FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Josh Richman Phone: 414-367-4891 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ruachmilwaukee.org

RUACH to Bring Holocaust-Era Children’s Opera to Milwaukee Audiences Brundibar Tells a Story of Anti-Bullying and the Power of Friendship

MILWAUKEE (May 6, 2019) – RUACH, a Milwaukee-based Jewish arts and music organization, is staging a production of the Holocaust-era children’s opera, Brundibar. Performances are to be held on Sunday, May 26 at 1:00 PM and 4:30 PM in the Ritz Theater at the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center at 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd. in Whitefish Bay. In addition, a free presentation of highlights from Brundibar and other concert selections is to be given on Monday, May 20, at Ovation Jewish Home’s Rubenstein Pavilion (1414 N. Prospect Ave. in Milwaukee), at 2 PM. This performance is open to the community and aimed at the elderly and City of Milwaukee students.

Brundibar was written in 1938 by Czech Jewish composer, Hans Krasa, as an allegory mirroring the experience of Jews in Europe being persecuted by the Nazis. A tale of two children who— with the help of animal friends and hundreds of school kids—defeat the villainous Brundibar, the opera depicts themes of anti-bullying, the power of friendship, and the triumph of good over evil. Ironically, the work was performed approximately 55 times at the concentration camp, Theresienstadt, as part of the Nazis’ propaganda machine. The original libretto by Adolph Hoffmeister has since been adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Tony Kushner, with set design by Maurice Sendak.

RUACH’s production of Brundibar is directed by accomplished Wisconsin actor and theater educator, Elyse Edelman, with Nathan Wesselowski, Milwaukee opera singer and instructor, serving as music director. Alexander Mandl is conducting, and Jason McKinney, internationally known opera performer, will play the title role. The cast is comprised of talented students from Southeastern Wisconsin. Top Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) students and local professional musicians make up the orchestra. Community outreach activities focusing on Holocaust education and themes including anti-bullying will be conducted in conjunction with the production.

Josh Richman, Founder and Executive Director of RUACH, said, “Producing Brundibar presents a powerful opportunity to bring together diverse community members to explore the depth of Jewish history, art, and expression, at the same time celebrating universal values that bring out the best in all of us. Endeavors like these reinforce the conviction that the sound of good cannot be silenced.”

RUACH’s Brundibar is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Milwaukee County Cultural, Artistic and Musical Programming Advisory Council (CAMPAC); the City of Milwaukee Arts Board; the Wisconsin Arts Board; Bader Philanthropies, Inc.; the Bert L. & Patricia S. Steigleder Charitable Trust; the Harri Hoffmann Family Foundation; the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund; the Holocaust Education Resource Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation; Ovation Communities; and Jewish Museum Milwaukee, a program of Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

To learn more about RUACH’s production of Brundibar, visit www.ruachmilwaukee.org.

RUACH is a Jewish arts and music 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, with a mission to awaken creativity through arts enrichment rooted in Jewish values and the rich cultural diversity of Sherman Park. RUACH’s performances, classes and other innovative programs uplift and unite underserved communities throughout Greater Milwaukee. Since 2004, RUACH (‘spirit,’ ‘wind,’ or ‘breath’ in Hebrew) has grown to provide creative arts opportunities, set against a Jewish backdrop, to diverse Greater Milwaukee residents. Over time, RUACH has extended its impact to include music, visual arts, dance, creative writing, and theater programming for a variety of Jewish and at-large constituencies, particularly economically and ethnically underserved populations, including youth and the elderly. With assistance from diverse funders, RUACH has become a collaborative organization, partnering with many local organizations and artists at venues including schools, assisted living facilities, community centers and arts facilities.

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