Valley Youth Theatre’s upcoming new musical, “They Chose Me!” is presented in partnership with the Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents and Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation. The show is heralded as a funny, heartwarming and inspirational story that reflects on foster care and adoption, both traditional and nontraditional, as seen through the eyes of children. The 23-person cast includes several performers from the Jewish community: Noa Gauthier, Riley Glick, Morgan Goldberg, Kate Shein and Charlie Siegel.
The musical is written by Ned Paul Ginsburg and Michael Colby. One of the characters featured in this Arizona premiere is a young Asian girl who has been adopted by an American Jewish family. We didn’t have to look far for a local example. Through the Arizona chapter of Families with Children from China (fccaz.org) we found Jamie and Paul Bessler, who are the proud parents of Baylee and Marli. Both were adopted from China, one from the Anhui province and the other from Guangxi. Each was about 1 when adopted; they are now 10 and 8 and in religious school at Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale. The decision to raise the girls in the Jewish tradition was an easy one for the Besslers. They had been married by Rabbi Chuck Herring at Kol Ami. “And now, Rabbi Herring is Baylee’s teacher! It’s the perfect circle,” said Jamie.
She said they also celebrate the Chinese holidays and have many books from each of the cultures. While adoptions from China were more prevalent in the 1990s and 2000s, there now can be as much as a five-year wait to adopt from that region.
“They Chose Me!”
WHAT: Musical about adoption
WHEN: April 5-21
WHERE: Valley Youth Theatre,
525 N. First St., Phoenix
TICKETS: 602-253-8188 or vyt.com
