MAX & WILLY’S LAST LAUGH

BY JAKE BRODER and CONOR DUFFY | DIRECTED BY TONY AWARD NOMINEE SHERYL KALLER
MUSIC DIRECTION, ARRANGEMENTS, AND ORCHESTRATIONS BY GRAMMY AND EMMY AWARD WINNER JOHN McDANIEL

JAN 19 and 20, 2023 at 7PM | Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, DC

When German cabaret stars Max Ehrlich and Willy Rosen arrived at the Westerbork Transit Camp in 1942, the star-struck commandant said, “A train leaves here for Auschwitz every Tuesday morning. If you do a cabaret performance on Monday nights, it will lift morale. And if you’re funny, you won’t have to get on the train!” So they were funny. For 18 months, they performed the funniest cabaret in Europe. This true story comes to life in Max & Willy’s Last Laugh, a new musical play based upon the actual comedy sketches, songs, and jokes that have been forgotten for over 70 years—until now

Be at the forefront of new theater. We aim to keep our new play activities accessible with affordable $15 tickets.

Part of the Catalyst New Play Festival. This inagural festival will include panels, workshops, and public presentations of works-in-progress by local and national writers, including Max and Willy’s Last Laugh. The Catalyst New Play Festival ushers in a new chapter of Mosaic’s commitment to connecting DMV audiences with thought provoking new work at all stages of development. In the 2022-2023 Season and under the Catalyst Series umbrella, Mosaic will launch the inaugural Catalyst New Play Festival, produce presentations of works in progress, and commission writers to create bold new work.

Max & Willy’s Last Laugh is generously underwritten by Myrna Sislen & Bill Rice.

The Catalyst New Play Festival is generously underwritten by David & Julie Zalkind.