Music Man Project fulfills late MP Sir David Amess’s Broadway dream

The Music Man Project, a charity supporting individuals with learning disabilities, received a standing ovation during a Broadway performance that fulfilled the long-held dream of the late MP Sir David Amess. The group performed at New York City Hall to an audience of nearly 1,500 people, delivering what founder David Stanley described as an “incredible” and “infectious” show.

Based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, the charity was established 27 years ago to teach children and adults with learning disabilities to sing, sign, and play original music. While the ensemble has previously performed for King Charles III at the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium, a trip to New York remained the specific aspiration of their former president, Sir David Amess, before his murder in 2021.

Stanley, who wrote, produced, and starred in the show, dedicated the performance to Amess. Using a megaphone—a signature prop from the politician’s campaign trail—Stanley spoke with emotion: “We promised we’d get them to the Broadway and we did it my friend, we did it.”

In the morning after the event, Stanley told the BBC he was “exhausted” but “overwhelmed with emotion,” noting that the enthusiastic response from the American crowd was entirely deserved. He highlighted the historic significance of the venue, founded in 1921 by suffragists and notable for being one of the few New York spaces that openly welcomed Black artists.

Stanley emphasized that the performance served as proof of his belief in providing opportunities and maintaining high expectations for people with learning difficulties. “Decades ago we would have hidden certain parts of society away, now they’re performing on Broadway,” he said.

The tour also includes a scheduled appearance at the United Nations, where Stanley will deliver a speech. He reflected on the journey from the project’s inception in 1999 to its current membership of 200, calling the experience full of “pinch me moments.”