It’s true: A musical version of The Diary of Anne Frank will hit the stage in Madrid next month. And that is a first. Although the story of the Jewish girl who hid with her family from the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam has been depicted in theater and in film, it’s never been told in song.
I’ll give them one thing:
Isabella Castillo, the 13-year-old Cuban-born girl who will play Anne Frank, is absolutely adorable. And she has spoken of the moving experience of visiting Anne Frank’s house and the Anne Frank Foundation. Here she is in front of the Anne Frank tree.
And it is impressive that the musical’s producers even have the blessings of The Anne Frank Foundation. Those are the same people who once rejected Steven Spielberg.
So I’ve been trying to convince myself that this musical isn’t a horrendous idea. It’s a little difficult, because I grew up on the film adaptations of Rodgers and Hammerstein (and occasionally Gilbert and Sullivan) musicals. The Sound of Music and just about anything starring Julie Andrews were probably the most frequently played in my house, resulting in arguably poor taste in musical theater but also a lifelong crush on Julie Andrews. Though, come to think of it, Victor/Victoria was conspicuously abesnt from the family collection.
It’s possible this has warped my perspective a touch. Even if I can buy a story line about murderous convicts in a social satire like Chicago, I can also sympathize with my mother, who was a little appalled by numbers like “Cell Block Tango.” It’s just not “My Favorite Things.”
Then again, I’m waiting impatiently to see Sweeney Todd, which will be released in Australia next week. And yes, I do know that razor is not just for shaving.
But somehow, a musical about a little girl who lives a lonely and isolated life, only to end up dying in a concentration camp, seems an even worse idea than “Springtime for Hitler.” I think it’s because her story is a true one. Imagine her diary entries and internal monologues reduced to a soundtrack. But at the same time, hers is a story worth telling. And the Anne Frank Foundation promises, “This production respects the message of tolerance, within the tragedy, that we want to keep alive.” Fair enough. I’ll be interested to hear the reviews for this one.
