‘How My Grandparents Fell in Love, a Musical’

NEW YORK—When a theater piece starts out with a title such as “How My Grandparents Fell in Love, a Musical” there’s little doubt about the outcome. But it’s essential that the audience care about the characters’ journey. Thankfully, bookwriter-lyricist Cary Gitter and composer-lyricist Neil Berg have given us two individuals so appealing that the audience definitely wants to know more about them and root for their happily ever after. The result is an intimate two-person musical set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world.

It’s February 1933 in the small town of Rovno, Poland. Charlie (Harris Milgrim), a 26-year-old Jewish immigrant who left his homeland for the United States a decade earlier, has returned in the hope of finding a wife. After an attempt at an arranged union doesn’t come to pass, he notices Chava (Becca Suskauer), a 21-year-old woman who works in a hat shop. After walking past the store several times in the hope she might notice him too, he finally enters and the two strike up a conversation.

But Chava isn’t looking to be swept off her feet, much less by someone who wants to take her back to the United States in less than a week’s time. An avid reader of philosophy and religion and fluent in four languages, Chava plans to go to the University of Warsaw and become a scholar. Her goals fly in the face of impending obstacles due to Poland’s increasing antisemitism. The eldest of five children, Chava also must help her widowed mother provide for her younger brothers and sisters.

In spite of her stated resolve, Chava finds herself intrigued by Charlie. She has never met anyone who has been to America and she agrees to have dinner with him to learn more about this far-away country. Over tea, Charlie regales her with tales of Hoboken, New Jersey, where he and his brother own a shoe store. As the two get to know one another over the next few days, bonding over hats, shoes, and dancing, it becomes evident they have quite different points of view when it comes to current events and the best way to react to them.

Real-Life Love Story

Drawn from a true story, “How My Grandparents Fell In Love” is more than just a musical about a romance. At its heart are elements of faith, trust, and what happens when one’s beliefs come up against an-ever changing situation beyond your control. There’s also the issue of relying on both one’s instincts as well as those of a new acquaintance.

Suskauer is wonderfully appealing as Chava, a character who hits the ground running the moment she steps on stage. In her opening number (“Rovno”), she shows the pride she has for her country. Chava views the idea of leaving her home and those she loves as akin to a betrayal. She is firm in her belief that the troubles that started in Germany will eventually pass.

Even so, Chava soon finds herself forced to rethink the best choice when it comes to her own future and happiness. Suskauer also plays another character in two brief framing scenes set decades later, which help explain the lens through which this story is told.

Production Values Shine

Milgrim gives a boyish quality to Charlie, who freely admits to being an eternal optimist who wants to fix the world one broken shoe at a time. But he’s actually the more complicated of the two. His seemingly sunny outlook hides pain born from his own perilous journey to a new land and the struggles he faced when he first arrived.

Charlie also has a worldview of someone now on the outside looking in at Poland, with perhaps a fuller picture of what is going on in Europe and the belief that when one sees signs of a dangerous tidal wave of change, it’s important to head for a place of safety.

The score, featuring piano accompaniment by musical director Aaron Benham, is very good. Numbers range from a high-spirited song about American dance styles to the almost pleading “Why Do They Hate Us?” Suskauer poignantly delivers it as she sings about the oppression Jews have always seemed to face. Choreographer Jordan Ryder does excellent work in making use of the relatively small playing space, while the scenic design by Jessica Parks, especially the shop where Chava works, is quite lovely.

Director Suzanne Barabas keeps the story moving nicely, though the show would have flowed better without an intermission. It would also have been nice to have a glossary in the show program listing some of the Yiddish terms used.

A surprisingly touching work where a decision one would normally never consider could very well affect the rest of a person’s life, “How My Grandparents Fell In Love” offers a varied experience. It’s sobering, engrossing, and ultimately, quite fulfilling.

‘How My Grandparents Fell In Love, A Musical’
Presented by New Jersey Repertory Company
59E59 Theaters
59 E. 59th St., New York City
Tickets: 5959.org
Running Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (one intermission)
Closes: April 18, 2026

What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to features@epochtimes.nyc