Re: Musicals/Jewish content (was Oliver)

[Joel Bresler <joel.br...>]

Certainly not Broadway, but topical, given the day:

Weich-Shahak, Susana, Editor
Los Cantes de Ester. Teatro sefardí de Salonica - 1932
Renanot

Performed in Ladino.

Purim Sameach,

Joel

At 01:18 PM 3/17/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>In the Yiddish theater, there was once a show about Estherka, the
>medieval Jewish wife of a Catholic King of Poland.  I know more about
>the legend than the show, but I seem to recall that Sholom Secunda was
>involved.  The legend (it's not clear whether Estherka was an historical
>figure) has been compared to the Purim story.
>
>I'm also a little rusty on this one, but the original Broadway
>production of Oklahoma included a star of the Yiddish theatre (can't
>recall who it was) in the role of the Persian traveling salesman, Ali
>Hakim.  Apparently, he'd played the role very Yiddishly for comic
>effect.
>
>I've also heard that an early draft of West Side Story had one of the
>gangs being Jewish.  Frankly, that boggles the mind, not that there were
>never Jewish gangs, but it's hard to imagine one in that show.
>
>It's rather remarkable how few musicals have had Jewish content given
>the Jewishness of so many of the creative forces.
>
>
>
>Kfarcenter (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
>
> >
> > I mistakenly wrote Ragtime in place of Rags- thanks to Elliot for the
> > correction.
> >
> > I've wondered why a true Story of Esther musical hasn't been mounted
> > on or off Broadway.  The story and charachters lends themselves well
> > enough.
> >
> > Conversely, has anyone attempted to compile  or do a "best of" from
> > the wealth of Purim material acros the wrorld, eityher spiel or music
> > related?
> >
> > Thoughts?
> >
> > Adam
>
>--
>Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
>Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
>Adjunct Professor of American and Jewish Studies
>Head, Division Of Composition and Music Theory
>University of Minnesota
>2106 4th St. S
>Minneapolis, MN 55455
>612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)
>
>



Joel Bresler
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