After a decade of singing, acting and performing 23 alumni from Ahwatukee Children's Theatre are returning to the stage to raise money for the organization that gave them their start in the arts.

"We've been around going on a decade and a lot of our kids are no longer kids they're 18, 19, 20-something," said Michele Rubino, executive director at ACT. "We've kept track of a lot of them. I thought it might be fun for them to come back together, they wanted to see each other again, and perform for the community and the younger kids and just get back in the theater."

Kendall Snow, who was in ACT for eight years before she graduated this past year, says she's just excited to be performing again.

"I miss performing," said Snow, who has decided to major in psychology at college but is teaching at ACT. "You never realize how much you're going to miss something until it's gone. When I stopped performing I had an empty hole in my heart. I think it's going to be exciting to get back together with everyone I grew up with and everyone that supported me and just to perform again."

Rubino said the kids who have graduated have ended up all over the U.S. Many are working in Hollywood or going to school pursuing the arts.

The alumni are flying in from all over and putting the show together with only two full days of practice. But with all the talent they bring, ACT guarantees a good show.

"There are so many talented people coming back," Snow said. "Everyone coming back just puts their whole heart and soul into everything that they do so it's going to be a really great show."

The show will be full of variety for the first half and the second half will be reenactments of performances the kids did for ACT.

Tickets are on sale for two shows taking place on Saturday, Aug. 6 at Ahwatukee Children's Theatre, 5051 E. Elliot Road. The two shows will be at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. All proceeds from the show will benefit ACT. For more information, visit azact.org.

"We've got a lot of talent and the kids are itching to come and perform so it's going to be very entertaining," Rubino said. "It's also a fundraiser so it's always good to come out and support the community. People coming out are going to get the real sense of family that we have here."

Contact writer: (480) 898-7914 or ahurtado@ahwatukee.com