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charlie lustman cancer musician

Cancer Survivor & Inspirational Singer

Made Me Nuclear at the Soho Playhouse in NYC

Posted on: April 29th, 2014

Made Me Nuclear at Soho Playhouse

Cancer survivor and inspirational singer, Charlie Lustman, brings his one man pop opera, MADE ME NUCLEAR, off-Broadway!!!

The Solomon Dutka fund in the New York Community Trust with The Sarcoma Alliance is working together to bring Charlie’s one man
pop opera, MADE ME NUCLEAR to New York City for a one evening performance at The Soho Playhouse May 22nd 8pm (15 Vandam Street, Soho, NYC)

Charlie says,  “I am thrilled to finally bring these cancer survivor songs, which I began writing from the chemo chair back in 2007, to the stages of New York City. It was a dream I envisioned during my long year of chemotherapy. Seriously! Anything is possible, I mean, look at me, I have a prosthetic jaw and now I’m singing off-Broadway!!!”

Tickets on sale now – $20 www.SohoPlayHouse.com
All proceeds benefiting SHARE cancer care.
www.ShareCancerSupport.org


“Thank you all for supporting my Musical HOPE Campaign across America touching the lives of those affected by cancer throughout the country and the world.”

“See you Off-Broadway!!!!!!!!!!!”

Charlie

Made Me Nuclear at Soho Playhouse
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Charlie Performs for University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Posted on: October 1st, 2012

I was invited to perform at University Of Pittsburgh Medical Center Celebration Of Life celebrating survivorship for cancer patients in North Pittsburgh. It was a wonderful event and I was honored to have been chosen to share my story in song.

The first song is ‘Simple Song’, which is a song meant to thank all the people who helped me through cancer, all the people who were there to help me get back on my feet.

The second song is ‘Do What You Love’ which is such an important message that I would like all cancer patients and their families and friends to hear and take to heart. So important to do the things you love in life. Take everyday to do what you love. That’s what it’s all about.

Charlie Sings for Cancer Patient During Infusion

Posted on: October 1st, 2012

Charlie Lustman sings for a cancer patient during infusion. Charlie uses his gift of music to reach out to others through positive lyrics and songs, which makes difficult moments a bit more bearable. Watch this video and see the wonderful and positive affect Charlie’s music has on this patient. Charlie lives for moments like these… spreading hope and love and peace to all.

Inspiring Song For Cancer Patients – Hey Investigator

Posted on: October 1st, 2012

Charlie Lustman sings, “Hey Investigator” a song about facing clinical trials as
a cancer patient. It is an inspiring song for cancer patients. The song is designed to inspire empathy within the health community for all those who are going through the ultimate challenge of cancer.

Here is the link to view more videos from Charlie Lustman:
Made Me Nuclear Videos
Musical Hope Campaign Videos

Theater Review of Made Me Nuclear – Venice Magazine

Posted on: September 30th, 2012

An article written by Andrew Fish

Charlie Lustman glows with an effusive energy, radiating a passion for life that can only come from someone who truly knows what he has. In "Made Me Nuclear," his one-man operetta now running at the Santa Monica Playhouse, he shares with us his musical thoughts on tackling challenges, overcoming fear, and learning how to laugh amid an absurd degree of hardship. Three years ago, Lustman, the former owner of the
Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax, glowed for a very different reason, as chemicals in his body were irradiated so the doctors could see how far his bone cancer had spread. With an exceedingly rare osteosarcoma, that affects one in 400 million, he says — Lustman had most of his upper jaw removed over the course of two surgeries. Lesser ordeals have broken the spirit of many, which is precisely why the singer-songwriter has taken to the stage with his lilting melodies and jaunty tunes, which carry the message of hope, joy, and transformation. With his chemotherapy behind him, a nearly undetectable prosthetic jaw in place, and a seemingly endless supply of moxie, Lustman shows us how to look at suffering as an opportunity for rebirth.

"Our campaign is to get this story out," he explains, "so that other people will be inspired to process their experience in a way that is powerful for them. Whatever, or wherever they’re going in it, that the process will be more of a joyous, uplifting, awakening, and conscious experience for them — and makes them feel like they’ve never lived any better than they are right in this moment."

"Made Me Nuclear" takes us through Lustman’s journey: From the shattering moment he learns of his diagnosis, to a loopy side-effect he’s dubbed "Chemo Brain," to his emergence on the other side as "Somebody New." The fact that his father survived the concentration camps of World War II helps us understand how Lustman has been able to see his illness in perspective, and present his story with an alternately somber and contagiously upbeat sharing of his hard-won enlightenment. On the guitar and piano, with an impressively composed track to back him up, the songsmith adopts a superhero-like “nuclear man” persona, which serves as a lighthearted myth to help convey his message.

"Part of coping is to make a difficult life humorous and lighter," Lustman relates. "I thought, ‘I want to spin this in a way where we can kind of smile and laugh at it a little bit.’ A little bit — and not because it’s frivolous and light. It’s the way I went through it, so in the art, I wanted to create that. Creating the nuclear man is my way of saying, ‘Can you believe this? Isn’t this insane?’ With that in mind, I dressed it with creative things, lyrically and visually, that would make you have a little bit of a laugh."

Currently planning a world tour, Lustman strongly believes that we have some say in the way we change when faced with adversity. With
a wife and three children, including a newborn son, he sees his life as the greatest place he could possibly be. And with "Made Me Nuclear," the performer has taken a severely sour batch of lemons, and made a mean glass of lemonade.

"It’s all in how you look at it," he says. "That’s what the project’s all about."

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