Talented Teens Lift Their Voices to Fight Juvenile Diabetes

While they may not be scientists or doctors at this point in their lives, a group of talented kids are playing a huge role in finding the cure for Type 1 diabetes by strapping on their dancing shoes and letting their incredible voices be heard.

Over the past 12 years, the Arch City Kids Theater Troupe (ACTT) has raised more than $240,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) through their annual musical revue held every summer. This year promises to be bigger and better than ever before as 40 kids, ages eight to 18, perform The Story of Tonight, inspired by the hit musical  Hamilton and featuring performances from stage hits like School of Rock, Thoroughly Modern Millie and  Legally Blonde.

“Hamilton has created an entirely new brand of musical theater and is bringing new fans to Broadway,” said head director Cara Palombo. “We wanted to translate that excitement into the troupe this year. And by incorporating other shows into the performance, we’re hitting all the Broadway bases, from classic to contemporary.”

But even more impressive than the show itself is that every aspect of the musical, from directing and choreographing to promotion and fundraising, is handled 100% by the teens themselves. Palombo herself is a senior at Kirkwood High School.

By coming together through a common love of performing and a common cause of curing diabetes, kids from across the metropolitan are uniting to create the incredible.

Shining a spotlight on Type 1 diabetes research

ACTT began in 2005 after founder Helen Rapp’s younger brother, Turner, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. A theater aficionado, Rapp chose to use her talents to help raise money for diabetes research in his honor through a musical revue. Since then, ACTT has grown quickly into a highly anticipated annual event that continues to draw hundreds of fans to the theater.

Each May, kids from across the region audition for the event, and after cast, spend just two weeks in rehearsals together. The teens manage the staging, the costuming and the production to create a performance that rivals many professional theater groups in the region. In fact, two ACTT performers have already made their mark on Broadway, including Taylor Louderman of Bring It On and Spencer Davis Milford of The Winslow Boy.

For the performers, there’s no better muse than knowing the difference they’re making in the lives of others.

Said Palombo, “Two of the kids in ACTT have diabetes. The performers know they’re doing this for them and everyone touched by the disease. It’s such a great feeling knowing that anyone, even at eight years old, can help fund research that will one day find a cure for something that affects so many people.”

The curtain rises this August

The Story of Tonight will be held at Haertter Hall at John Burroughs School, 755 S. Price Rd., on August 5^th and 6^th at 7:30 p.m. and on August 7^th at 2 p.m. The doors open one hour prior to each show for preferred seating as well as a bake sale, flower sale, raffle, and silent auction.

There is no admission for the performance, but a free will donation will be accepted. All proceeds from the event will go directly to JDRF. For more information about the show, visit ACTT at www.archcitykids.org.

“What started as a group of kids rehearsing in a playroom has grown into a region-wide event that has made a huge impact on juvenile diabetes research,” Palombo remarked. “We’re just a bunch of kids doing what we love, and we want to share that with the world!”