The Story

Set in 1943 and today, this uplifting musical inspired by true events tells the story of an aging Holocaust survivor who recounts the harrowing days after the deportation of Danish Jews was ordered by the Nazis and he and his family race against the clock to elude capture by hiding in a fishing boat sailing from Denmark to Sweden across The Sound. 

Why this story now?

The cast of THE SOUND at Safra Hall. (pictured L to R) Christian Douglas, Nelson Avidon, Mia Gerachis, Sam Gravitte, Debbie Gravitte, Neal Benari, Talia Suskauer, Becca Suskauer, Melody A. Betts, Imogen Williams, Stuart Zagnit. Photo by Russ Rowland.

Just as we ask every Passover, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”, some might ask, “What makes this story different from the hundreds of other WWII dramas already told?”

First, this story has a happy ending. With the help of their Christian neighbors, over 95% of the Danish Jews escape to freedom. They survive. They go on to have children and grandchildren. In fact, one of the survivor’s daughters is the co-book writer, and this story is based on what her father went through in 1943… a story about neighbors helping neighbors, nations helping nations, and always standing up to do the right thing in the face of evil. 

Second, the survivors who lived this story are dying. They are in their 80’s and 90’s now, and this story – as well as the Holocaust itself – is in danger of being forgotten, dismissed, or flat-out denied. And in an age of rising antisemitism and fascism around the world this story is more urgent than ever.

The Team

Charlotte Cohn (creator and co-book writer) was born in Denmark, the youngest daughter of a Jewish survivor of WWII. She was the lead producer of The New York Times critics’ pick Handle with Care and the critically acclaimed Church & State. Charlotte most recently directed the UK premiere of Canned Goods by Erik Kahn at Southwark Playhouse in London. She has also directed at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Primary Stages and American Theatre Group in NJ. As an actress she has performed on Broadway in Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme and Coram Boy. Charlotte is an Ovation Award Winner and was nominated for a Bay Area Critics’ Circle Award for her performance as ‘Hallelujah Lil’ in Happy End at A.C.T. Charlotte has collaborated on numerous projects with her husband Jason Odell Williams including co-writing The Whole Shebang and A Pound of Flesh – both Semi-Finalists for the National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill. She dedicates this musical to the memory of her father – Herluf Cohn.

Christian Douglas (music & lyrics) is a writer and actor based in New York City. He will make his Broadway debut in 2025 starring as “Christian” in Moulin Rouge! The Musical after playing the role on the first national tour. Other recent credits include Charlie Price in the Off-Broadway remount of Kinky Boots  and the first national tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical (Edward Lewis u/s). Christian is a former active-duty soldier and tenor in the United States Army Chorus where he regularly performed for presidents, heads of state and foreign dignitaries. He is a prolific songwriter and was selected as an Artist in Residence at the Strathmore Music Center in Washington, DC where he wrote and premiered new works, including a song cycle based on love stories in the New York Times.

Jason Odell Williams (co-book writer) is a playwright originally from Columbia, Maryland. He has been nominated for an Emmy Award, an Off- Broadway Alliance Award, and an L.A. Ovation Award. His plays Handle with Care and Church & State both ran Off-Broadway, are published by DPS, and have won two Henry Awards and 3 Theatre Bay Area Awards with over one hundred regional productions collectively. His other plays are published with TRW and Uproar Theatrics and have been performed at Circle Theatre, The Kitchen Theatre, NC Stage, JCC CenterStage, Williamston Theatre, Skylight Theatre, and the Berkshire Theatre Festival, among many others. On television, Jason’s work as a writer and producer has been seen on HBO Max, Discovery, Nat Geo, the History Channel and Netflix. He lives in NYC with his wife and writing partner, Charlotte Cohn. Their daughter is headed abroad for college and is a budding artist, naturally.

History & Future of The Sound

HISTORY 

A 29-hour Equity reading was presented on November 17, 2024 in Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to a sold-out crowd of over 300 guests, featuring Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Les Misérables), Melody A. Betts (The Wiz, Waitress), Sam Gravitte (Wicked), Neal Benari (A Beautiful Noise, Fiddler on the Roof), Becca Suskauer (Pretty Woman – Nat’l Tour) Talia Suskauer (Parade – Nat’l Tour, Wicked), and Stuart Zagnit (HarmonyLittle Shop of Horrors ).

AWARDS

  • SEMI-FINALIST, O'Neill Theater Center's National Musical Theatre Conference, 2025

  • FINALIST - Pipeline Arts Foundation, 2023

  • FINALIST - The Vanguard Arts Fund at the Olney Theatre Center, 2023

FUTURE

THE SOUND is scheduled to have a full production in MAY 2026. More details to come!