It is a pleasure to welcome The New Jersey Repertory Company to New York. The company was founded in 1997. They aimed to make a lasting contribution by developing and producing new plays.
The New Jersey Repertory Company has achieved its goals with the presentation of a new musical – How My Grandparents Fell In Love. This work was created by Cary Gitter, the playwright, and Neil Berg, the composer. The songs blend with the dialogue to develop the story. The scattering of Yiddish and Hebrew throughout the dialogue increases the feeling of reality. Suzzanne Barbas, as director, pulls the work together with Jordan Ryder’s choreography and Aaron Benham’s musical direction. Benham is on stage throughout the entire production. He is nearly invisible as he occasionally acts as a bartender or café manager. He plays the catchy tunes on the piano.
The musical opens with Eva giving a presentation to a group of college students. She is going to share her grandparents’ story. Charlie, her grandfather, is a Polish-born Jew who has settled in Hoboken, New Jersey. After ten years, he has returned to a small town in Poland, looking for a wife. Roaming the streets, he notices a beautiful woman working in a millinery shop. Harris Milgrim deftly plays the romantic, charming with blintzes and dance. Besides his acting chops, Milgrim’s voice effortlessly presents the songs.
Becca Suskauer moves from the student making the presentation to playing her grandmother, Chava. Chava is a brilliant woman who is supporting her family by working in a millinery. Her dream is to attend the University of Warsaw to become a famous scholar. Although there is an evident romantic connection between Charlie and Chava, initially, Chava expresses no desire for marriage or relocating to America. Suskauer’s singing voice is equal to her acting ability. She soars in this role.
What saves How My Grandparents Fell In Love from being a schmaltzy romance story is the tension presented by the times. The story takes place in 1933, immediately after the Reichstag fire. Hitler used this to convince President von Hindenburg to issue the Reichstag Fire Decree. The suspension of civil liberties became pivotal in the establishment of Nazi rule in Germany. At the same time, fascists outside of Germany became emboldened in expressing their hatred of Jews. This was especially true in Poland.
Charlie is aware that events are moving against Jews in Europe, although he does not see the full extent of the evil hovering over them. Chava is determined to ignore the rising antisemitism as she chases her dream of attending the University of Warsaw. Although the play’s title reveals its ending, one is caught up in the tension of the outcome.
The small, intimate theater ideally fits this production. How My Grandparents Fell In Love runs for an hour and forty-five minutes with an intermission. Set in the middle of the rise of Nazism, this musical about love, culture, and immigration tells a warm, loving story. Although surrounded by darkness, love shines brightly throughout the musical.