BY THE OBSERVER STAFF
OPELIKA — An Opelika family’s story of escape, acceptance and new beginnings is reaching a new audience this month through a professional production of “We’ll Meet Again: A New American Musical.”
The musical is inspired by the life of Heinz “Henry” Stern, who was 5 years old when he and his Jewish family escaped Nazi Germany in 1937 and immigrated to the United States.
The Stern family eventually settled in Opelika, where they were welcomed by the community and built a new life. Their experience serves as the foundation for a story about fear, uncertainty, compassion and the strength people can find through friendship and community.
“We’ll Meet Again” is being presented for 12 performances from June 18 through June 28 at Bell Theater at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey. The production is presented by the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in association with Loveliest Village LLC and Mount Jefferson LLC.
The musical was created and written by Alabama playwright James R. Harris, with musical arrangements by composer and arranger Mark Hayes.
The production combines the Stern family’s story with Jewish melodies and familiar American music from the 1940s, including “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” The music helps trace the family’s journey from persecution in Germany to the welcome and sense of belonging they found in Alabama.
Broadway director Daniel Kutner is directing the New Jersey production. Veteran Broadway performer Herndon Lackey portrays Henry Stern.
Lackey’s stage career spans five decades and includes roles in seven Broadway productions, including “Les Misérables,” “Parade” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”
The principal cast also includes Joy Hermalyn, Adam B. Shapiro, James C. Harris, Erikka Makic and Jordan Patrick Blake.
The production’s creative team includes choreographer Michele Mossay, music director and conductor Charles Santoro, lighting designer Joel E. Silver, sound designer Jon Weston, scenic designer Zoe Hurwitz and costume designer Mariah Anzaldo Hale.
Andrew DePrisco, executive artistic director of the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, said the musical’s message is particularly meaningful as the United States begins observing its 250th anniversary.
He said the story serves as a reminder of the importance of human kindness and hope for a better America.
Although the latest production is taking place hundreds of miles from East Alabama, the heart of the musical remains rooted in Opelika — the community that became home to Henry Stern and his family after they fled persecution.
The story has previously been presented in Opelika and other communities across Alabama. Its continued development and professional staging are allowing the Stern family’s story — and Opelika’s role in it — to reach audiences well beyond the state.
“We’ll Meet Again” will continue at Bell Theater through June 28. The theater is located inside the Bell Works complex in Holmdel, New Jersey.
