New York City - Sunday night at Zankel Hall in
Carnegie Hall, the 'Genius of Autism' honored 16 enormously talented autistic youth for their accomplishments in the fields of music, visual arts, poetry and athletics. Actress
Laura Linney, along with a host of Broadway's biggest stars and some very talented young adults brought the house down in a unique and dramatic event presented by the McCarton Foundation for Developmental Disabilities.
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Elaine Hall, founder of the Miracle Project with Wyatt Isaacs. |
The brainchild of
Dr. Cece McCarton, founder of the McCarton Foundation for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, expressed her motivation for creating this event best; "Often talents are not discovered in autistic individuals because so many people have stereotyped or limited expectations of their abilities. The tragedy of autism is not only with the individual who has autism but also with us who are often blind to the talents that lay hidden within them." The line between ability and disability is a very thin one that often goes undetected.
These brilliant and brave children were the real stars of the evening, honored by world renowned performers including
Dr. William H. Cosby, Jr.,
Dr. Deepak Chopra,
Alicia Keys,
Malaak Compton-Rock,
Michelle Miller of
CBS News, and
Holly Robinson-Peete. The crowd was wowed with performances by
Kelli O'Hara from "South Pacific,"
Billy Porter,
Brian Stokes Mitchell,
Lauren Kennedy and
Ann Harada, and a chorus with singers from "Wicked," "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Hair," "Rent," "The Lion King," "Everyday Rapture" and the TV series "Big Love."
Morgan Stanley
Smith Barney kicked the evening off with a VIP reception in the Rohatyn Room. Speakers
Lou Toscano and
Chad Kasprzak started the bidding off on over 20 pieces of artwork by various artists affected by autism including honorees
Stephen Wiltshire,
Justin Canha and more.
The evening was produced by the incredibly talented
Daisy Prince Chaplin and
Elizabeth Howell and commandeered by parent and visionary
Michele Pierce-Burns whose son Danson's poetry inspired the audience of over 500 supporters including
Penny Toepfer,
Kate Grandin,
Linda Zelenko,
Whitney Loy,
Jordyn Kopin,
Shawn and
Suzanne Rubin,
Roberta Loewenstein,
Mitchell Rubin,
David and
Jill Robbins,
Alan and
Karin Wilzig,
Ronald and
Michelle Herzlinger,
Stephen and
Lora Barbera,
Michelle Russell Johnson,
Pam,
Valerie and
Joel Edelman,
Alexandra Shiva and
Jonathan Sherman.
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The Global Autism Project |
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Guest (Guest) from Colorado says::
Brilliant!!! Bravo!!! Kudos to Everyone involved!!! As the mother of a son with Asperger's Syndrome and the author of 'The Journey Home from Autism' I understand and admire the efforts by all here. I have taught over 6,000 children (most with special needs) to write and illustrate a 16-page book and KNOW that those with autism are THE children who can see beyond the pages that limit the rest of us! If I can do anything to help with this enormously beautiful mission I would be honored to help! Most sincerely, Rhonda Spellman http://AutismWithRhonda.com
Jan 19, 2011 12:22 am