'Brundibár' and 'But the Giraffe'
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Based on extraordinary true events, Brundibár was originally performed by the children of the Theresienstadt concentration camp in occupied Czechoslovakia after composer Hans Krasa was able to reconstruct the score from memory (and the few pieces of the piano score he had been able to smuggle in) after he was arrested and sent there. It was performed 55 times in the camp, and was even filmed for a Nazi propaganda film, but shortly after filming, Krasa and all of the performers were sent to Auschwitz and murdered in the gas chambers.
The story of Brundibár is reminiscent of many fairy tales. Aninka and Pepíček are a fatherless sister and brother. Their mother is ill, and the doctor tells them she needs milk to recover, but they have no money. They decide to sing in the marketplace to raise the needed money, but the evil organ grinder Brundibár chases them away. However, with the help of a fearless sparrow, keen cat, wise dog, and the children of the town, they are able to chase Brundibár away, and sing in the market square.