BosbaPANH: Blog

I met finally with Sarah O'Brien, the composer of Winds of Angkor, and the international cast who will play this Sunday night. There are: Amara Chhin Lawrence, she is Cambodian but grown up there and is 30; Jean Baptiste Phou, who is a Cambodian living in France, Jessica Pennington, David Nett, Roberto Perlas Gomez.

Sarah came with a big team with Melissa making the film about the premiere, photographers, the choregrapher Maritza (she has dyed her hair to be all white!), the sound artist Wolgang (what an appropriate name, his hair is like the one of Mozart). The children choir of Seametrey School were also here. We are rehearsing the finale song (last song of the show).

Sarah, Amara and myself have been by the media. Sarah told them that she was inspired by the story of Bophana while reading an article in a British newspaper which has published the love letters that have led to her death. It took Sarah a year to write the story but another 10 years to write the lyrics, music, find the cast, bring the production team together and also to find the money to produce the show.

I wear in this photo the black shirt and trouser that the child prisoners would wear in those times at Tuol Sleng. Amara answered in Khmer to the journalists that she was only 5 months when she arrived in the US. She was singing in highschool and was noticed by the teachers. Then she took music and singing lessons. She is already married!

Chy Sila from T&C offered his office for us to rehearse (thank you!) and we had lunch with everybody there. That was quick and nice. Such a good time together ! We worked until 7 pm and today we rehearse at Chaktomuk Theater with the lights and sound.

Sarah corrects my pronunciation and we check the music sheets together.

With the children's choir and Jessica sitting on the ground.

Jean Baptiste, Amara who play the lovers in the musical and they are separated by the Khmer Rouge.

And the last photo with Amara and me ! She coached me like an elder sister and we had a good laugh during the rehearsal when talking about our mistakes!