Making Brundibar

I know many are thinking (that is if any are reading this) what could I possibly have to contribute to an opera company. So in this and a couple more posts I 'll tell you how things went and some of the things I did to help with the Brundibar production. First off, nothing on the creative side of the project, but quite a bit on the nuts and bolts activity of tickets, programs, bills, revenue, etc.

Brundibar had a totally unrealistic production schedule. More than a few times I thought this show will never get staged. I first became involved the week before Thanksgiving, 2008. The shows were scheduled for the week of Jan 25, 2009 for International Holocaust Remeberance Day. When I went to my first committee meeting I was blown away to learn that other than a theater (Int'l House on the Penn campus) and a pianist, the major elements of a show were not in place - no cast, no audience and no funding. Single handedly Karen put all of these together. Cast members were found from who knows where (I compiled contact info, make email lists and published rehersal schedules). Calls were made to school administrators and school audiences were recruited (I massed emailed to schools, printed tickets, and developed an invoicing system). Karen did almost all of the work. Programs were needed, I took this project and learned all new skills in MS Publisher and how to sell ads and deal with commercial printers. Box office needed to be staffed, on and on. Funding never did develop.

Rehersals started Jan 5 and several key parts still were not casted. The children casted in the show had a steep uphill road IMHO. Karen kept everyone working and moving forward. Initially she spent time with the children talking about the Holocaust and how this production would honor children lost at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Each cast member had the name of a child (matched for age and gender) who had been lost. Little by little the cast improved. Karen's skills in developing these children (age from 6 to 16) were something to see.

Brundibar was a childrens opera written by Hans Kraása and performed 55 times in the Theresienstadt camp - most famously for an Int'l Red Cross visit in 1944. Karen has written materials that make this production a play within a play. It is a powerful and moving piece that she has created. At the end of the performance each child steps forward and says the name and age of the child they represent. No curtain call, stage fades to black, not a dry eye in the place. More to come...