Jewish playwright Cary Gitter on the inspiration behind his new Off-Broadway musical ‘How My Grandparents Fell in Love’

Following a sold-out run last summer at the New Jersey Repertory Company, Jewish playwright Cary Gitter’s musical How My Grandparents Fell in Love has made its way Off-Broadway, where it recently began previews at 59E59 Theaters.

The two-hour show, set to run through April 19, tells the true story of Gitter’s paternal grandparents, Eva and Charlie, who met in Poland in the 1930s before immigrating to the United States. Blending romance, history and humor, the musical traces their journey from prewar Eastern Europe to a new life in America.

“I hope the show portrays how love and human connection can emerge and flourish even in the darkest of times,” Gitter says to Pretty Kosher. “My grandparents’ story is one of resilience and survival; they fled antisemitism in prewar Eastern Europe and made a new life for themselves in America, against all odds. I hope audiences are moved and inspired by their journey, and that it prompts them to reflect on similar struggles people around the world are still facing today.”

The show arrives at a moment when many Jewish artists say the urgency around telling Jewish stories has intensified following the October 7 attacks.

“I’ve always been passionate about telling Jewish stories,” says Gitter. “And while the social and political environment has certainly grown more fraught since October 7, that passion hasn’t changed. Jewish heritage and culture deeply inform my work as a writer, both in theater and in fiction, so I’m going to continue to tell these stories with commitment and care.”

Gitter is no stranger to Off-Broadway: last summer, his play Gene & Gilda, about the love story between late Jewish American actors Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, also had a successful run at 59E59 Theaters.

So far, How My Grandparents Fell in Love seems to be following the same trajectory.

“It was so touching and rewarding to witness audience members’ reactions in [New Jersey],” Gitter says. “Many people found echoes of their own family history in my grandparents’ immigrant story, which was particularly powerful. I am eager to see how New York audiences respond to it. I hope the humor and heart of the piece connect with them, and that they leave the theater feeling they’ve had a meaningful experience.”

Tickets for the show are available here.