How My Grandparents Fell in Love, A Musical

Inspired by the true story of how playwright Cary Gitter's grandparents met, this intimate new musical is set in 1933 Poland. Charlie, a Polish-born Jew who emigrated to America a decade earlier, returns to his hometown of Rovno in search of a bride. Walking the streets of his old neighborhood, he is captivated by Chava, the beautiful woman who works at a hat shop. Chava has spent her entire life in Rovno and hopes to become a scholar, but her ambitions for the future and the gathering clouds of European antisemitism threaten both their dreams.

With book by Cary Gitter, music by Neil Berg, and lyrics by Berg and Gitter, the production is directed by SuzAnne Barabas and stars Harris Milgrim and Becca Suskauer. Produced by New Jersey Repertory Company and presented at 59E59 Theaters, the musical blends laughter, warmth, and sincerity in a deeply personal story about love, heritage, and hope against a darkening horizon.