Danny Kaye's drag Yiddish Gilbert and Sullivan

[SICULAR <SICULAR...>]

great material on a Yiddish Mikado done in the late 1930's at Tamiment 
Playhouse in the Poconos, starring Danny Kaye in drag.  He apparently revived 
certain numbers in later Hollywood years for late-night parties, including 
one with Judy Garland.  I read about it at the Tamiment Archives, NYU.  this 
one's not available from Tara -- many topical references.  some hilarious 
script excerpts, reminiscences from resort guests and a couple of photos.  
there was of course also a Red Mikado (hard left), a Hot Mikado (in Harlem), 
etc., in this period.  one great incongruous-accent laugh in this Yiddish 
version revolved around Hasidish dressed characters singing about Japan, 
making "Mikade" [three syllables] rhyme with "avade" [that last vowel shift 
makes for the dialect-joke punchline].

Eve

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