Autism: The Musical: The Premiere!

Through an odd little twist of fate, I ended up being invited to the Los Angeles premiere of Autism: The Musical this past weekend. Since my sister lives there, I thought I'd make a weekend of it.

I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. It had been three years since the film was shot; would the kids be there? Would the parents? And how on earth does one hold a Hollywood premiere with a group of autistic children? It's the exact recipe for disaster: crowds, noise, lights, commotion, strangers, unpredictability.

Yet the kids rallied. They did what they do: some beamed, some looked down, some found a neutral spot in the distance to focus on as the cameras snapped and flashed. Some gave interviews.

The photographer from HBO, who graciously moved aside so I could get some shots of the kids on the red carpet, glanced over at me at one point and said, so softly I could barely hear him, “This is a good day.”

After the screening, the kids performed live. It was clear they were having a ball, overwhelming as it must have been to sing and dance in front of an audience that size. Lexi and Wyatt sang, Neal danced, and Henry displayed his budding chops as a standup comic.

Finally, toward the end, Adam took the stage, his cello nearly dwarfing him, and began to play a few notes. “My pinky hurts,” he cried, and stopped. There were calls for kisses, for band-aids, for more kisses. Finally, satisfied, he started again. “Owww,” he called out, “My pinky really hurts!” So it was decided that he’d forego the cello and sing his song instead. He performed a lovely rendition of "Nature Boy," by Eden Ahbez:

The greatest thing
You’ll ever learn
Is to love
And be loved in return.

It was a good day.

For more information, or to read my review on BabyCenter, click here.

Comments

[Casdok]

How exciting!
Great photos!

[Niksmom]

I don't know why but looking at those pictures has made me weepy this morning...in a good way.

I envy your being able to be there for such a special occasion but am grateful for your sharing it. xo

[kal]

Awesome! I can't wait to see it myself.

[Tricia Regan]

Susan -- you are terrific! A great writer, and who knew, a great photographer as well. Do you think you could email me the photos you took? They are the best I have seen thus far.

Thanks for all of your support. We had an equally, though totally different, fantastic premiere event in NYC the other night. I just love how good this movie makes people feel about people.

Lots of love to you -- Tricia Regan (director: Autism: The Musical)

[Jennifer]

I also attended the LA screening of the film. It really was a great day. I found out that Elaine has her own website www.TheMiracleProject.com. She has a lot of great information on there.