BWW Q&A: Charlotte Cohn of THE SOUND at CenterStage Theatre at the JCC

In October 1943, the people of Denmark did something almost no other occupied nation in Europe did: in just 48 hours, ordinary Danes came together to smuggle thousands of their Jewish neighbors across the water to safety in Sweden, often on little more than fishing boats. It's a story of collective courage that writer, director, and producer Charlotte Cohn has carried with her for most of her life - because one of the families rescued that night was her own. This May, her new musical The Sound, inspired by her late father Herluf Cohn's true story of escape, comes to life at CenterStage Theatre at the JCC in Rochester as part of the company's milestone 50th season.

Born in Denmark and raised in Israel, where she served as a commanding officer in the Israeli Army, Cohn brings a remarkable range of experience to the project. She's a Broadway actress (La Bohème, Coram Boy), an Ovation Award winner, a founding producer of the New York Music Theatre Festival, and most recently appeared in the Netflix film The Good Nurse alongside Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. Her directing credits span Berkshire Theatre Group, Primary Stages, The Actors Studio, and beyond. But The Sound is something different — a deeply personal tribute more than twenty years in the making, developed in collaboration with her husband, Emmy-nominated writer Jason Odell Williams, and composer-lyricist Christian Douglas (currently starring in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway).

The Sound fits squarely within CenterStage Theatre's mission of producing work rooted in the Jewish experience with universal appeal — telling one family's story while illuminating themes of kindness, courage, hope, and shared humanity that Cohn believes feel more urgent than ever. In this Q&A, Charlotte talks about the twenty-year journey from first spark to full production, her collaborative process with Williams and Douglas, why she always knew this story had to be told as a musical, and her hopes that The Sound might one day join the ranks of shows like Fiddler on the Roof and Come From Away.

What is "The Sound" about, and what is the central story you're telling with this musical?

The Sound tells the story of a Jewish family's escape from Denmark to Sweden on a fisherman's boat in 1943, and how an entire nation came together in 48 hours to help thousands of people escape to safety and freedom.

What was the spark that first gave you the idea for "The Sound," and how did that initial concept evolve into the full production we'll see at CenterStage Theatre?

I had the idea for the musical over 20 years ago after my father passed away. It is inspired by his true story of escape in 1943. Growing up in Denmark myself, I thought it was such a unique, magical story, since most European nations did not help their Jews during the war. But Denmark stood strong and the people would not turn in their friends and neighbors. I was always surprised that the story is not widely known and I felt it would be an important one to share. And because it felt magical to me - an entire nation coming together to save the Jews in their country - I felt the telling of it had to be magical as well, which is one of the reasons I always saw it as a musical, not a play. It needs that extra 'lift' that we only get in musical theatre! I began working on the rough outline in earnest in 2020 and it evolved after several readings and revisions into the musical we get to share with audiences in Rochester this May.

Why is this particular story so personally important to you, and what drives your passion for bringing it to the stage?

The musical is inspired by my dad, and I've always wanted to tell this story as a tribute to him. But more than that, I'm extremely passionate about using this art form to educate and elevate positive stories. There's a lot of darkness right now, and I wanted to create a theatrical experience that shows we're also capable of light.

Why do you feel this story needs to be told right now, at this specific moment in time?

As the world continues to change, especially in recent years, it feels more urgent than ever to tell this story now. A story about a time when an entire nation stood up for a minority that was being actively persecuted - seems extremely timely. We can all learn from it. One of the underlying themes of the play is simply being kind to your neighbors. But we seem to be losing that right now - our sense of humanity and separating right from wrong. And I think a musical about looking out for one another carries an important messages that people want to hear.

CenterStage Theatre at the JCC has a mission focused on the Jewish experience with universal appeal — how does "The Sound" speak to both of those dimensions?

The Sound tells the story of one Jewish family, yet its themes are universal: family, love, hope, kindness, and courage. At its core, the musical illuminates what the collective can do for the persecuted. While the story is specific, its message resonates more broadly: it is about both small and profound acts of kindness, the ways we express our shared humanity, and our capacity to care for one another.

Who did you collaborate with to create "The Sound," and how does your creative process work with your collaborators?

I collaborated with my husband, Emmy-nominated writer Jason Odell Williams, on the book and with Christian Douglas (currently starring in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway) as our composer/lyricist. Jason and I started talking about this nearly 20 years ago but it wasn't until 2020, when the world was suffering collective grief and isolation, that I wanted to return to this idea. Jason is a playwright, so he and I were able to craft the plot, characters and dialogue but neither of us can write music. Christian was introduced to us a bit later and in 2022 we started collaborating to add the music. The three of us have an incredible working relationship. We would write the scenes and say we think a song comes in here somewhere and might have this kind of feel/style. Christian would take some of the dialogue and incorporate it into lyrics or create his own based on what was happening in the scene. And then we'd share feedback and adjust scenes as needed based on the music he was coming up with. There was a great flow to the process. We all enjoy working quickly, and have no ego about our work. If something isn't quite right, we're all comfortable saying something and doing whatever needs to be done to fix it. It's all about what's best for the piece. And it all came together pretty quickly once Christian came on board. He's so incredibly talented - the music is really gorgeous - and I think audiences are going to respond the way Jason and I did the first time we heard it.

As someone who has worked as both a playwright and a director, how do those two roles inform each other when you're developing your own original work?

During the writing phase, I was focused on that side of things in collaboration with Jason. The back and forth. The editing. Reading sections out loud in our living room. I always have the broader concept in the back of my mind and a few theatrical/staging moments made their way into the stage directions in the written book. Once I step into the role of director fully, I tend to rely more heavily on Jason to keep an eye on the writing. He attends rehearsals with me here at the JCC and suggests edits as needed. Once in a while we will bounce ideas around at home as well, but my main focus now is the big picture and how to best tell the story as director.

What are your hopes for "The Sound" beyond this production — where do you see this musical going in the future?