“The first year was magical because nobody realized what the children could do.”

Dr. Andrew Morgan, director of the Penguin Project, spoke about the program’s inception and its first production six years ago.

“If you are new to it, it will have the same impact,” Morgan said.

Include me in that category. I had never witnessed a Penguin Project production. I barely knew anything about the program.

The Penguin Project was founded by Morgan, a professor of clinical pediatrics, the head of the division of child development at the the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, medical director of Easter Seals and medical director of pediatric rehabilitation at the Children’s Hospital.

That is quite a few hats. But, perhaps the title that has been most visible, at least in Central Illinois, is his role as director of the Penguin Project.

The Penguin Project was created to offer children with developmental disabilities the opportunity to perform a rendition of a Broadway Musical. This year, the more than 80 participants recreated a Broadway classic — “Fiddler on the Roof” — and added “Jr.” to the end of the title.

Prior to my viewing the production, I did not know what to expect. But, thinking that it involved a slew of children with developmental disabilities, I was not expecting anything other than a brief and cute play.

My expectations changed the moment I took a seat in the back of the Eastlight Theater in East Peoria. Crowds reaching into the hundreds packed the dark, yet colorfully lit auditorium.

The lights dimmed and the production began.

It only took a matter of five minutes before I forgot that I was watching a musical performed by children with developmental disabilities and their mentors. This was nothing less than a well-rounded production. I was immersed.

“Each year, the production has become more polished,” Morgan said. “The kids have just grown incredibly.”

Preparations are no joke.

“My expectations are high. We’ve taught them a whole dance in a single evening,” Morgan said.

Morgan helps the children maintain a level of maturity to get things done. He gains their respect as they go. And, the final product proves that there are no limits to creativity and enthusiasm.

The musical aside, the Penguin Project is so much more than a three-day production. It is what happens behind the scenes that really encompasses the true meaning of the program.

Morgan explained one of the program’s unintended functions.

“Many of these children don’t have friends,” he said. “(The Penguin Project) creates a new social network for them. They do things together. They do outings together. It gives them a sense of confidence.

“The most important part is the changes we see in everyone,” Morgan added. “They’re given the opportunity to succeed. And, succeed they do.”

It is not on stage where these children gain the most.

“All the stuff that happens behind the scenes — it really is a metamorphosis,” Morgan said. “They develop personal skills and relationships.

“There’s a process and a product,” he added. “The process that gets us there is really what’s going to carry over.”

Morgan, who has been involved in theater for most of his adult life, is taking the Penguin Project beyond Central Illinois. Bloomington started its first production last summer. Just recently, DeKalb has been added to the mix.

That is just a start. Morgan wants the Penguin Project to expand outside of its Illinois borders.

“Right now, our biggest challenge is that we’re trying to find a major sponsor that will support us in our efforts,” he said. “We need a major funding source — a grant source that will underwrite the process.”

He said his hope is to bring the joy and excitement that unfolds during a Penguin Project production to children with disabilities throughout the United States.

In six years, it has made quite an impact in Central Illinois. And, the program’s replication throughout Illinois has been successful thus far.

“We’ve learned that the magic we can create is not isolated to one single site,” Morgan said. “You can create all the same magic and all the same joy (throughout the United States) and make it work.”