It can be fun to hear about how people who love each other first met. This is especially true when it’s part of your own family. That very subject is covered in a new show commissioned by New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) and now playing at their theater in Long Branch, NJ. How My Grandparents Fell in Love is based upon a true story which adds to the enjoyment of seeing this show.
Although this is an enjoyable show to see, there are a few things that can be difficult to watch especially as related to the time and setting. But there is still a remarkable story told by a cast of two people within the boundaries of a setting heading for trouble. The music adds some additional emotional tones that might not be reached with just pure dialogue. Under the direction of Music Supervisor Matthew Lowy, there is an onstage piano player cleverly situated on one side of the stage who blends wonderfully into the show.
How My Grandparents Fell in Love is based on a true story. Cary Gitter wrote the book for the show. The music is by Neil Berg who also contributes to the lyrics along with Cary Gitter. The show is directed by SuzAnne Barabas.
How it Begins
The story is set in 1933 in Rovno, Poland (now Rivne, Ukraine). However, it opens in current day in a lecture hall at an American college decades later with a narrator telling the story.
We meet Charlie (Harris Milgrim) who left Poland to come to the United States 10 years before. Charlie lives in Hoboken and is in the shoe trade. However, he has now returned to his native country to find a wife. One day, Charlie looked in a hat shop window and saw Chava (Becca Suskauer). and was enchanted by the lovely, bright colors she was wearing. He finds a way to meet her.
Photo credit Andrea Phox
Chava agrees to meet Charlie for some tea. She tells him she wants to learn about America and he gladly tells her about life in the U.S. Then, she tells him she wants to be a scholar and is planning to go to the University in Warsaw. There are definite sparks of interest between the two and Charlie feels that he may have found his future wife. Chava is not as sure. This is where the setting comes into play.
The Setting is Crucial to the Story Development
Both Chava and Charlie are Jewish. The year is 1933, just at the point where the Hitler/Nazi era is beginning to emerge. Already, Chava’s family is being affected because her brother is working with a group to provide information about what is happening. Despite this, Chava does not think that things will change that much but Charlie does.
In the midst of this story playing out, the couple hear about the 1933 burning of the German parliament buildings. This is a significant event because the Nazi leadership claims that Communists were planning a violent uprising. According to information found on the Holocaust Encyclopedia website, “They claimed that emergency legislation was needed to prevent this. The resulting act, commonly known as the Reichstag Fire Decree, abolished a number of constitutional protections and paved the way for Nazi dictatorship.” The wave of Antisemitism reaches new, frightening heights.
Suddenly, there is more reason than ever before for Chava to consider Charlie’s offer of marriage and a move to America. But she has concerns about leaving her home and her family.
The way the remainder of the musical plays out gives you the answer to what Chava decides to do. I will say that it’s a heartwarming show and one that will give you something to think about as it finishes. I had my tissues out as it ended and I saw many others in audience doing the same.
Now What About that Music?
This show has original music played by a single piano player on stage. Milgrim and Suskauer have very nice singing voices and their interpretations give more depth to the action taking place.
There are 14 songs. A standout is “Oh, Hoboken” which where Charlie tells Chava about where he lives in the U.S. “I’m Going to Be a Scholar” is also well done as Chava explains her dreams to Charlie. Charlie makes his intentions known to Chava in “I Wouldn’t Want Anything (To Happen to You). Finally, “Into the Dawn” ends the show.
If I may be slightly critical of anything in this production, it would be that a few of the songs need a little bit of work. It seems like the need to rhyme in a few was more than needed. The intentions of the songs in so much of this music accomplishes their purpose very well.
Go to See How My Grandparents Fell in Love
It isn’t often that NJ Rep runs musicals at its Long Branch theater. This company has a long history of successfully introducing new plays to the theater world and this latest offering is a fine example of their work.
The response to this show is so good that additional shows have been added to three of the Sunday schedules. Make sure to get your tickets to see this How My Grandparents Fell in Love. It is only scheduled to play now through August 10, 2025.
Visit the NJ Rep website to get your tickets and for more information.
A Final Word
Spend a little time in the theater lobby either before the show or during intermission. You will enjoy seeing some small drawings with Yiddish sayings on the walls designed to show the creativity of Yiddish.
Here are a few examples:
Photo by Karen Nowosad
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