Last week, I ran out of ideas. I walked Main Street, in Waterville, hoping to get lucky, to wash the taste of politics out of my mouth. I got lucky. I ran into an old Hollywood friend, a tireless Lauren Sterling, a 5-foot, 1-inch tornado. She is a Maine native who worked Hollywood and New York into her life before returning to her roots. She now works with the children of Maine as part of the Maine Governor's Children's cabinet and volunteers for everything involving children.

At the same time, she manages to star in just about every Broadway musical that opens here.

Lauren pulled me into the Opera House. "I want you to see something magical that is about to happen," she said.

"I don't want to see magic," I said. "I hate magic."

"You're an Irish Democrat and you don't believe in magic?" She dragged me inside.

There was a group of workers, throwing huge images of JFK and all the players of his life onto a giant white scrim. There was Jack and Bobby, bigger than life, just as they always were.

"OK, you got me, now show me magic," I said.

Lauren, it turns out, was part of the original theatrical group behind this upcoming show, called "Jack," and is co-producing this "magic."

This, I discovered, is how "Jack" came about. Back in 1993, Holt and Sawyer raised the money and grit to put on a show. It was called "Jack," and is the story of the Kennedy family's rise to power and John F. Kennedy's journey to become the first Catholic President of the United States.

For the next hour, I got a lesson in things I forgot -- about singers of songs and dreamers of dreams. It all started in 1993 on the stage of the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. It started with Maine-native Will Holt, who was already a legend for composing "Lemon Tree," and "Charlie on the MTA," for Peter, Paul and Mary and the great Kingston Trio. There was Thomas B. Sawyer, who, by then, was well-known for having written 24 episodes of the television hit, "Murder, She Wrote."

There at the famous Goodspeed Opera House, "Jack" was born.

This is a story that reveals Kennedy family secrets and, in music and verse, reveals the Kennedy struggle for social and political power, something that had long been kept from Irish Catholics in America. Things were looking good. It opened in Dublin, and was playing in Oklahoma City to rave reviews when the tragic Oklahoma City bombings brought it down. The Kennedy curse?

But "Jack" wasn't done yet. Recently, members of the original New York cast reunited in New York City to record a cast album. This, when America is going through one of the most serious and electrifying elections in history. Here is a young black man from out of nowhere who brought the memory of JFK back to life. Everything about him, his manner, his Harvard life, his charisma, not to mention that important word, "First."

It was during the recording project that the creators and cast members were reminded of another "first," of the promise "Jack" holds not only as a remarkable musical work, but also of its power to inspire hope for America. So on Sept. 15 in Waterville, on the grand stage of the Opera House, 10 Broadway singers and actors will work with local Maine artists to perform "Jack," an opera about the life of one of America's true heroes and his rise in politics. The production is for one night only.

The musical will be performed in dramatic black and white, men and women from Broadway and TV in evening dress, singing great songs and narrating the life of JFK. All the ghosts will attend and, if you pay attention and listen ... is that Marilyn? And some very, very big stars playing very, very famous people. There is Leonard Joseph from Miss Saigon; Rita Gardner, the original girl from The Fantastics and "Law And Order" and Broadway's Claudia Rose Golde and Kimberly JaJuan. All of these working stars are giving up their big bucks to create this "magic." Lauren has brought up Broadway stars, such as Michael Brian Dunn, and Ryan Barkman from Broadway's "Les Miserables."

The show is peppered with the ghosts of Fidel Castro, "Honey Fitz"Fitzgerald and Richard Nixon. I got a chance to hear the CD, and it is evocative of the style of Steven Sondheim, full of great Irish charm and voices, with sassy and witty lyrics.

I long ago became bored with big brassy Broadway musicals, but this now, is something else.

Lauren is right. I wish I had money in this. Here on the stage of the old Opera House there is magic. There is a scent of back-room cigar smoke, of debutante corsages, Scotch and, somewhere, the sound of the pipes of the house of Kennedy that remind us all of that time.

"Ask ev'ry person if he's heard the story, And tell it strong and clear if he has not, That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory called Camelot. That once there was a spot. For one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot."

Now, for one brief shining evening, there is "Jack."

J.P. Devine is a freelance writer

living in Waterville.