that rewards facade on social media and throughout us. These kids are amazing performers, and the heartfelt performances are what makes this world premiere truly special.”
The impressive solid includes those recent to the stage and seasoned faces from the Twin Cities youth theatre scene. The delightful Sha’Vontie Juneau takes on the title role, and McKinley (Kiki) Fant plays The Child.
Screen actress, Valerie Rose makes her YPC debut as Nana, alongside talented youth performers Grace Ly, Sam Hierlinger, Jacob Marckel, Alaya Fuller, Lucy Heagle, Evergreen Niemi, Leah Holmes, Leo Johnston, Jonathan Grandberry, Clara Nerbonne, Izzy Gail Middlebrook, and Oakley Coleman, who round out the world of toys, animals, and humans tasked with bringing this “Velveteen Rabbit” adaptation to life.
School and community performances begin on Dec. 2 and run through Dec. 18, 2022, on the Conn Theatre at 1900 Nicollet Ave. in Minneapolis. Tickets are $8-15.
—Information provided by Youth Performance Company