Kathy Shayna Shocket reports on the people who make a difference.
It was quite an emotionally rewarding gala for Valley Youth Theatre !! On the heels of its presentation of Shrek the Musical - about 350 guests turned out to applaud 21 years of leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Bobb Cooper (sporting orange shorts), Resident Costume Designer Karol Cooper, (donning a matching orange colored dress) and Musical Director Mark Feary. Traci Chandler, a dynamic event designer was the gala Chair and Sara Dial was Sponsorship Chair. Sara, a Phoenix philanthropist and community leader presented Fennemore Craig with a corporate award. Stephen Good accepted the award.
Attorney Joe Chandler was the event Auction Chair. Among the auction items was a chance to attend an L.A. premiere of an Emma Stone movie. Board member Jennifer Pescatore bid a winning $4,200. Emma of course is VYT’s most famous alum. (And by the way, Emma often mentions Bobb’s name when talking about her roots in acting!)
The gala at the Herberger Theatre had a “Shrek the Musical” theme. ( Bobb Cooper’s custom made Vans shoes which his wife Karol secretly designed for him - took about 24 hours of work to place the genuine Swarovski crystals).
There were musical performances at the gala, performed by stars of Valley Youth Theatre and master of ceremonies were TV personalities Gina Salazar Hook and John Hook.
The non-profit VYT was founded in 1989, by Hope Ozer and other visionaries. In addition to Emma Stone, other famous alumni include award-winning celebrities like Jordin Sparks, Kimiko Glenn, Chelsea Kane, Charity Dawson, Krystina Alabado - to name a few!
Kathy Shayna Shocket is a freelance Writer and TV-Field Producer. The former TV reporter based in Phoenix has written for such publications as TIME Magazine, Money Magazine, PEOPLE Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and The NEW YORK TIMES. You can reach her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it