A Message from Arnold Mittelman After a career in not-for-profit and commercial theater spanning more than 40 years I was honored in 2007 to found the National Jewish Theater / Foundation and in 2010 to assume leadership of its Holocaust Theater International...
Brundibár
Brundibár is a children's opera by Jewish Czech composer Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, made most famous by performances by the children of Theresienstadt concentration camp in occupied Czechoslovakia. The name comes from a Czech colloquialism for a bumblebee.
The plot of the opera shares elements with fairytales such as Hansel and Gretel and The Town Musicians of Bremen and details how children overcome an evil organ grinder.
Format: Children's Opera
Cast Size: 8M/2F
Character breakdown:
Children´s choir with 10 mayor roles:
ANINKA
PEPICEK
BRUNDIBÁR
ICEMAN
BAKER
MILKMAN
POLICEMAN
SPARROW
CAT
DOG
Snapshot
Original or Prominent Production:
Premiere performed by the children of Theresienstadt, 1942. New version performed at The New 42nd Street NYC, a co-production by Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2006.
Premiere performed by the children of Theresienstadt, 1942. New version performed at The New 42nd Street NYC, a co-production by Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2006.
Original Source Material: Originally performed by the children of Theresienstadt 1942.
Nationality of Author: Czechoslovakian
Original Language: Czech
Publisher:
Production Rights Holder:
Experience(s) Chronicled: Theater During Holocaust
HTC Insights
Views, reference and research of interest.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The National Jewish Theater Foundation presented its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award to Alfred Uhry. The presentation took place as part of the Lincoln Center Library event on January 27th 2025 in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
Lifetime Achievement Award
On September 30, 2024, French playwright, Mr. Jean Claude Grumberg received the Lifetime Achievement Award. It was presented by NJTF HTII President, Arnold Mittelman with Dominique Trimbur, PhD-Manager for the History of Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, Teaching of the Holocaust of Fondation Pour La Memoir de la Shoah Project.