"A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill's" NJ True Crime Story Origins and the Controversy Surrounding It

            Beginning in June, Los Angeles-based Geffen Playhouse will be putting on a new show, A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill, based on the New Jersey True Crime story of the murder of Carol Neulander. Written by NJ native Matt Schatz, the show is a collection of songs that focus on the community’s reactions and perceptions after an admired leader falls from grace.

            The tragedy of Carol Neulander that the show follows finds her beaten to death in a staged robbery in her home in November 1994. According to Courier Post, through investigation, it became clear to investigators that the two men were hired by her husband, Rabbi and community leader Fred Neulander, who was having an affair with a Philadelphia radio show host and wished to continue it. He was convicted in 2002 for murder, and Fred (now 80) was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility to apply for parole coming in 2030.

            After the announcement of the show, many who were connected to or knew of the case have spoken out in anger over the play’s creation and premise. Most powerful has been the voice of Matthew Neulander, one of Carol’s children, who according to NJ Monthly came out and stated:  “True art can produce and convey many emotions… It should not, however, ever injure, or be created at the expense of others. We assure you, despite the show’s description, there was zero ‘humor and chutzpah’ experienced that night, or in the years that followed, by anyone who knew and loved Carol.”

            In response to the strong backlash, Geffen Playhouse and Schatz have asserted the show does not sensationalize Carol’s death and the crime that was committed, along with taking away the “humor and chutzpah” phrasing in their description.