Altoona Mirror Article

Ellen Thompson’s hometown newspaper, the Altoona Mirror in Altoona, PA, covered the premiere of Lyme Disease: The Musical in their December 10-11, 2022 edition. Check out the original article here or read the reprint below.

December 10-11, 2022  |  Life

Altoona natives Ellen Thompson and Robert Glen Decker have been nominated for Broadway World Los Angeles Awards for the world-premiere stage production of Lyme Disease: The Musical.

The dark comedy and musical is based on Thompson’s journey with Lyme disease. She wrote the book, the lyrics and produced the play while Decker is nominated for Best Direction of a Musical. The work premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in Los Angeles in June.

The play is also nominated for Best New Play or Musical, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Performer in a Musical: Todd Risenmay and Best Supporting Performer in a Musical: Zozo Chen-Wernik. The rest of the ensemble includes Taylor Murphy-Sinclair, Candice Brock, Brendan McCay and Eric Delgado. Music was composed by Emmy-winning songwriter Hughie Stone Fish.

The Broadway World Regional Awards voting is open through Dec. 31 at broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/voteregion.cfm. Winners will be announced in January.

Lyme Disease: The Musical will be available to watch online in early 2023. The show runs about 90 minutes and is recommended for ages 18+ due to coarse language, according to the website, Lymediseasethemusical.com.

Lifelong best friends Thompson and Decker have been working together in theater since they were teenagers. In the 1990s, they were regulars onstage at Roosevelt Junior High, Altoona High, Allegheny Highlands Regional Theatre (now Cresson Lake Playhouse), and Old Bedford Village. Thompson was also a reporter for WTAJ Action News for Kids, and Decker performed with Altoona Community Theatre, where he served on the Artistic Committee.

Lyme Disease: The Musical follows an optimistic young woman stricken by a mysterious illness who must navigate unsympathetic doctors, disbelieving friends and her own depression as she fights to recover both her health and sense of hope. Thompson based the musical on her own eight-year battle with Lyme disease. After four years of treatment, she is now in remission.

Thompson and Decker live in Los Angeles, which Thompson said made it hard to get a Lyme disease diagnosis because most doctors in California aren’t familiar with it.

“It’s shocking to me that when doctors don’t understand your condition, they assume you’re making it up,” she said in a news release. “I didn’t fictionalize the doctors in my show. Their behavior in real life was comically inept and sexist. Rob and I grew up watching the TV show, The Kids in the Hall, and that’s my biggest influence to this day,” she explains. “I love a good social commentary cloaked in comedy.”

© 2023 Altoona Mirror. All Rights Reserved.