Author: bart-n-bob

Today, 37 YATS members took to the hills, hiking from Dieffenthal to the Château d’Ortenbourg in the sweltering Vosges heat. With backpacks, water bottles, and a strong sense of community, we made our way up through the forest paths. Along the way, we shared a shady picnic, enjoyed the beautiful forest surroundings, and explored the castle ruins. The soundtrack to the day came from our young performers – songs from Shrek the Musical (including the lively “Travel Song” led by Flavia, who played Donkey) filled the air, along with spontaneous bursts of airs from Hamilton, Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof, and Bye Bye Birdie. No stage required—just voices, friendship, and a lot of good energy. It was a day of fresh air, shared laughter, and…

At YATS, every show is filled with magic—and not just on stage. Some of it happens behind the scenes, where parents and volunteers help make the fairy tales come to life. One of those magical helpers is Alex Oancea, a long-time YATS parent whose two daughters have performed in many of our shows in starring roles. During Shrek the Musical, Alex became our resident microphone-fitter-in-chief, figuring out how to sneak microphones onto Shrek, Fiona, and a whole cast of colorful creatures—without letting the audience see a thing! For Bye Bye Birdie, he took a seat at the sound desk, helping ensure every solo, scene, and punchline landed loud and clear. “It’s been lots of fun, as well as a bit of a challenge” he explains….

At YATS, we’re used to young stars shining brightly on stage—but some of the most remarkable magic happens behind the scenes. For over a decade, one parent has quietly been shaping the world our actors perform in, one expertly crafted set at a time: Ben Bentz. Father of Pierre—who will be taking the stage this summer in our alumni show—Ben has been part of the YATS family since 2013, and his impact has been monumental. From that moment on, he’s never stopped building, dreaming, and elevating our productions to new heights. Here’s just a glimpse of his behind-the-scenes brilliance: But this summer, Ben is taking things to a whole new level. For our 2025 production of Oliver!, he’s building his most ambitious set yet: 19th-century…

This summer, the YATS Alumni Show returns to the Cube Noir from 1–3 August — and trust us, you won’t want to miss a single note. The cast is already in place, rehearsals are just around the corner, and the energy is building. Now we just need one final piece of the puzzle: microphones. We’re crowdfunding to purchase new mics that will let every voice be heard loud and clear. From quiet confessions to soaring choruses, sound matters — not just for the audience, but to put a spring in the step of our young performers. Whether you’re a parent, alum, friend, or theater lover, your support means a lot. Every donation brings us closer to the sound quality this production deserves. Please visit our…

We did it! Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve hit our first crowdfunding stretch goal for new microphones – and that means we’ve now published the full video recording of our 2024 spring show, Godspell on our Shows page! Whether you were in the audience or cheering us on from afar, now you can relive every joyful, soulful, high-energy moment. Watch it now and share the love. And thank you for helping us sound even better in the future – literally! But wait – there’s more. When we reach our next stretch goal of €4,500, we’ll release the full recording of our 2024 fall spectacular: Shrek, The Musical. Let’s keep the momentum going!

What a weekend! The cast and crew of our Fall 2025 production of Oliver! kicked things off in style with two days of rehearsals—and it was non-stop from start to finish. On Saturday, the cast met each other for the very first time. There was a real buzz as everyone picked up their scripts and scores (a huge thanks to UNI Impressions for reproducing them.) Then it was straight into the action. Choreographer Alicia got everyone moving with some brilliant dance routines, Musical Director Julianna had the cast singing a few of the show’s iconic numbers, and Director Victor led a read-through of a few key scenes—giving everyone a feel for the story and characters. Later in the day, we welcomed cast parents for a…

Our crowdfunding campaign to raise money for new microphones is still going strong, and thanks to the amazing support from our community, we’re well on our way. But now it’s time to take things to the next level. To give you a little extra motivation—and a big thank you for your generosity—we’ll be unlocking full-length recordings of two of our most recent shows as we hit key milestones. When we reach 3000€, we’ll publish the full video recording of our 2024 spring musical Godspell right here on the YATS website. That’s right: the entire show, filmed live and packed with the heart, energy, and talent that made it such a hit. Whether you missed it or just want to relive the magic, you’ll be able…

What a weekend! On the 24th and 25th of May, seventy young performers walked through the doors to audition for our fall spectacular, Oliver! The level of talent was absolutely outstanding, the energy was high, and after two full days of incredible auditions, and another of call-backs, we’re thrilled to announce that the show is now fully cast. This October, the stage will burst to life with a brilliant mix of newly discovered performers and some familiar faces returning to wow us once again. We can’t wait for you to meet this cast—it’s going to be something really special. Rehearsals begin next weekend, and the excitement is building fast. From heartfelt solos to show-stopping numbers, the journey to opening night starts now—and we’re ready to…