Dear Sally,
I loved your Carmen. I came on the last night and wish I'd been able to see it again.
But I loved your use of the sets giving the appearance of looking through a camera shutter. The singing was superb, especially Jose. I could have died, like Carmen, for his voice!
I also saw your Tango and thought you were a gt artist.
I have a dream, a very big dream- and that is to have the hoodies perform alongside professionals in a prod. of West Side Story within the next two yrs.For me Bernsteins musical , based on immigrant gangs has the universal, timeless appeal and hasn't been done in London for a long time. These children need to have their lives transformed 180 degrees. To date, we have lost 27 in London alone to gang culture.
There have been similar experiments done with street children here in B'ham with the BRB and the Simon Bolivar NYO of Venuezuela. Both have been hugely successfull and rewarding.
Would you be at all interested in this project? It would be ideal to have a movie made of the making of West Side Story so these children have role models and a lasting testament.
I can think of nothing more important that I would like to be doing this year. I can no longer rest easy knowing that another child is to end its life prematurely and never live out its full potential.
We're just launching it on our website. The project is called MUSICAP, and our charity add. is:- www. childrenshopefoundation.org.uk
It would be lovely to meet you one day and of course, see more of your work.
Greetings, Shauna Mahlo Craxton.
