
Adam Heller and Julia Knitel, seated, are serenaded by Jeremy
Greenbaum, C.J. Pawlikowski, and Michael Bartoli in A Letter to Harvey Milk.
(© Russ Rowland)
By Kenji Fujishima
Based on the short story by Lesléa Newman, the musical has lyrics
by Ellen M. Schwartz, with additional lyrics by Cheryl Stern, music by Laura I.
Kramer, book by Jerry James, Ellen M. Schwartz, Cheryl Stern, and Laura I.
Kramer. Evan Pappas directs.
A Letter to Harvey Milk stars Adam Heller and Julia
Knitel, along with Michael Bartoli, Jeremy Greenbaum, Aury Krebs, C.J.
Pawlikowski, and Cheryl Stern. On the creative team are Jeffrey Lodin (musical
director), Ned Ginsburg (orchestrator), David Arsenault (set design), Debbi
Hobson (costume design), Christopher Akerlind (lighting design), and David
Margolin Lawsin (sound design).
Set in San Francisco in 1986, A Letter to Harvey Milk is described as
follows: "What could Harry, an amiable but lonely retired kosher butcher
have in common with Barbara, his young lesbian writing teacher at the senior
center? Is it enough to bridge the divide? When Harry fulfills a writing
assignment to compose a letter to someone from his past who's dead, he writes
not to his late wife Frannie, but to Harvey Milk, the first openly gay
political leader in California. Barbara is stunned. Harry's letter evokes
life-changing revelations that neither could have foreseen."
The new musical is currently running off-Broadway at Theatre Row.
Originally set to close on May 13, A Letter to Harvey Milk has extended through June 30
For tickets and more information,
click here.