Celebrating Courage, Creativity and the Power of Young People

PHOENIX (July 8, 2026) – Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) launches its 2026/27 Season with the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical, bringing this fantastical story to the Herberger Theater Center. The production runs August 14 through 30, 2026, on Center Stage at the downtown Phoenix venue.

Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is the acclaimed musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company that celebrates the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the determination to change one's own story. Featuring a book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, the production has earned 47 international awards and continues to delight audiences of all ages around the world.

Directed by VYT alumna Michelle Chin, the production features more than 35 young performers and is supported by a live orchestra led by VYT Resident Music Director Tristan Peterson-Steinert. Choreography is by Wesley Bradstreet and is filled with unforgettable songs including "Naughty," "When I Grow Up" and "Revolting Children."

More than 170 young actors auditioned for this production, showcasing both vocal and acting abilities for the opportunity to perform in a VYT production. The production features a cast of 37 young performers from ages 10–19 from communities across the Valley, including Scottsdale, Phoenix, Laveen, and Maricopa.

Among them is 10-year-old Rhema Ko, who takes on the title role of Matilda Wormwood. Ko, who is a wheelchair user, brings warmth, determination and joy to one of musical theatre's most inspiring young heroines. As part of the production's visual identity, the public will see a silhouette of a young wheelchair user featured throughout the production’s marketing and social media, reflecting VYT's belief that every child should be able to see themselves on stage.

Leigh Ann Dolan, Executive Director of Valley Youth Theatre said “Matilda celebrates the same things we do at Valley Youth Theatre: courage, perseverance and the belief that young people have the power to change the world. Audiences are going to experience something truly special."

The production also serves as the inspiration for VYT's signature fundraising event, VYTal Affair 2026, scheduled for Saturday, August 22 at 5:30 p.m. Guests will step into a whimsical, storybook-inspired evening celebrating the transformative power of theatre while raising critical funds to support VYT's productions, education programs and community outreach initiatives that impact thousands of Arizona children each year.

Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical runs August 14 – 30, 2026, at the Herberger Theater Center. Tickets start at $25, plus fees, and are available at vyt.com/tickets or by calling the Herberger Theater Center Box Office at (602) 252-8497. Group discounts are available for parties of 20 or more. The Herberger Theater Center is located at 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix.

An ASL-interpreted performance will be held on Sunday, August 23, at 12 p.m. Patrons who would like seating with an unobstructed view of the interpreters should contact the Herberger Theater Center Box Office at (602) 252-8497 to reserve tickets.

MATILDA CAST ROSTER
(Listed alphabetically by last name)

Emily Anton – Miss Honey, Scottsdale | N/A
Ayden Armbrust – Adult Ensemble/Competitive Dancer, Gilbert | Mesquite High School
Elizabeth Beckstein – Big Kid, Scottsdale | Sunrise Middle School
Jackson Beeson – Bruce, Payson | Homeschooled
Mahagani Carter – Big Kid, Laveen | Arizona School for the Arts
Noelia Castillo – Big Kid, Peoria | Cactus High School
Ellie Evans – Adult Ensemble, Phoenix | Sunnyslope High School
Lidia-Jaymes Evans – Miss Phelps, Peoria | Mountain Ridge High School
Joey Garcia - Adult Ensemble, Glendale | Ironwood High School
Rafael Gaxiola – Nigel, Phoenix | Homeschooled
RaJihya Givens – Adult Ensemble, Maricopa | Maricopa High School
Lucy Glow – Acrobat, Adult Ensemble, Competitive Dancer, Phoenix | Sunnyslope High School
Emanuel Hana – Adult Ensemble/Competitive Dancer, Phoenix | ASU
Daniel Hananya – Big Kid, Phoenix | Sunrise Middle School
Ever Heintz – Alice, Scottsdale | Cochise Elementary School
Morgan James – Agatha Trunchbull, Avondale | Estrella Mountain Community College
Rhema Eun Hye Ko – Matilda Wormwood
Avery Khoundara – Rudolpho, Phoenix | Desert Vista High School
Veronica Lopez – Adult Ensemble/Competitive Dancer, Chandler | Chandler High School
McKenzie Lopezlira – Mrs. Wormwood, Scottsdale | Chaparral High School
Kaylah Magee - Big Kid, Phoenix | Ingleside Middle School
Milan Marcinek – Big Kid, Phoenix | Alpha School Scottsdale
Arya Marmorstein – Hortensia, Phoenix | Mercury Mine Elementary School
Avery Miller – Eric Scottsdale | Sonoran Sky Elementary School
Wade Miller – Big Kid, Scottsdale | Desert Shadows Middle School
Grace Morris – Adult Ensemble, Phoenix | Arizona School for the Arts
Emery Mueller – Amanda, Phoenix | North Valley Christian Academy
Alyssa Ocean – Adult Ensemble/Competitive Dancer, Surprise | Sandra Day O'Connor High School
Erick Xavier Resendiz Jr. - Adult Ensemble, Yuma (Hometown) | ASU
Mohammed Riyad – Children's Entertainer, Adult Ensemble, Gilbert | ASU
Jaden Sparkman – Mr. Wormwood, Tempe
Oliver Spiegel – Michael Wormwood, Big Kid, Litchfield Park | Western Sky Middle School
Kyler Tilley – Doctor/Adult Ensemble/Competitive Dancer,
Cole Vinson – Adult Ensemble/Competitive Dancer, Gilbert | Santan Charter School
Brianne Walker – Big Kid, Glendale | Sandra Day O'Connor High School
Colton Wilcher – Tommy Laveen | Vista del Sur Accelerated Academy
Blair Yaron – Lavender, Scottsdale

ABOUT VALLEY YOUTH THEATRE

Valley Youth Theatre’s mission is to inspire young people to be the best they can be through a variety of performing arts opportunities. Along with mainstage productions, VYT offers year-round performing arts classes, Spring Break and Summer Camps, and award-winning community programs including Literacy and the Arts, Sponsor-A-Seat, and The Nigel Ross Scholarship Fund. For more information, visit www.vyt.com.

For more than 35 years, Valley Youth Theatre has provided fee-free, professional-level theatre experiences where young people discover their voices, build confidence, develop lifelong friendships and create unforgettable memories.

VYT alumni include Academy Award winner Emma Stone, Grammy Award winner Jordin Sparks, Kimiko Glenn, Max Crumm, and many more performers working on Broadway, film, television, and beyond.