The young people of Re-Creation were cited
by the Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge as:
“AMERICA’S AMBASSADORS to HOSPITALIZED VETERANS”
RE-CREATION HISTORY:
Hugh & Carolyn Brooks and their daughter, Katie, founded Re-Creation in 1976, after discussing the need for bright, positive entertainment in nursing homes, prisons and other institutions. The USO first asked Re-Creation to sing in a VA Home in 1977. Re-Creation served the Veterans under the USO umbrella for 5 years. Re-Creation assumed full national responsibility for the therapeutic entertainment program in 1982. Re-Creation performed more than 12,000 shows all across America…and most of those shows were presented in our nation’s Veterans Homes and Hospitals! Re-Creation provided more than just a show. The group provided a dynamic presence in places that could often be lonely and isolating. Jay and Mary Muller took over the organization in the middle of the 19th edition and ran it through the 48th edition (30 yrs)!
RE-CREATION TOURS for VETERANS:
Cast members arrived hours early to set-up show area and then visit as many Veterans as possible! These personal visits sometimes lasted hours. Then each patient was escorted to the show area! Re-Creation enlivened, fully, the entire facility! Veterans and staff alike were thrilled! Before the show cast members spent more time visiting with the residents and patients. Medical Professionals praised the Re-creation program as wholly therapeutic and vital to the Veterans well-being and self-worth! During the show, cast members would again thank the Veterans for their service! There were smiles all around…and many tears! Re-Creation provided endearing interaction and touch to foster a much-need connection…a connection that encouraged and healed! Cast members performed more than 300 shows a year as VOLUNTEERS!
“Dear Re-Creation, your performances were outstanding! The cast and crew were extremely energetic and outgoing. Their room visits and interactions with the audience made all of our Veterans feel honored.”
RE-CREATION LIVE STREAMS:
Personalized, one-of-a-kind shows presented in REAL TIME to America’s Veterans Homes and Hospitals! A truly LIVE performance! Shows were performed in our Pennsylvania Studio and ‘beamed’ to the Veterans Facilities in REAL TIME! These shows were truly live, engaging and spontaneous! The cast sometimes performed as many as 5 shows in one day! The RC techs kept in contact with the Medical Professionals during the show and signaled for the group to say hello to specific residents and patients! The Vets were ecstatic to hear the performers talking directly to them, addressing them by name and branch of service! The touchstone of every Re-Creation show is the personal touch and Re-Creation Live Streams delivered a heartfelt, organic extension of gratitude and honor! These shows were big hits! The group performed for some facilities as many as 15 times in a season!
“Dear Re-Creation, Our Veterans were thrilled to hear their names called from the screen. One gentlemen threw his hands in the air when he heard his name! The staff got teary, as this man almost never expresses himself. You all did an amazing thing that day !”
RE-CREATION SALUTE:
For almost a year, Re-Creation created brand new, monthly shows for Veterans to enjoy! The programs were crafted from our 45-year video archives and from newly recorded sections! Shows were different every single month! Medical Professionals could order shows with specific shout-outs to their Veterans. Cast members past and present would send sincere greetings of gratitude to our Hospitalized Veterans! Shows were posted on a special YouTube Channel and left up for weeks for the Veterans and Staff to enjoy. Some facilities watched their shows as many as 140 times! Veterans and Staff alike loved the ease and the ease and the access. Special shows for Christmas drew the biggest number of requests! And the facilities made sure to report just how much their Veterans loved the shows!
“Dear Re-Creation, Thank you for everything you did for our Veterans! Those monthly shows helped to keep us connected. Re-Creation’s wonderful service to our Heroes will never be forgotten!”
RE-CREATION PUBLIC CONCERTS
RE-CREATION VARIETY SHOW:
Delighting communities across the nation on stages large and small! Re-Creation Variety Shows entertained audiences numbering from 25 to 25,000! Venues across the country counted Re-Creation as their most anticipated event! The music, magic and motion were always spot-on! Gorgeous Costuming, Innovative Choreography, Dazzling Lighting, Professional Staging and the Best Young Entertainers in America all combined for an unforgettable experience! From singing in the PA State Park System to feature performances on some our nation’s largest stages, Re-Creation brought youth, patriotism and promise to America’s People! Re-Creation performed more than 12,000 shows in all 50 of the United States! Audiences were treated to the best in American Music, yes, but even more so, to the best of America!
“Dear Re-Creation, You do so much more than entertain! You uplift! So inspiring! You really re-charged my battery! And you brought me new hope about the younger generation! You are shining examples!”
RE-CREATION GOSPEL PROGRAM:
More than just a concert, a true, alive worship experience! Since its inception, Re-Creation has always presented a Gospel program for Christian Churches. These programs were much more than mere concerts; they were worship hours full of Traditional Hymns, Dramatic Pieces and Children’s Songs! Themes and music changed annually as RC founder, Mr. Hugh Brooks began writing many of the pieces the group would present. These original works were crowd favorites for their catchy melodies and straight-forward theology! Mary Muller, Re-Creation’s Executive Vocal Director Editions 19 – 48, wrote over 30 songs the group used. The emotion and worship feel of Mary’s songs helped RC connect to a new generation of believers! The combination of youth, music and faith made a dynamic impact on everyone who attended a Re-Creation Gospel Program. The group sang in about 100 churches a year!
“Dear Re-Creation, your Gospel program just touched my heart so much. I remember how renewed and hopeful I felt after attending one of your services! Thank you for your years of encouragement!”
RE-CREATION CHRISTMAS:
Grand pageantry combined with Holiday and Christmas Sacred Music! Re-Creation Christmas Shows were an annual feast of favorite holiday classics! Both secular and sacred pieces were highlighted in a program of vibrant music, classic carols and new seasonal treasures! And while the music was lush, the costuming was even more so! Gorgeous designs punctuated the already lively song selection with grand pageantry. As decorated as the season itself, a RC Christmas Show was as much a feast for the eyes as for the ears! The music spanned the great eras of Christmas Treasures. And Mr. Hugh Brooks and Mary Muller contributed their own, original work to the set-list. “The Animal’s Gift” by Dr. Brooks, was a hit for many, many years. And Mary’s “Good News” and “He Left Heaven” quickly became Re-Creation staples. RC Christmas shows were the most requested programs of an Veterans Home or Hospital. We received more requests for shows during the holiday than any other time of year. And no wonder! The energy of these young people, coupled with songs of Hope, Joy and Comfort, brightened the lives of Veterans, and all audiences, nation-wide!
“Dear Re-Creation, your Christmas collections remain our favorites to this day. Christmas doesn’t officially start in our house until we play Mary Muller’s version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!” True story! We loved the shows and can only imagine the joy you brought to our hospitalized veterans for all those years…thank you!”
RE-CREATION SCHOOL SHOW:
Re-Creation School Assembly Programs captured the attention of students K-12 in a slick show of contemporary music! Appropriate presentations of today’s top hits engaged the students as the cast shares the importance of volunteerism! Retro Hits of the 70’s and 80’s, The Pop of the 1990’s and the day’s chart-toppers had the students singing along and even being part of the show. Each show also featured a ‘message’ of responsibility to try one’s best in school and to rely on teachers! The cast members often held Q&A sessions with students, visiting classrooms and answering questions about training, traveling and touring. These visits were marvelous opportunities to instill in the students a sense of purpose and pride. Cool enough to get the kids excited, smart enough to package the message within the music and responsible enough to foster a sense of academic and civic responsibility in the lives of the students! Re-Creation’s School Program was another extension of the Re-Creation mission.