Spanish musical based on Anne Frank's 'Diary' sparks anger

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

MADRID (AFP) — A Spanish musical based on the diary of Anne Frank has split those charged with protecting the legacy of this young Holocaust victim, including her last living relative who is furious the story has been set to song.

He and other critics say a format meant to entertain is unacceptable and will stray from the brutal truth of her book, published in 1947 and since read by millions, while backers insist it will help spread her message of tolerance.

The controversy has jarred director Rafael Alvero, who got the idea 10 years ago when he was working in Amsterdam and visited the tiny apartment where the Jewish teenager and her family hid from the Nazis in World War II.

"It really moved me, and I felt I would one day bring the feelings which the place,...