March 20, 2008 6:17 PM
Autism: the Musical - on HBO March 25
Autism: The Musical Charts the Emotional Journey of Five Autistic Children Who Star in Their Own Stage Show
Debuting March 25th Exclusively On HBO
Elaine Hall adopted Neal from an orphanage in Russia who after years of tantrums was diagnosed with autism. After the diagnosis Elaine realized she wasn’t alone. In 1980, autism was a relatively rare disorder, diagnosed in one of every 10,000 U.S. children. Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 150 may be afflicted. Taking inspiration from her son and her knowledge of the disorder, Elaine founded the Miracle Project, an innovative musical theatre program based in Los Angeles, which focuses on creativity, self-expression and social consciousness to help children communicate their feelings and easily interact with others.HBO’s award-winning documentary Autism: The Musical presents an intimate portrait of these young people and their families as they struggle, and ultimately triumph, through the transformative power of theatre, when the film premieres Tuesday, March 25th at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The documentary will be available online in its entirety beginning the morning after its linear premiere (March 26th) and ending March 31st. Check out Autism: the Musical's website for clips and to learn more about the families featured in the film.
