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Lustman, not silent, not a victim  February 16, 2013|By Jessica
P. Ogilvie   • Charlie Lustman turned his cancer journey into a
one-man musical, "Made Me Nuclear." Charlie Lustman turned his
cancer journey into a one-man musical, "Made… (Steve Hockstein /
)  When Charlie Lustman, who ran the Silent Movie Theater on
Fairfax Avenue until it closed in June 2006, was diagnosed with
a rare bone cancer that year, he thought that his world would be
forever changed for the worse. Doctors removed half of his jaw,
fitting him with a prosthetic.  But rather than let it get the
best of him, Lustman turned the experience into something
positive. A lifelong musician, the 47-year-old wrote a musical
called "Made Me Nuclear," a one-man show about his illness and
subsequent surgery that goes on national tour again in September
(details at  Here, he talks about staying positive, using the
mind and spirit during recovery, and helping others through his
music.  Tell