— Russell has captured the intense feelings of that time, even included a bit of humor, and through his extraordinary abilities, is able to make the audience feel personally involved. A MUST see!

— It was incredibly moving ..., and it's an extremely important message about change, fear, adversity, loss, survival, and hope.

25044 is a one-man musical story, written and performed by Russell Kaback, based on the life of his grandfather Szyjek Magier, a Polish Jewish teenager who spent four years in the Nazi labor and concentration camps. 

Presented in Russell's theatrical storytelling style that weaves together original songs on guitar, characters, sound effects and gestures, the piece incorporates personal interviews, testimonies, in-depth research and imagination, reminding us that life and hope can endure.

The show runs 60 minutes and is intended for audiences age 10 and up.

In Russ's words: 

Do not miss this Free to the Public Performance!

The true story of my grandfather’s life as a teenager imprisoned for 4 years by Nazis, slated to work until his annihilation, for the crime of being born a Jew.

The performance of this true story is set to my score of original music, accompanied by my guitar, brought to life with storytelling, coached by and collaborated with @antonio.rocha.storyteller. According to @worldjewishcongress 63 percent of US millennials and Gen Z do not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and 48 percent cannot name a single concentration camp.

About Russell Kaback:

Russell Kaback (writer, composer, performer) is a musician and educator based in South Portland, Maine. He teaches in K-12 classrooms, and writes, produces and performs original music.  He received the 2016 Joel and Linda Abromson Award and the 2018 Maine Arts Commission Project Grant in support of bringing his musical story, based on his grandfather’s experience during the Holocaust, into schools in Maine. This work has been performed in venues in Maine and Massachusetts since 2014, at the PortFringe festival in Portland, and in his grandfather’s hometown of Bendzin, Poland in 2018.  In 2022 he began collaboration with master storyteller Antonio Rocha to create the one-man musical storytelling version of the show, titled “25044”.  The performance debuted in Turner, Maine in March 2023.