The ME Nobody Knows
| Open: 08/07/08 Close: 08/10/08 - Roy Arias Theatre 2
Based on the book "THE ME NOBODY KNOWS" - Edited by Stephen M. Joseph"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
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