World Premiere of “It’s Now or Never: Songs of Hope and Resilience”

"It's Now or Never" is a musical tribute to Holocaust survivor Renee Firestone, bringing her remarkable life to the stage through music, storytelling, original arrangements and the debut of a song cycle written in her honor. . “It’s Now or Never” traces Firestone’s journey from pre-war Europe through the Holocaust to the life she built in America as a celebrated fashion designer and advocate for Holocaust education and remembrance. The program incorporates works by composers murdered at Auschwitz, Yiddish songs, and German lieder and jazz and musical theater selections. A highlight is a Yiddish reimagining of the Elvis Presley classic “It’s Now or Never." The centerpiece of “It’s Now or Never” is “A Room of Light,” a new song cycle by composer Michael Schachter and Grammy-winning librettist Gene Scheer, drawn from Firestone’s experiences.