Brundibar/Down in the Valley

I feel like a bit of a fraud. Although it looks like I post a lot, I only do it once a week. I just schedule all the posts to pop up throughout the week. So although Jeremy's performance was on Sat/Sun, this won't post until Wednesday I think. Anyhow, Jer was in an double opera/play this past weekend in which he played the title character in Brundibar and was in the chorus for Down in the Valley. It was a lot of fun to see him on the stage having to do something more than sing. And although he was the title character of Brundibar, he was not one of the leads. It was a good thing too because he got sick and his voice was not up to par. Still excellent, but we know how good it can be. He was the villian in this play that the Jews in the Terezin concentration ghetto "town" would perform. He is supposed to represent Hitler and even had to grow a little Hitler-moustache and go to church with it shaved that way since the play was Sat. night and Sun. afternoon. I also had the adventure of going to buy makeup with my husband, for my husband. I'm sure the people in the makeup section of Walmart thought we had lost our minds. Actually, maybe nowadays it really didn't faze anyone.
The play is actually really sad, not in and of itself, but just the fact that all those people who were the actors/musicians for the play in Terezin were eventually sent to Auschwitz and we all know what their fate was. In June of 1944, the Internation Red Cross came to Terezin so the Nazis "faked nice" and sent all the undesirables off to be killed, sent in great food, clothing, etc. and the Jews put on this play for their committee. The Jews had no way of telling the Red Cross what was really going on, so they put their heart and souls into that performance of Brundibar. Apparently the Red Cross was "enchanted" but did not see through what was being told in the story and once they left--everyone to Auschwitz.

This very last picture is one of Jer in the chorus for Down in the Valley. It was a pretty dark play and my camera is lame so this is the only good shot I got of that. The leads on Sat. night were two of the stiffest actors I've ever seen but their voices were very good. Sun., the acting was better but the voices weren't. It was a lot of fun to see Jer doing the dancing in this one. I don't think I'm made to be a theater-widow though. These things take way too much time to get ready for! It'll be nice to have Jer back this week and then in a few more weeks, he'll be done with this semester of school--whew! One more to go!