Jewish Music Theater

15/07/2024

Mid-summer in the Berkshires— a Doina so beautifully played by Yaeko + after four years of waiting we finally have AC in the main parlor of the mansion—so from now on summer time house concerts are much more pleasurable!

15/02/2024

Interesting things are happening in Boca Raton.

Feb 16 Boca Raton, FL – Boca International Jewish Film Festival Presents Filmmaker Stewart Schulman’s documentary, Left Alone Rhapsody – The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless on Feb 16 at 2PM at Movies of […]

20/02/2023

An original new Holocaust musical to premiere in California:

A promotional clip for “Witnesses.” Photo: California Center for the Arts, Escondido. The California Center for Arts, Escondido (CCAE), will …

28/01/2023

An opera based on a rather problematic novel portraying the tragedy of the n**i parents losing a child who pretends to be Jewish.

An expert in the representation of the Holocaust on film explains the responsibility of the reader to educate themselves beyond the depth of a single work of fiction.

19/11/2022

Last performances ar the Museum of Jewish Heritage

Dance over to the Museum of Jewish Heritage for two more opportunities to catch the Concert Presentation of 'When Zaydeh Danced on Eldridge Street', a musical adaptation of Elsa Okon Rael's award-winning book.

14/11/2022

A long lost operetta to be revived and staged at the Oswego Opera Theater.

Live Performance of “The Golden Cage” Music by Charles AbelesLibretto by Miriam SommerburgNovember 2022 (date TBA)Waterman Theater, Tyler Hall on the SUNY Oswego campus Background: 982 refugees from the Holocaust were brought from Europe to the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter in Osweg.....

08/09/2022

"Liebovar” or “The Little Blind Girl,” an opera about the resilience of the Jewish artists and children of the Theresienstadt Ghetto, premiering at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. More info below!

When the Theresienstadt Ghetto was established in 1941, it was a way station for Jews to be sent to extermination camps. By 1944, however, the ghetto was home to thousands […]

15/03/2022

Eavesdropping on Jewish dudes in their mitzvah tank.

'Trayf,' which recently saw its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, is an unorthodox tale of two 18-year-old Orthodox Jews from Brooklyn.

11/09/2020

A zoom play at the Philly Fringe Fest: worthwhile checking out!

Benjamin Behrend and Logan Schulman know people don’t typically associate sitting shiva with entertainment. That didn’t stop them from creating “Welcome to the Shiva House,” an interactive virtual performance that will run during the 2020 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. The show, which consist...

03/02/2020

Kudos to Belgian National Opera for taking the brave step to produce the about opera by Schereker, an Austrian Jewish composer who died in the 50’s.

Franz Schreker’s 1932 opera is musically rich and visually dazzling

28/01/2020

An interesting review of Ben Kaplan’s and Hannah Moscovitch’s musical:

With mixed results, Hannah Moscovitch's musical tells of a turn-of-the-last-century courtship that's halting, awkward, cursed by ghosts, and tender.

09/01/2020

A new Holocaust drama premieres — in Thailand

The composer boldly reworks excerpts from Wagner’s Die Valkyrie in the Holocaust themed opera presented in Thailand.

I started getting involved in Jewish issues in Thailand because none of my students here knew whether Thailand had won or lost the Second World War.

07/01/2020

Forbidden Love Between a Jew and a SS Guard Comes to Bangkok Opera

Curious. A new holocaust opera in Bangkok— by the composer/novelist S.P. Somtow (Somtow Sucharitkul) — worth checking out!

BANGKOK — The real-life story of an unlikely romance during one of humanity’s darkest times will come to life in an opera coming this January.

22/12/2019

Romantic Comedy THE SABBATH GIRL Will Make NYC Premiere at 59E59 Theaters

The Sabbath Girl premiers in NYC.

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is will host the NYC premiere of THE SABBATH GIRL written by Cary Gitter and directed by Joe Brancato. Produced by Penguin Rep, THE SABBATH GIRL begins performances on Tuesday, February 11 for a limited engagement through S...

01/09/2019

Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein to Star in Movie Musical—20 Years From Now | Jewish Journal

A twenty year film journey. Fascinating!

Jewish BFFs Ben Platt ("Dear Evan Hansen," “Pitch Perfect”) and Beanie Feldstein (“Booksmart,” “Lady Bird”) are teaming up to star in a film adaptation of

31/08/2019

D’var Torah: See the High Holy Days through music

Worth checking out!

Negative sensationalism in all forms of media has been increasing for a long time. There seems to be a tendency to emotionalize and emphasize the baser elements in news whether the stories are of a…

21/08/2019

Artists accuse musical of 'Jewface' for not casting Jewish actors

Here's an extremely sensitive question given the current racial climate. Perhaps we should initiate a poll about whether Jews should or should not be cast in "Jew-ish" productions.

The signatories of an open letter say the production is an 'overt appropriation… of a culture and religion… facing a crisis'

30/05/2019

Powerful political punch — Korngold’s Die tote Stadt at La Scala

Korngold'd Die tote performance at La Scala—a powerful work.

Director Graham Vick’s production becomes a hard-hitting drama for our times

17/02/2019

Mátti Kovler

Sharing the recordings of lieder-like arrangements of Yiddish songs sung by Leonid Kovler.

Today my grandfather Leonid Kovler would have turned 90. Sharing here a recording of him singing a concert of Yiddish songs in wonderful concert arrangements by Sasha Raikhelson. He was already in his seventies but still had a marvelous voice.

Konstantin Nona EliMátti D.m.MarkSonya Nelli Alla Elina Anna Irit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJk3jIQRA1M

07/02/2019

Collaborative concert to reinterpret, give voice to female figures in Torah

Interpreting patriarchal texts in a feminist manner—Rabbi Ruth H. Sohn draws messages of gender equality from the Torah.

Old books can learn new tricks. At least that's what Rabbi Ruth H. Sohn is trying to prove as she draws messages of gender equality from the Torah.These messages will…

27/09/2018

LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture At the 14th Street Y Presents Two Weeks of Theater about Israel

Definitely worthwhile checking out! Ronit Muszkatblit Mátti Kovler Floating Tower

At a moment when American and Israeli Jews are increasingly challenged to have meaningful and productive conversations about Israel and Zionism, LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture will present three Israeli-themed productions that address hot-button issues from the past and present. These provoca...

17/09/2018

Floating Tower | Immersive Kol Nidrei | Harlem, NYC

Floating Tower and Mátti Kovler present an alternative take on the Kol Nidre ritual at a repurposed firehouse in Harlem. Featuring a multicultural ensemble of musicians and dancers from the Persian, Assyrian and Yemenite traditions. Attention: audience members are invited to wear all-white. Performance will begin at 7PM sharp with no late entry. Location will be shared in an email upon RSVP.

28/08/2018

On Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, get to know his (other) masterpieces

Happy birthday, Maestro!

Leonard Bernstein gave American music so much more than West Side Story.

06/08/2018

Jewish Music - The Feher Jewish Music Center at Beit Hatfutsot

Redefining Jewish music in the 21st century. Joe Alterman

"One of Alterman’s goals in his new position is to break down people’s preconceived notions about different types of music and define what Jewish music is. “I think before it was more about presenting Jewish artists, but I now think we should look at it a little differently and say, ‘yeah we want to present a Jewish artist, but we also want to showcase Jewish compositions or pieces of music that Jews have produced.’”

https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/ajmfs-new-director-redefines-jewish-music/

31/07/2018

Jew You Love Me? at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre | Review

A New JEWish cabaret production just presented in London. David Djemal and Shachar Shar Shamai - singer & voice teacher

Because of the convincing plotlines, the show overall leaves its audiences with a mixture of feelings. This is not a straightforward comedy. It is more of a multi-layered tale of lust, love and loss.

24/07/2018

‘Fiddler’ Has Never Seemed So Jewish

Anatevka, Anatevka! The Fiddler is back.

Stripped of its nostalgic haze in the Folksbiene’s Yiddish production, Anatevka crackles with a new, more authentic energy.

07/07/2018

The Story of the Yiddish Stage

Worthwhile checking out!

Take our newest online course to discover the world of the Yiddish theater.

17/06/2018

HaOman Hai Ensemble

Truly a masterpiece.

Sharing a fantastic youtube recording of Andre Hajdu's Dreams of Spain and Concerto for an Ending Century featuring Sofia Boys' Choir and Nayden Todorov and the Sofia Festival Orchestra.

18/05/2018

NYC Jewish-y Events, May 18 – May 27

All kinds of Jewish-y musico-theatrical events coming your way.

The Blue Dahlia Sings, The Israeli Chamber Project Plays, The Film Spiral Screens At The JCC — And More!

25/03/2017

How Did A Yiddish Opera Wind Up In Cuba Of All Places?

How did a Jewish opera end up in Cuba? A great read.

"Hatuey: Memory of Fire," originally written in Yiddish, became a hit in Havana. Turns out that Jewish culture is more popular in Cuba than you might think.