Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941, Cincinnati Opera’s tribute to the artists of the Warsaw Ghetto, to premiere April 16 on CET
The broadcast premiere coincides with Greater Cincinnati’s community-wide commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
CET will continue to air the hour-long program on CET Arts through June 2023.
Featured artists from Cincinnati Opera’s Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 include: (L to R) Matthew Umphreys, Victoria Okafor, Christina Haan, Sarah Folsom, Polina Bespalko, Thomas Dreeze, and Simon Barrad. Photo by Philip Groshong.
Cincinnati, Ohio—Cincinnati Opera and CET, Cincinnati’s PBS member station, have announced plans to present Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941, an hour-long televised program developed by Cincinnati Opera in celebration of the creativity that flourished within the Warsaw Ghetto. Featuring songs and poetry from the era, Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 will premiere on CET 48.1 and will be live-streamed on the PBS app on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET, in recognition of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). Additional airings will follow on CET Arts 48.3 through June 2023.
In 1941 in Warsaw, Poland, more than 400,000 Jews were held captive in a cordoned-off area known as the Warsaw Ghetto. Nevertheless, nightlife continued to thrive, with cafés and restaurants offering entertainment and a temporary respite for residents. Perhaps the most famous was the Café Sztuka, where renowned poets, singers, and musicians appeared regularly, performing classical music and new songs by George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Kurt Weill, among others. Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 is a recreation of this cabaret experience, serving as both a remembrance and a celebration of the creativity that flourished amid extraordinary oppression.
Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 was captured live during a public performance at Cincinnati Music Hall’s Wilks Studio in April 2022. Cincinnati Opera developed the program in partnership with Rabbi Abie Ingber and director Joshua Cook, with performances by vocalist Sarah Folsom, soprano Victoria Okafor, baritones Simon Barrad and Thomas Dreeze, pianists Polina Bespalko and Matthew Umphreys, and accordionist Christina Haan.
The Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 broadcast premiere coincides with Greater Cincinnati’s community-wide commemoration of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), which takes place April 16, 2–3 p.m., at the Mayerson Jewish Community Center (8485 Ridge Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45236) and also via Zoom live stream. Presented by the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, the Mayerson Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family Service, the Yom HaShoah commemoration provides an opportunity to remember and mourn the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and honor the survivors. Event reservations and more information are available at holocaustandhumanity.org.
Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 was originally presented in partnership with the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, and the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center to commemorate the Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial. Support for Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 was provided by: the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati; Jewish Federation of Cincinnati; Mona and Richard Kerstine, M.D., in loving memory of Mona’s grandparents, who were killed by the Nazis in the Holocaust; and Eric and Jennifer Dauer.
For complete program details for Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941, visit cincinnatiopera.org.
Broadcast Schedule (all times are ET):
CET 48.1*
Sunday, April 16, 2023 | 2 p.m.**
*Also available as a live stream via the PBS app
CET Arts 48.3
Monday, April 17, 2023 | 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 | 10 a.m., 3 p.m., and 10 p.m.
Additional airings will take place on CET Arts 48.3 in May and June 2023; please visit cetconnect.org for complete schedule information.
Description:
CET presents Cincinnati Opera’s Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941, which recreates the cabaret experience that thrived within the Warsaw Ghetto. Featuring music and poetry from the era, Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 serves as both a remembrance and a celebration of the creativity that flourished amid extraordinary oppression. For complete program details, visit cincinnatiopera.org.
**The Cabaret of Hope: Warsaw 1941 broadcast premiere coincides with the community-wide Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration, which takes place April 16, 2–3 p.m., at the Mayerson Jewish Community Center (8485 Ridge Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45236) and via Zoom live stream. More information can be found at holocaustandhumanity.org.
Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer and engaging programs throughout the year. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.
Season Presenting Sponsor for Cincinnati Opera’s 2023 Summer Festival is Chavez Properties. Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Cincinnati Opera also receives general season support from the Ohio Arts Council, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with general season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America.
To learn more, visit cincinnatiopera.org.
About Public Media Connect
Public Media Connect is Southwest Ohio’s leading provider of education and enrichment in both living rooms and classrooms, serving more than 3 million people in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton communities. Through PBS and local programming, innovative multimedia curriculum projects, parent workshops and professional development for teachers, Public Media Connect—CET and ThinkTV—positively impacts our community with rich and diverse resources. Public Media Connect’s mission is to strengthen the communities and region we serve by providing content and services that engage, inspire and inform, educate and entertain, fostering culture and citizenship, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.
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