White Rose: The Musical is based upon a true story of a small group of university students who secretly met to write, print, and distribute leaflets exposing Hitler's lies and Nazi deception.
Starring JO ELLEN PELLMAN (Netflix "The Prom") as Sophie Scholl, MIKE CEFALO (Broadway: New York, New York) as Hans Scholl, KENNEDY KANAGAWA (Broadway: Into the Woods) as Christoph Probst. LAURA SKY HERMAN (National Tour: Hello, Dolly!) as Lila Ramdohr, PAOLO MONTALBAN (Broadway: Funny Girl, Pacific Overtures) as Kurt Huber, SAM GRAVITTE (Broadway: Wicked) as Frederick Fischer, COLE THOMPSON (Broadway: Into the Woods) as Willi Graf, ELLIS GAGE (International: Next To Normal) as Swing, Dani Apple (NY: The Sorceress) as Swing.
Full cast to be announced soon.
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.
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.
2024 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
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