Philadelphia-based Music Documentary Film, “LifeKnocks,” Focusing on Lupus Awareness is Going for a One-Two Punch !!

PHILADELPHIA, PA --- August 22, 2004 --- LifeKnocks, a major Philadelphia-based project
focusing on lupus awareness and education begins shooting its music documentary film in
various Center City locations beginning the week of September 12th! Philadelphia artist and
LifeKnocks creator and co-producer Cynthia DiClaudio has put together a group of dedicated and passionate filmmakers, artisans, doctors, lawyers, musicians, dancers and writers to produce an interesting, inspiring and exciting way to put lupus awareness, education and the need for more lupus research in the public’s view! LifeKnocks was inspired by the passing of DiClaudio’s sister, Darlene Croce, who died from complications of lupus in June of 2002 at the age of 35. Croce was a past president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Lupus Foundation. The Prince Music Theater will premiere the LifeKnocks music documentary film in the fall of 2005!

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects over 1.5 million Americans; of which approximately 75% are women. African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women are two to three times more likely to be affected by lupus. In Croce’s honor, a memorial scholarship has been created in her name, The Darlene Croce Memorial Scholarship, through Philadelphia Foundation, which will send children with lupus and other autoimmune diseases to summer music theatre camp. Like lupus, Crohn’s disease, scleroderma, mediated diabetes mellitus, Sjogren’s syndrome, polymyositis and multiple sclerosis are autoimmune diseases. Although life-threatening, one can live with lupus with proper medication and care. Croce was a renaissance woman who loved education, the arts and life! At the age of 15, she was diagnosed with lupus. However, for the next twenty years until her death, she never “lived” her disease. She graduated summa cum laude from Philadelphia’s Temple University with a degree in real estate and finance and was working towards her MBA at Temple University when she passed. A true fighter!

LifeKnocks began as a song DiClaudio wrote after the passing of her sister. She and her band; Steve Parks (bass player), Michael Goldfuss (guitar and piano), Jack Gormley (drums), Jim Bromley (lead guitar and tamborine) and Julie Howey (background vocals) recorded the single at Gamble and Huff International Records (chief engineer Craig White) in Center City in the summer of 2003.

Upon completion of the single, she engaged the help and guidance of Lafayette Hill
Studios in Chestnut Hill to assist in creating a music video. In the fall during the annual Lupus Loop walk-a-thon in Fairmount Park, Lafayette Hill Studios and Philadelphia’s Ash Productions

documented DiClaudio’s appearance and the LifeKnock single release on WDAS Radio which was there covering the Lupus Loop event. During this event, participants in the walk were encouraged to record a testimonial before the camera about how life had knocked them down, but they got up once more! The theme of LifeKnocks is about getting knocked down in the

“ring of life,” but we get up once more! More footage for the documentary was taken at Philadelphia’s Gay Bingo in December where LifeKnocks sponsored a table and also when DiClaudio appeared on Comcast Newsmakers, the cable provider’s community-based channel, in December representing the project.

More documentary footage was taken at the LifeKnocks dance audition this month at the Prince Music Theatre where more than 200 dancers from as far as Florida, Upstate New York, Virginia and Western Pennsylvania participated. More than 100 dancers were selected to participate in the music documentary film shoot beginning the week of September 12th.

Area dancers from PhilaDanco, the Koresh Dance Company, Chosen Dance Company, Sheila E Dance Company, the University of the Arts, the high school of Creative and Performing Arts, the Rainbow Connection at the Prince, the Washington Ballet, the South Jersey Ballet Theatre, Tracie Hall Company, Jeanne Ruddy Dance Company, The Rock School and the Christiana Cultural Arts Company are members of the LifeKnocks Dance Ensemble. These dancers will perform to the LifeKnocks single that has been choreographed by famed Philadelphia hip-hop choreographer and teacher, Clyde Evans, JR. The boxing moves for the LifeKnocks dance were provided by DiClaudio. Assisting Evans and DiClaudio with choreography was Amy Dribben of the Ritz Theatre Company of Oaklyn, NJ. These dancers will perform throughout the music documentary film. Various shooting locations include the Prince Music Theatre, a courtroom in City Hall and the Joe Hand Boxing Gym and Michael Maltepes Boxing Gym. The LifeKnocks music documentary film has a boxing theme, as DiClaudio took-up boxing as a way to relieve stress during the final illness and death of Croce. Philadelphia boxers, trainers and boxing consultants involved in the LifeKnocks Project include Robert “The Whiz” Hill, Augie Semecca and boxer Bryan Mabry who shares trainers with boxing champ Bernard Hopkins, who may make a cameo appearance in the documentary.

Ringside Boxing of Kansas, a worldwide distributor of boxing equipment and apparel, has donated boxing gloves, trunks and apparel for the LifeKnocks dancers and is one of the LifeKnocks sponsors!

Approximately 75 actors and actors auditioned for the acting roles in the LifeKnocks project. These performers will play doctors, nurses, jurors, lawyers, boxers, boxing ring personnel, and theatre audience members. A still-to-be-determined outdoor shooting location, which will involve several local motorcycle clubs (Croce’s favorite was a Harley-Davidson) converging in Fairmount Park on Saturday; Sept 18th , will soon be announced!

Philadelphia organizations involved in the LifeKnocks project include Mike Lemon Casting, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, the Philadelphia Writer’s Conference, the Philadelphia Theatre Alliance, the Rose Edwards Drill Team and the Camelight Drill Team.
Individuals involved in the LifeKnocks project include Vanessa Thomas, manager of PhilaDanco, who has given her support and expertise. Jim Griffith Production Manager at the Prince Music Theater is the technical director for the life knocks video.
. Marjorie Samoff, the artistic producing director of the Prince Music Theater, has been a constant support and friend of the project.

Lending legal advise to the project are Philadelphia attorneys Gary Feldman and Alex Giacobetti. Consulting physicians include Dr. Mark Lopatin of Abington Hospital and Dr. Bruce Smith of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. David Hale, of Philadelphia, will donate his time and equipment to “fly” the lead actress on the stage of the Prince Music Theatre, as he did “Peter Pan” on Broadway. LifeKnocks tee-shirts and caps are designed and provided by Bill Horton, executive director of the project. National cheerleading squad, LCI Blue Devils, will perform during the shoot as well.

The Photographers for the Life Knocks Project are: Thomasina Taylor of creative visual concepts and Mark Stein.

Local actors and actresses who are interested in participating in the LifeKnocks music documentary film shoot may arrive at 6pm at the Prince Music Theatre, 1412 Chestnut Stree on Monday; September 13th. Those interested may contact LifeKnocks co-producer Jim Weiner at Jrew1207@aol.com for more information. This scene will involve the audience, the LifeKnocks Dance Ensemble performing live and an awards ceremony. The theme of the awards all audience members are asked to wear all black, all red, all white or a combination of the three. However, please, no white sneakers! For more information about the project, please go to www.lifeknocks.com

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