In June 2004, Encompass New Opera Theatre’s acclaimed production of Russian composer Grigori Frid’s opera, The Diary of Anne Frank, honored her memory, in what would have been her 75th year, with four commemorative, sold-out performances at Cleveland Opera’s 1,000-seat Ohio Theatre.

As a result, the production, directed by Nancy Rhodes, conducted by Sybille Werner, and starring Dunja Pechstein as Anne Frank, was one of three finalists for the 2004 Arts Awards of Achievement for Classical Music, by Northern Ohio Live, a prominent arts magazine.

Riding the wave of our phenomenal success with The Diary of Anne Frank we are taking the production on tour and are set to perform it in venues across the country and internationally. For booking info, contact Nancy Rhodes at 718-398-4675.

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The Story of Anne Frank

During the Holocaust, Anne Frank, a 13-year-old Jewish girl, hid in the attic of her father’s office building in Amsterdam from 1942 to 1944. The space was shared by her family and four others.

While in hiding, she kept a diary, a gift from her parents on her 13th birthday, of everyday life, the shared joys, the squabbles, and her hopes and fears.

After 25 months in "The Secret Annex," Anne and the others were betrayed and sent to concentration camps. Nine months later, Anne Frank died at Bergen-Belson of Typhus. Her father, the only family member to survive, later published the pages of her diary.

The first edition of Anne Frank’s diary appeared in the Netherlands in 1947. It has since been translated into 55 languages and has sold 20 million copies. At the turn of the century, Time magazine placed Anne Frank on its list of the "Hundred Personalities of the 20th Century."

About The Diary of Anne Frank

Composer Grigori Frid read Anne Frank’s diary in 1969 and began to write the libretto shortly thereafter. Using excerpts from the original diary, Mr. Frid depicts episodes in the life of the young girl. After two scheduled performances were canceled because they coincided with Communist Party meetings, he finally performed with only a piano in 1972. The first full production took place in Kislovodsk in 1977, and a year later, Mr. Frid smuggled the score to an American lawyer, who arranged a performance at the University of Syracuse. In 1991, the opera was translated into English and performed in Indianapolis; the German premiere took place two years later. Since then, the opera has been performed in Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland. In May, 2001, Music Tales and Encompass NewOpera Theatre produced the New York Premiere production of Frid’s opera at Temple Israel, starring Dunja Pechstein, directed by Nancy Rhodes. An extended engagement of Encompass’ production played the Connelly Theatre in Manhattan from January 10 to February 3, 2002, and was recently presented at Suffolk County Community College in October, 2003.