BY DARRELL HALEN
When Lorraine
Moore, dressed as
Pocahontas, finished
singing along to the song
“Colors of the Wind,” the audience
watching her cheered
and applauded loudly. Lorraine
smiled and bowed.
Her performance was
part of “A Disney Afternoon,”
when nearly 50 performers
donned colorful costumes
and sang uplifting songs.
Against the backdrop image
of a castle on a hill, they appeared
as some of Disney’s
most beloved characters, including
the Seven Dwarves,
Pinocchio and Winnie the
Pooh.
The evening show, held
Friday, April 25, in Salem
High School’s Seifert Auditorium,
was presented by Play
Among the Stars, a theater
group that gives developmentally
disabled people the
opportunity to broaden their
dance and music abilities and
develop other skills.
“It’s awesome to see them
up on stage,” said Carol
O’Donnell of North Andover,
Mass., who attended the show
with her daughter. “They love
it. They’re stars. I’ve just been
amazed watching them.”
The two-act show featured
29 performances, including
music from the movies “The
Lion King” and “Beauty and
the Beast,” and uplifting songs
such as “Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah”
and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
Throughout the show,
proud friends and family
members smiled and took
photos. They cheered when
Bethany Zinka, playing the
role of Cinderella, appeared
in a glittery blue gown. They
clapped along as one of the
performers sang “A Spoonful
of Sugar.” And they waved
small flags to the song “It’s a
Small World.”
One of the performers,
Donna Buck, was presented
the Shining Star Award in recognition
of her determination,
courage, personal growth and
love for others. Last year’s
recipient, Ryan Gallagher,
kicked off the show by singing
“The Star Spangled Banner.”
Former Salem resident
Sara Brown founded the
theater group with Charlene
Westerdale, and the
first show was performed
in 1999. The group, which
serves about 18 communities
in Southern New Hampshire
and the Merrimack Valley,
presents two shows annually.
Brown’s inspiration is her
son, Jason, 34, who is mentally
retarded and has cerebral
palsy. He loves to sing
and dance, and be with his
friends.
“I couldn’t think of a
better way to keep them all
together,” said Brown, the
group’s president, who commutes
from her Scarborough,
Maine, home to help
other volunteers to get the
shows ready.
Performing in front of an
audience boosts the self-confidence
of its participants,
and gives them the sense of
being involved in the community,
she said.
“The nice thing is, they
can be anything they want to
be,” Brown said.
Brown has other hopes
for the group. She would
like to build a fitness center
in Salem where members
can socialize and learn
about personal health and
hygiene. The center would
also provide space to store
costumes and hold rehearsals.