CLEVELAND — For the first time, Playhouse Square has self-produced a family show.

It is now being shown to a student audience and will be open to the public this weekend. But there’s another reason why this production is so important to the nonprofit Cleveland Performing Arts Center.

What does it mean to be real? For Clayten Yoder, it’s being on stage.

“So liberating,” Yoder said of his latest stage role. “So liberating!” I might get emotional. There are a lot of similarities between him and me.

Yoder plays Velveteen in Velveteen, a new musical: A modern and uplifting adaptation of the classic children’s story, The Velveteen Rabbit.

The Stuffed Rabbit asks what it means to be real, which is discovered through themes still relevant today.

“What do you hope people take away from this performance,” News 5 anchor Katie Ussin asked Yoder.

“That you’re real,” he said. “That you are enough. »

A rural Ohio kid chasing his dreams, Yoder said he hopes others also feel inspired and know that self-worth isn’t found online.

“So often we get lost in this comparison and end up down the rabbit hole of one algorithm or another,” said Yoder, who is also an art teacher. “It’s just pure, raw reality. Understand who you are. You are enough and you must go through all the real things in life and experience them to create the building blocks that will become who you are.

For Playhouse Square, Velveteen is a dream finally come true.

“We think we have something really special,” said Daniel Hahn, vice president of education at Playhouse Square.

He told Katie he’s been working to make it a reality for several years and this is the first time Playhouse Square has self-produced a family show.

Katie asked why this hadn’t happened before. Hahn said it takes a long time to produce work. He said they want to do it right and do it well, and he thinks it’s the right time and the right time for everything to come together.

“This beautiful 50-minute piece with heartwarming and touching songs is going to bring it all home,” Hahn said of the journey to get here. “It’s going to be really magical for Cleveland.”

Velveteen is also an entirely Cleveland production. Everyone is local, on stage and behind the scenes.

“It’s just exciting,” Hahn said. “There’s a buzz in the air!”

CorLesia Smith, who plays Gran/Clover and works extensively at Karamu House, said Velveteen shows the breadth and depth of Northeast Ohio talent in the industry.

“It was magical,” she smiles.

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Smith told Katie she couldn’t wait to see the magic on the faces of the children in the audience.

“They bring a whole new level to the fun and magical nature of the production because they bridge that gap with imagination, and just seeing them groove is beautiful,” she said.

Smith said her son saw parts of the show and loved the music.

There are many songs that will have you singing along after leaving the theater.

“It’s surreal and it’s beautiful,” said Velveteen composer Molly Andrews-Hinders. “It tells me that there is something here and something that is going to come home to families and continue to live.”

During her interview, at her piano sat her childhood rabbit, a gift from her grandmother who she said inspired her during the songwriting process.

Especially when writing a song called You Know I Know You Know.

She said it was about the strong bond between Velveteen and the child.

“I remember as a young child feeling very strong emotions and not being able to explain to the adults in the room why I felt that way,” Andrews-Hinders said. “And the stuffed animal was that witness.” This entity accepts me as I was. So the song is about the kid saying to Velveteen, “I know you know what I’m thinking.” I know you know why I’m laughing. I know you know how I feel, and it’s kind of a cool feeling when you know that I know that you know. This feeling that I don’t have to explain anything and that you will just accept me no matter what state I’m in.

She said she hopes her music moves people.

The catchy lyrics and melodies bring to life this timeless story that reminds us what it means to be real and the true power of love.

“To have these local artists come together on this piece, to really show Cleveland and the nation who we are and what we have to say, it’s just a huge gift,” Andrews-Hinders said.

Hahn said the hope is that Velveteen could be the first in a series of self-produced shows coming to Playhouse Square.

Additionally, he said he invited some top family entertainment agents to give their opinions on the possibility of taking Velveteen on tour.