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YES Company Celebrates 25 Years with Les Misérables
By Cindy Fenech
Celebrating its 25th season, YES (Youth Entertainment Stage) Company will perform “Les Misérables” beginning July 22 at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Winner of more than 100 international awards and seen by over 65 million people worldwide, Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. According to YES Founder and Director Melanee Wyatt, this summer’s production will feature one of the most memorable scores of all time and some of the most unforgettable characters to ever grace the stage.
Since its inception 25 years ago, YES Company’s priority has remained consistent – to give participants the most professional theatrical experience possible in a safe and nurturing environment.
“YES was a safe haven for me as a child, and it quickly became my home away from home,” said YES alumnus Justin Su’esu’e. “When I think about YES, the first word that comes to my mind is ‘family.’ My closest friendships were formed in my summers at YES.
Natalie Giannosa, who starred as Mary Poppins in last year’s production, believes that YES Company helped shape her into the person she is today. “I gained confidence in myself as a person and as a performer, and it was through YES Company that I discovered the rewarding feeling of uniting together to bring a story to life,” she said.
For Wyatt, the success of YES Company is shown through the participants becoming contributing citizens in the community. “I want our students to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, and to use the skills they acquire through the program to pursue their dreams without fear,” she said.
YES Company is operated by the Stanislaus County Office of Education. Tickets to Les Misérables are available at the Gallo Center for the Arts box office, or online at: GalloArts.org.
Photos:
Rehearsing “One More Day”
From left to right name-age: Mary Curry 18, Daniel Vermeulen 15, Donnie Mackay 16
Group Photo: Cosette-Jasmin Soria 17, Marius-Sam Gerber 16, Alex Seifert 18, Fantine-Kyra Pelham 17, Front- Little Cosette-Megan Tallcott 11, Eponine-Mara Patino 18
