There were loads of laughter, a touch of sadness, a cornucopia of delicious food and a hellacious amount of talent October 15 and 16 at the Maplewood Woman's Club.

All of these things, however, were trumped by the funds raised to help families dealing with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), as Vintage Gold Productions presented It's An Art... Cabaret for a Cause.

The show was the brainchild of Maplewood resident and artist Alexander Kariotis, who was profiled in the September Patch article Cabaret for a Cause, and was co-produced by the HK Community Fund. Kariotis's older brother Anthony succumbed to ALS 15 years ago.

The idea for the show came out of a conversation that Kariotis had with HK co-founder Tom Kerns back in July. Kariotis was looking to a produce a smaller scale benefit but Kerns was able to convince him to present a production on a grander scale.

The 90-minute musical revue of some Broadway favorites of today and yesteryear featured the exceptional talents of local teens. The script, written by show director Russ Crespolini, was a perfect vehicle to tie together songs from such varied musicals as West Side Story, Shrek, Avenue Q, Wicked and Ragtime.

The dialogue was mostly lighthearted, poking fun at some commonly clichéd theatrical devices, such as over-the-top bombastic numbers and saccharinely sweet songs for children.  

From the time you entered the Maplewood Woman's Club you were transported back 60 years. Attendees were greeted by teenage Maitre ds in White Tuxedos and attentive Wait Staff.  The music of Frank Sinatra filled the room and Candy Girls  (an updated take on Cigarette Girls) offered Kit Kats and other favorites for sale.

Dinner was prepared and served by Maplewood-based caterer Laura Nichols and provided an entree choice of herb-encrusted tenderloin with red wine herb reduction or herb panko crusted salmon with dill mayo.  

The show was cast after auditions on September 12 and the production team basically had a month to get it stage-ready. Although the script contained a liberal dose of whimsy, playfulness and humor, the cause behind the show was serious business.

Kariotis made a connection with the Robert Wood Johnson Neuromuscular and ALS Center in order to identify a suitable recipient for the benefit's proceeds. The Center helped identify a 44-year-old male ALS sufferer from Union County, whose wife lived in Maplewood for a short period of time, and who is need of an electric wheelchair. Kariotis mentioned during intermission "that a check will go directly to him... with no red tape involved."

The cast included 29 performers, ranging from elementary school to a college sophomore. In addition, the Pixie Dust Players also appeared in the show. They are a local theater troupe comprised of young children who have performed at local hospitals and presented shows at The Summit Playhouse. Teenager Lindsey Maron created the Pixie Dust Players and appeared in the benefit shows last week.

Standout performances were numerous and included: Ryan Hobson performing Memphis Lives In Me, Maron and Kaela O'Connor performing I Will Never Leave You, Columbia High School senior Tyler Pease performing Make Them Hear You, Joey Bremberg and Kerry Bremer performing Song Like This, Ben Rosenbach on Dancing Through Life,  Columbia High School sophomore Austin Danielle Boomer performing I Feel Pretty, and Columbia High School junior Anni Epstein, who closed out the show with Once Upon A Time.

Kariotis, the man behind Vintage Gold Productions, was amazed by the commitment of his performers and expressed his feelings while speaking to the audience before the beginning of the second act. 

"We are doing this for a specific person, a person who is suffering right now, and when you are tired, and haven't learned the music, and you have a test, and you don't want to come [to practice] just think to yourself this person who is suffering wishes they could do this. And the kids came and they worked their butts off."