The Performance

Based on a short story by Arthur Miller, The Performance is set in 1937 as the fascist atmosphere in Germany is nearing its brutal pinnacle. Harold May (Jeremy Piven) is an American Jew and gifted tap dancer. Though he is nearly past his prime, he still longs for the success and status that have eluded him. While on tour in Europe, Harold, his old flame Carol, and the rest of his troupe are scouted by Damian Fugler, a German attaché. Not Knowing the blond-haired May is a Jew; Fugler offers them a huge sum to perform one show in Berlin. Once in Germany, the troupe discovers that the show is an exclusive performance for Hitler himself. As Fugler, Harold, and the troupe's lives become intertwined, Harold is faced with a choice: either keep his Jewishness a secret for the sake of his dreams or, ironically, own up to who he really is in order to escape.