West End stars and Broken Wings alumni collaborate with members of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra to raise money for the Red Cross’ Beirut Emergency Appeal
Following the devastating explosion in Beirut on August 4th 2020, over 40 artists have collaborated between London and Beirut to film a music video of ‘All I Longed To See’, from new musical Broken Wings by Nadim Naaman and Dana Al Fardan, with orchestrations by Joe Davison.
The video has been produced in aid of The Beirut Emergency Appeal, a collaborative fund established between both The British and Lebanese Red Cross. As a result of the explosion, at least 181 people have lost their lives, over 6,000 people have been wounded, and 300,000 are now homeless. These numbers are likely to continue to rise.
The video features performances from West End Stars and Broken Wings alumni, accompanied by London-based musicians and members of The Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra in Beirut.
In addition to reuniting members of the musical’s various Casts and Creative Team, the performance was filmed and recorded at Southwark Playhouse, who donated both their stage and staff to the cause. Videography and Post-Production have been donated by The Barn Theatre, Cirencester.
The Company (in Alphabetical Order): Eva-Theresa Chokarian, Joseph Claus, Nadeem Crowe, Melissa Dano, Nikki Davison, Hiba Elchikhe, Soophia Foroughi, Fenton Gray, Rob Houchen, Irvine Iqbal, Hanna Khogali, Adam Linstead, Johan Munir, Nadim Naaman, Benjamin Purkiss, Lauren James Ray, Mia Richards, Jeremy Secomb, Jake Stewart, Aliza Vakil and Bethany Weaver.
Nadim Naaman says:
“Watching events in Lebanon unfold over the last year has been extremely difficult. The tragedy of August 4th came on top of financial collapse, political malaise and the impact of Covid-19. This time last year, we had just performed Broken Wings in Beirut, and the world was a very different place. It is a musical about Lebanon, about The Lebanese, and we simply had to come together to help in some way.In the context of the show, ‘All I Longed To See’ is a love letter to this beautiful country. Particularly from the perspective of those who have had to leave Lebanon to find opportunities and safety elsewhere. It was the perfect choice for this project.
I am hugely grateful to the many singers, musicians, creatives and videographers who have come together to create something to mark what has happened, and to raise invaluable funds to help those most in need and the rebuilding of Beirut. I would especially like to thank Southwark Playhouse and The Barn Theatre, Cirencester, who both reached out and offered their facilities to us, in a way that reminds us what can be achieved in a short time when the Theatre Community comes together to support one another.
We hope that those who watch our video will feel inspired to donate to The Beirut Emergency Appeal.”
About Broken Wings…
Broken Wings premiered with a sell-out run of concert performances at Theatre Royal Haymarket in August 2018. Written by Middle Eastern duo Nadim Naaman and Dana Al Fardan, and with orchestrations by Joe Davison, it was directed by Bronagh Lagan and Produced by Ali Matar.
Broken Wings has subsequently toured the Middle East, culminating in a run at Dubai Opera House in January, prior to the arrival of Covid-19. The musical is based on the 1912 novel The Broken Wings, by the iconic Khalil Gibran. It tells the story of Gibran himself and Selma Karamy, whose poetic love story must navigate the societal customs and challenges of turn-of-the-century Beirut.
The Original Concept Album of Broken Wings, produced by Auburn Jam Music, is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and all major digital platforms.
