The Holocaust sometimes seems like an overly-familiar topic.
But the characters don’t know that and why would they?
After all, turn-of-the-century Vienna seemed like the pinnacle of multicultural acceptance.
The cast of ‘Leopoldstadt’ on Broadway.Joan Marcus
Those decorations include a massive Christmas tree, because the family is interspersed with interfaith marriages.
Even when multiple characters are on stage having overlapping conversations, the writing and performances still sparkle.
This debate between Hermann and Ludwig is where the play’s title first comes in.
Japhet Balaban and Eden Epstein in ‘Leopoldstadt’.Joan Marcus
But even amidst the devastation, there is hope.
All but Nellie, that is.
This, as you may or may not know, isa reflection of Stoppard’s own life story.
The image on theLeopoldstadtplaybill is of a young Jewish child playing with a cat’s cradle.
For Ludwig, this is proof of the mathematical order that underlies the tragic chaos of the universe.
