Long Beach Hosts the American Premiere of "The Violin Maker"
Long Beach’s International City Theatre presents the American premiere of “The Violin Maker,” a moving new play inspired by the true story of Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein. Opening April 25 and running through May 11 at ICT’s home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, the production brings to life the remarkable story behind the globally renowned “Violins of Hope” collection.
Blending live music, historical memory, and emotional storytelling, “The Violin Maker,” directed by ICT artistic director caryn desai, will be performed in the Beverly O’Neill Theater (300 E Ocean Blvd), shining a light on the resilience of the human spirit through the legacy of music.
“These violins speak and what they say is hope,” desai said.
The play follows Amnon Weinstein, portrayed by Bruce Nozick, who began restoring violins that survived the Holocaust, though many were in pieces. Through meticulous repair, he gave these instruments new life, a renewed voice, ensuring that the memory of those who once played them would not be forgotten.
Weinstein’s personal story is woven with the harrowing and inspiring histories of the violins themselves, some of which will be played live on stage. Music will be performed by Dr. Noreen Green, founding artistic director of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, on piano, and violinist Jonathan Rubin on the Shony Alex Braun violin—an instrument that, though not part of the Violins of Hope collection, also survived the Holocaust and carries its own profound story.
Originally developed as “Stories from the Violins of Hope,” the play premiered in 2023 in Sydney, Australia. ICT’s fully staged version offers expanded scenes and music, following Weinstein’s transformation from a proud Israeli boy who rejected his family’s painful past, to a man who became the guardian of musical testaments to survival and remembrance.
though survivors of the Holocaust “may not be here forever, these violins will continue to tell their stories for generations.”
The Violin Maker runs April 25 through May 11 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For more information or tickets click here.
