Warsaw

Based on the true story of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in which Jewish fighters gave their lives to resist deportation to Nazi concentration camps. It was the first and single largest revolt by Jews during the Holocaust and inspired many other uprisings throughout the ghettos and concentration camps of occupied Europe. The musical tells the story of Roman who is trapped in the ghetto and separated from his gentile fiancée, Ana. The couple struggle to reunite, and Roman leads a group of resistance fighters into a battle to vindicate their community.
Format: Musical
Character breakdown:

Arie
Papa
Simon—Roman’s uncle
Moishe—Roman’s sister
Roman
Ana
Judith—Ana’s mother
Benjamin—Communist revolutionary
Franya—Communist revolutionary
Richter—Nazi in charge of Warsaw’s Jewish population
Strober—ghetto crime boss

Notes:

John Atkins: books and lyrics
William Wade: composer, orchestrator and additional lyrics

Snapshot

Original or Prominent Production:
The show has been performed in abbreviated form as a concert in synagogues, churches and theaters. See www.warsawthemusical.com for production history.
Original Source Material: True story of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Nationality of Author: U.S.
Original Language: English
Production Rights Holder:

See the Warsaw website.

Experience(s) Chronicled: Resistance | The Ghettos

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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

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