Cast Set For World Premiere of RUTKA At Cincinnati Playhouse in The Park

Full casting has been announced for RUTKA, a powerful new indie-rock musical adapted from Rutka's Notebook. The production will have its World Premiere at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (962 Mt Adams Circle) this fall, in the first stage of its future development. Previews begin Sunday, October 13, 2024. Opening night is set for Thursday, October 17, with the run scheduled through Sunday, November 10, 2024. For tickets or more information, visit cincyplay.com.
 
RUTKA features music and lyrics by recording artists Jocelyn Mackenzie and Jeremy Lloyd-Styles, from the Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Pearl and the Beard. The book is by award-winning playwright and multiple Emmy Award nominee Neena Beber (Executive Producer and writer on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”). The production is directed by Wendy C. Goldberg, the distinguished former Artistic Director of The National Playwrights Conference at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, and a two-time Chair of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama jury. 
 
In this true story, 14-year-old Rutka Laskier's world is consumed by the usual teen concerns, like friendships, gossip, a new haircut, and the flickers of first love — all of which she documents in her diary. But the world at large is far from usual. It's 1943 in war-torn Poland, as Rutka and her friends are trying to live life as normally as possible while confined in the Jewish Ghetto. With their futures and fates uncertain, they reach for hope, resilience, and resistance. This all-new musical is a compelling drama and a shining example of how even one small voice can make a difference in the world. 
 
Rutka documented her thoughts and experiences during a three-month period in 1943 while living in the Jewish Ghetto in Bedzin, Poland. Her diary would remain hidden for 63 years until it was published in 2006. Following its relatively recent discovery and authentication by scholars, Rutka's Notebook has drawn comparison to The Diary of Anne Frank. (In an odd coincidence, Rutka and Anne Frank were born on the same day: June 12, 1929.)
 
RUTKA is brought to life by an extraordinary ensemble of young performers and with a raw and emotional sound, promising an unforgettable musical experience.
 
Returning from the cast of the RUTKA concert presentations at the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center are Ben Cherry (Broadway: Indecent, Fiddler on the Roof) as Yaacov, Lana Schwartz (Off-Broadway: Endangered) as Rutka Laskier and Zoe Siegel (Off-Broadway: In Corpo) as Micka.
 
Joining them in the Cincinnati cast are Jacob Ben-Shmuel (National Tour: The Book of Mormon) as Mordechai; Delaney Brown (National Tour: Jagged Little Pill) as Stasia; Yael Chanukov (Off-Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish) as Tusia; Julia Ty Goldberg (Off-Broadway/Regional: Gallery Players, Bedlam, Barrington Stage Company) as Nina; Dillon Klena (National Tour: Jagged Little Pill) as Lolek; Sabrina Koss (Regional: Alley Theatre, Lincoln Center) as Linka; Bex Odorisio (National Tour: Hadestown) as Dvorah; 2023 Jimmy Awards Semi-Finalist Ayden Weinstein as Janek; David Whalen (Regional: Cincinnati Playhouse, Guthrie Theater) as The Soldier; and Jacob (Kov) Zelonsky (National Tour: Billy Elliot The Musical) as Mulek. The understudies are Luka Ashley Carter, Hannah Ervin, Sara Mackie, and Tai Rosenblatt.
 
Set design is by Tony Award winner Todd Rosenthal (Broadway: August: Osage County), costume design is by Jen Caprio (Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spamalot), lighting design is by Josh Epstein (Regional: Cincinnati Playhouse, Guthrie, Goodman, Steppenwolf), sound design is by Connor Wang (Broadway: How to Dance in Ohio, Hadestown), and projection design is by Yee Eun Nam (Broadway: Yellow Face). Choreography is by Patrick McCollum (Broadway: The Band's Visit, Angels in America). Music director is Sharon Kenny (Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Beetlejuice). Orchestrations and arrangements are by Nathan Koci (Broadway: Illinoise). Stage Manager is Andrea L. Shell. Casting Director is Daryl Eisenberg.
 
The production of RUTKA at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is presented by special arrangement with Think System Productions (Amy Langer and David B. Schwartz), and Executive Producer Cody Lassen (Spring Awakening, Indecent, The Band's Visit). The co-producers are Eliot Horowitz, David S. Stone, Todd Rosen and Greg Steinbruner & Tami Stronach. General Management is by KGM Theatrical. 

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