Anne Frank: The Musical

There’s an adage that cautions against making jokes about such categorically unfunny topics as the Holocaust ... but how about making musicals? This just in: The BBC brings word from Spain of the staging of a new musical, “Anne Frank: A Song to Life,” which at times features “Kitty,” a perhaps unwisely (and too literally) conceived character.

BBC:

My bet is that this show will be a huge box office draw in Spain.

The audience lapped up the eclectic mix of musical styles - from Latin rhythms to Jewish folk melodies and the guitar rock beloved of Spaniards in the 1980s.

[...] The diary, which went on to become a historical treasure and sell 40 million copies, was often referred to by Anne as “Kitty”. Here, Kitty is given a human face, in the form of an on-stage alter-ego played by Basque actress Patricia Arizmendi.

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AP photo / Victor R. Caivano

Cuban actress Isabella Castillo takes on the auspicious role of Anne Frank in “Anne Frank: A Song to Life,” of which Frank’s only living relative is not a fan.