White Rose: The Musical Off-Broadway Reviews

That the extremely earnest new tuner “White Rose: The Musical,” now at Theatre Row, works as well as it does is a testament to a very talented cast who handle their roles with sincerity and seriousness, as well as a pleasing-enough score by newcomers Brian Belding (who also wrote the book) and Natalie Brice, and the simple yet effective direction of Will Nunziata. And, at 95 minutes, this poignant yet slender tale doesn’t wear out its welcome.

In its current incarnation, surface-level sentimentality prevents White Rose from plunging more deeply into the complexity of its story and characters. The sacred act of tossing leaflets to the audience should hit as a cathartic feat, yet it feels decorative. If you're a lucky audience member who catches a leaflet - inscribed with anti-war excerpts from the real White Rose - its call to action is urgent. These words are meant to be taken outside of the theatre, even after the action on the stage fades.

Without question, the story of White Rose is one worth telling and its courageous young martyrs should never be forgotten, but the light-hearted spirit of the current musical is a jarring contrast to its horrific outcome and events. For me, the production would be more effective if the characters were given more emotional depth and three-dimensionality, the Nazi atrocities against which they rebelled were more prominently featured in the staging, and the musical stylings were more in keeping with those of the era.