The following article has been written by Nivedha Ram who is a student in the 8th grade and lives in Boxborough. On a busy Friday evening in Acton during rehearsals for the play, Nivedha interviewed some cast members and put it all together in this article.

The musical depicts the life of Rajput Princess Mirabai. Her devotion to Krishna is a part of our Indian history. This musical shows how she grew to love Krishna, and all the hardships she faced due to her devotion. The musical has many songs and dancing involved which bring the story to life. The sets and costumes will be realistic and intricate. The script, written by Meena Sundaram, is poetic and shows the feeling Mirabai.

The lovely story of her life will be brought on the stage by an incredible auditioned cast, who have been rehearsing every Friday, and fantastic singers and dancers who are all very excited to put on the show. Many of them really love the play about Mirabai.

Kavya Balaji says, “I love the dialogue because when I say them I feel exactly like her, and I understand why she felt her devotion for Krishna.” Aninditha Yadavalli, a student in Grade 6 in Acton also adds, “I think Mirabai is a good choice for the musical because it shows true devotion and determination.” Many cast members took this as an opportunity to learn about Mirabai and their culture. Kavya Balaji (Grade 5) and Janani Baskaran( Grade 6) both learned much more about her, for example, how young she was when she became devoted to Krishna, and how she kept to her belief even when someone slandered or defamed her.

A number of the participants  said that they enjoyed being in a musical, and loved acting, singing, or dancing. Preethy Sridharan, a student of AB Regional High school, who is a narrator in the play says,” I’m narrating, and I love Speech and Debate, so I am just doing what I’m good at having fun while I’m at it.” Anushya Pandian, a student of AB Regional High School  loves dancing and acting, so she loves spending time at the Mirabai rehearsals.

All the members of the cast loved the idea of helping people while they are having fun in the musical. Amrita Krishnakumar( Grade 4) was especially excited about this she said, “I like being in this musical because we are helping those who have so little, while we have so much. We get to act, and help people in India at the same time.”  Sowntharya Ayyappan( Grade 4) also says she feels really good about helping people. It is an incredible experience for all of us to know we are helping people in India by getting involved in this show.

The main reason for Mirabai-The Musical is that it is a charity event for Udavam Karangal. This is an organization to help people in India, such as children and women. It is a wonderful organization, and all the proceeds from Mirabai-The Musical will be going towards it. To learn more about Udavam Karangal please go to  www.myhelpinghands.org or www.udavumkarangal.org/Mirabai/html.www.myhelpinghands.org.

The play is in English and features an enthusiastic cast of performers aided by a director and creative choreographers. Live music featuring a number of popular Mira bhajans will be performed by many local musicians including young artistes.  Elaborate props and authentic costumes are being prepared to enhance the experience. A number of children and adults are making extraordinary efforts to put up a fantastic show.

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   Udavum Karangal is the brainchild of Pappa Vidyakar who, as a social worker stated Udavum Karangal in the slums of Chennai in 1983. This selfless man and his team of volunteers have served the community and have expanded their organization to providing care to destitute, HIV positive, mentally disabled and abandoned children.

They provide short –stay, long-term care, residential, education and healthcare to children of all ages. In addition, they support destitute men and women (abandoned, physically abused or with psychiatric disorders) and seniors.

They are currently raising funds to build a hospital near Chennai, Tamil Nadu to serve the indigent. We are very proud to be able to contribute to Udavum Karangal through this fund-raiser. The concept is a simple one of connecting communities using the medium of art, music and performance. Our youth of Indian origin are  connected to needy children in India by participating in this play and benefiting children half-way across the world.

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