Youth theater marks 20 years with ‘SpongeBob the Musical’

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Christian Youth Theater Atlanta, a nonprofit youth development and arts organization, celebrated its 20th anniversary with its 50th main stage production, “SpongeBob the Musical,” April 20-23. Held at Valor Christian Academy, the production was a family-friendly musical based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series. It had higher stakes than ever as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom faced the total annihilation of their undersea world.

Christian Youth Theater (CYT) Atlanta was founded in 2003 with a mission to provide arts education and community theater productions for North Fulton and surrounding areas. Since then, the organization has served more than 10,000 students and produced over 50 main stage shows.

“It is hard to believe that we are celebrating this milestone,” said Connie Matthews, CYT Atlanta executive director. “We have had the joy of watching students enter this program as early as 5 years old and graduate high school at 18. Many of our alumni are working actors locally, on cruise ships, off Broadway and on.”

In addition to providing students with the opportunity to perform,

CYT Atlanta also offers a variety of educational programs, including classes in acting, singing, dancing and music. The organization’s mission is to build character on and off stage, and Matthews says that she is most proud of the growth she has seen in many of the students she has worked with.

“Several of our students pursue music, dance, or musical theater and have received generous scholarships at renowned universities,” said Matthews. “Many have graduated from college and are working and living their dreams, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.”