"These are children's voices from the ghetto. In their struggle lies their hope, and ours. They are the voices of change."

Inspired by the anthologized writings of nearly 200 New York City students, aged 7 through 18 and subtitled "Children's Voices From the Ghetto"; Stephen M. Joseph, a teacher, edited the collection, which the children had written about their feelings and their neighborhoods. According to Mr. Joseph, they wrote "for keeps" and "like it is." At odds with a squalid setting and a cynical, materialistic view of the world, themes of hope and renewal emerged. To guarantee uplift, samples from the students' work were interwoven with a ground-breaking score that combined rock music, classical fugues, early rap and jazz.

Critics were overwhelmingly impressed by the vitality, passion, honesty and powers of observation shown by the young writers, as they painted a moving but sometimes ugly picture of inner city life, and there were hit records by The Staple Singers ("This World") and The Fifth Dimension ("Light Sings").

THE ME NOBODY KNOWS
Music by: Gary William Friedman
Lyrics by: Will Holt
Adapted by: Robert H. Livingston and Herb Schapiro
Based on the book "THE ME NOBODY KNOWS" - Edited by Stephen M. Joseph

Additional Lyrics by Herb Shapiro
Arrangements and Orchestration by Gary William Friedman

Original New York Production Directed by Robert H. Livingston
Originally produced on Broadway by Jeff Britton

Directed by Laura Rizzo
Co-Directed by Gregory Cilmi
Musical Direction by Abigail Lumsden
Choreography by Carrie Nagy

Produced in part by a grant from Orange Board of Education, Orange, NJ