Kushner's 'Brundibar/Comedy on the Bridge' Headed For NYC Via Berkeley and Yale
As reported in Variety today, the latest offering from Tony Kushner, "Brundibar/Comedy on the Bridge" - a musical in two parts, will open at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in California this fall where it will be directed by Tony Taccone. The show, slated for November 11th -December 28th will have designs by Maurice Sendak and is already set to play the Yale Repertory Theater in February and then NYC's New Victory Theater in April.
The musical is being described as "an allegory of innocence triumphing over evil." The first, "Brundibar" ("The Bumble Bee") is based on a recent children's book written by both Kushner and Sendak and was inspired by a 1938 Czech opera by Hans Krasa with a libretto by Hoffmeister. Brundibar tells the story of two children who try and earn money to buy milk for their sick mother by singing in the town square. Working with their classmates and talking animals, they are victorious over the local bully. The second part is called "Comedy on the Bridge," an operetta by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu is described as "an absurd commentary on war."
In 2003, the Chicago Opera Theater mounted a production of Brundibar with sets by Sendak.
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