“All This and World War II,” opening Thursday at Littleton High School, is the 24th annual musical revue staged by Magic Moments, a nonprofit organization that since 1983 has raised more than $175,000 for organizations that provide services to persons with special needs.
Once each year, the ubiquitous director who goes by “K.Q.” stages a musical extravaganza integrating as many as 200 disabled and able-bodied cast members of all abilities, ages and experience performing together. At Magic Moments, the emphasis is on full and equal participation. But every year, more and more established members of the Colorado theater community volunteer to participate in these annual benefit performances.
This year, the cast includes Michelle Merz, nominated for a 2006 Denver Post Ovation Award for best year by an actress; Tim Welch, who starred in the Town Hall Arts Center’s “Kiss Me, Kate”, and Drew Frady, who starred in the New Denver Civic’s “Newsical.” Others include Ken Paul (Next Stage’s “Assassins”); Suzanne Nepi (Aurora Fox’s “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”); Michelle Paul (Aurora Fox’s “A Taffeta Christmas”); radio personality John Gleason; and former University of Colorado football star Ed Reinhardt, who suffered a brain injury during a game in 1984.
“All This and World War II” also includes a number of cast members well-known for their work with the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League (PHAMALY), including Lucy Roucis, Don Mauk and Regan Linton.
They are all part of an intermingling cast of 189 that ranges in age from 7-74.
Among the team of nine choreographers are Anita Boland (Georgie in the Arvada Center’ s “The Full Monty”); Neil David Seibel (Arvada Center’s “Aida,” Theatre Aspen’s “Dinner With Friends”); PHAMALy’s Debbie Stark and Cindy Bray; Next Stage’s Lindsey Hanahan; and Bryan Bell (director of the Main Street Players’ upcoming “Grease”). The vocal director is Traci Kern (Evergreen Players” “A Year With Frog and Toad”). The set designer is Colorado Theatre Guild president Charles Packard (also producer at the Aurora Fox).
The musical director is once again Donna Debreceni, who just won the 2006 Denver Post Ovation Award for best band (Town Hall Arts Center’s “Cabaret).”
“The mix of amateurs and professional is truly magical for everyone involved – cast, staff and our audience,” said Magic Moments president Dan Wyatt. “The goal of the organization is to raise community awareness of the special gifts of persons with physical and developmental disabilities, and to provide our diverse range of cast members an opportunity to give back to their own community through theatrical performance.”
“All This and World War II” is a revue made up of songs from 1939-45. The story takes place both in a live radio studio and an all-American living room. Romances bud in both places, until the war intervenes.
“In this time of national disasters from hurricanes and earthquakes and the manmade conflicts of war and terror, perhaps our little efforts to bring people of differing abilities together to celebrate life through drama, song, and dance can produce some light,” said Wyatt. “Perhaps in our corner of the world we can show that the human community can live in peace and mutual caring.”
“All This and World War II” plays Thursday, March 15, through Sunday, March 18 only, at Littleton High School, 199 E. Littleton Blvd. Remaining tickets are limited. For information, call 303-607-7555 or go to
