A Different Kind of Broadway

Natalie Miceli, who plays Captain Hook in a production of Peter Pan, playfully renamed the show in his own honor. "I'm ready for the Hook show," he laughed as he arrived Wednesday morning at the Jerry Obach Theater before the matinee. Though it was only his second time starring in the role he had no pre-show jitters. "I'm not nervous," he dismissed as he got in full pirate garb, "I'm ready for this."  

Miceli, like the rest of his cast mates, is developmentally disabled. He's also blind. These facts in no way deter him from giving the role his all. "I was born to be a star and I'm proud of it." 

The production was started by Broadway veteran Dale Hensley. In 2017 Hensley started volunteering at AHRC, an organization which helps people with developmental disorders like down syndrome and severe autism. A volunteer asked him to sing a couple of songs with the clients and he saw potential. "I just set out to just do a couple of show tunes," he said, "and then I heard the talent and I thought no—we're going to do a Broadway show."

Hensley worked his contacts and soon he was producing shows staring AHRC members right in the middle of the theater universe with help from other Broadway stars. Tony Award winner Gavin Creel plays Peter Pan and Loni Ackerman (who was Grizabella in the original production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Cats) plays Liza, the maid. The shows are open to friends of the cast and other AHRC members.

Of course there are challenges when directing people with such critical severe needs, said Hensley. The plot is way cut down, and the team helps the cast with everything from getting changed to guiding them onstage for their entrances and exits. Hensely also adapted the choreography. “You can’t say do a kick line—they’ve never seen it before,” he explained.“I was down on my hands and knees, saying okay now this leg goes up then this leg goes up.”

Natale Miceli and Rivelino Lucas, both blind, tap dance. Director Dale Hensley holds down the floor.

(Scott Dodson)

The cast has a wide range of abilities and some took longer to warm up to the spotlight. Hensley said when they first started rehearsals six months ago David Taylor, who plays Michael Darling, was disruptive and wouldn’t leave the corner of the room, but over time and with a lot of practice Taylor began to get comfortable. Now he sings one of the major numbers in the show—Never, Never Land. Hensley said the transformation was a clear indicator of the program’s success.

“He may not sing as beautifully as some others in the show but his heart is in it more than anyone else, and he’s in the middle dancing,” Hensley said. “I want them to enjoy life. They feel good about themselves.”

David Taylor sings "Never Never Land" with Gavin Creel

(Zoe Azulay)

Karen Zuckerman, director of volunteers at AHRC, agreed that the stage has transformed the cast.
"They were pretty depressed. We were really worried about them. And it was like day and night the minute Dale came into our building,” she said. “There is just so much joy now.”

Up next Hensley wants to put on Beauty and the Beast, and then Fiddler On The Roof.