Film To Premiere Chronicling Life Of Popular Neshaminy Teacher Ted Kloos

For three decades, Theodore “Ted” Kloos transformed the Neshaminy School District’s arts program and impacted the lives of thousands of students.

A new documentary, titled “It’s Magic Time,” celebrates the life and legacy of the beloved music teacher.

The documentary will premiere on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at the historic Newtown Theatre.

The film was created by local filmmaker and former Kloos student Marty Krzywonos.

The documentary traces the educator’s journey from his childhood, when he organized a production of “A Christmas Carol” with neighborhood children at age 10, through his death in 2013.

“There were many things that Ted did over the years that would be illustrated on YouTube, but the one thing that I found that was lacking was the entire history of Ted Kloos from his time of birth literally until the time of his death,” said Krzywonos, who graduated in 1974. “I was fortunate enough that there was enough material about Ted over the years that I could basically compile all the things that he has done.”

Hired from Conshohocken High School with the goal to elevate Neshaminy’s musical theater program, Kloos taught from 1963 to 1994.

The film highlights his profound impact on more than 3,000 students.

Krzywonos, who participated in multiple productions under Kloos including “1776” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” gathered testimonials from students, colleagues, and family for the documentary. The film includes interviews with Kloos’ wife Arlene and daughter Jennifer, who provide insights into his early life and personal moments.

“He basically taught over 3,000 kids over the time that he’s done this,” Krzywonos said. “There were kids that went on to Broadway. There were kids that went on to different high schools and became choir masters because of his inspiration.”

According to Krzywonos, Kloos also made a point to seek out students who may have been overlooked.

“One of the things that was really important about Ted Kloos was that he also sought out kids that were neglected, and he gave them opportunities,” Krzywonos said. “Ted saw not only potential for those kids, but he wanted to give them a chance to express themselves.”

The nearly hour-long documentary also includes archival footage of Kloos from appearances on Philadelphia television programs, including “The Mike Douglas Show” and the popular children’s show “Captain Noah,” where his students performed multiple times.

Kloos also built significant connections within the music industry and secured exclusive rights to arrangements from Ray Conniff that no other educator could use.

The beloved educator at the Middletown Township high school is also remembered for developing international exchange programs.

Following his retirement in 1994, Kloos continued to be remembered by his students.

The documentary captures a surprise celebration organized by a former student on the Neshaminy High School stage while Kloos was still alive. Alumni from around the world attended for performances representing 30 years of shows under Kloos’ direction.

“They literally built a stage, a showtime stage on the Neshaminy stage,” Krzywonos recalled. “They lured Ted in under the premise that he was to go and see his grandson in a karate demonstration. The theater was filled with people, and they flew people in from all different parts of the world to perform this one night of Ted.”

The Sept. 17 screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Krzywonos and a time for attendees to share their own memories of Kloos.

“It’s been a real pleasure to have worked with him, and it’s a little bit late for me to be doing this, but better late than never,” Krzywonos said.

“I looked around to see how many things he’s done and how many people he has influenced, and for some reason, I decided that, you know what, I got to tell his story because nobody else has,” Krzywonos added.

Tickets are available at thenewtowntheatre.com.

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