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Actors With Special Needs Star In The Sound Of Music!

Gettysburg Community Theatre (GCT), the non-profit 501c3 organization located at 49 York Street within the first block of Lincoln Square in Gettysburg, PA, will present its Penguin Project (actors with special needs) production of The Sound Of Music at 7 pm Friday, May 17 and 2 pm Saturday, May 18 at Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater.

Tickets are available online and at the Majestic box office only. The Sound Of Music is based on the true story of Maria and the Family vonn Trapp and features memorable songs including “My Favorite Things”, Sixteen Going On Seventeen”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, and more. A popular title across the globe, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer starred in the iconic 1965 film adaptation of The Sound Of Music, after Mary Martin originated the lead role of Maria on Broadway in 1959.

sound of music

“The Penguin Project gets its name from the fact that penguins are birds with special needs (they cannot fly)” says GCT Founding Executive/Artistic Director, Chad-Alan Carr, “but they thrive equally as well as any bird in their own environment. They are very resilient and loving creatures. Our penguins (actors with special needs) may not be able to fly, but we see their spirits soar on stage through the joy of theatre arts.”

GCT started producing an annual musical featuring young actors with special needs and their peer mentors without special needs, side by side with them on stage back in 2014. GCT’s Penguin Project has performed at the high school auditoriums of Gettysburg and Hanover, as well as at the Eichelberger Performing Arts Center, and of course at the GCT stage. Their program is the only one of its kind in Adams, York, Franklin, Cumberland, and Carroll Counties. 

This year’s production of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The Sound Of Music is extra special thanks to genrous donations from The Eagles Of Gettysburg, The Eagle Riders of Gettysburg, Sharon Magraw, The Forward Fund, and Mary and Jed Smith, allowing it to beheld on the main stage of Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater.

This is the first time a GCT production has been on the Majestic stage and the cast and crew is very excited and hopes to perform to a full house.

The cast includes: Devin Asa Harry Malachi Bennett, Danny Burton, Brooke Buser, Scott Chappell, Victoria Craver, Ruthanna Hoffman, Olivia Hoffman, Alaythia Hoffman, Hannah Hoffman, Kalgin Kuhns, CJ Lair, Alysanna Lovell, Thea Mathers, Kaleigh Mcmaster, Dustin Miller, Callie Miller, Alex Millet, Zachary Morrison, Donovan Ohler, Maxwell Owens, Cali Paulus, Hadley Petruzzelli, Holden Petruzzelli, Janna Scott, Ella Scott, Matthew Shoap, Kira Spangler, Leah Spangler, Nyelle Steinour, Leah Watson, Michael Yamba, Kelsey Zimmerman, and Hayden Zimmerman.

The GCT production team of directors and assistants include Chad-Alan Carr, Carrie Conklin Garrett, Kevin Foster, Madison Melton, and Maria Wolfe, along with design/technical crew members Landon Andrews, Ken Berry, Michael Connelly, N. Kay Lenhart, Kristy Petruzzelli, Linda Toki, the incredible Majestic Team, and dozens of volunteers that help make the theatre magic happen for every show. 

“Though our young actors with special needs face different challenges such as Autism, Down Syndrome, CP, cognitive delays, and neurological disorders” says Carr, “with GCT’s Penguin Project we celebrate their abilities to shine on stage with singing, dancing, and of course lots of smiles when the audience cheers for them. If you have never seen a Penguin Project production, I encourage you to attend as it is truly inspirational.”

GCT’s Penguin Project 2024 is also made possible by generous support from The Cultural Alliance Of York County, Adams County Community Foundation and their wonderful Giving Spree, The Robert C Hoffman Charitable Endowment Fund, The Marie Keese Lelash Foundation, Kiwanis Club Of Gettysburg, The Optimists Club Of Gettysburg,  Patti & Doug Robinson, The Christmas Haus, and The Gettysburg Chocolate Market, and many individual donors like you.

GCT hopes to see YOU at the theatre this year. More information ias at www.GettysburgCommunityTheatre.org

Photos by Donate Gardner

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