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Press release for this wonderful, once in a lifetime event is below along
with contact information. Don't miss it! Hope to see you there.
Folksbiene Yiddish Theater presents
AN AMERICAN TREASURE
A GALA CONCERT CELEBRATING THE YIDDISH THEATER
A Window to a Jewish Past
A Mirror to the Jewish Soul
Honorees
Daniel Libeskind Leo Melamed
Architect Designate Chairman Emeritus
for Rebuilding Ground Zero Chicago Mercantile Exchange
Master of Ceremonies
Alan King
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
92nd Street Y 92nd Street at Lexington Avenue New York City
Gala Concert at 7PM
Cocktail reception with honorees and performers following the performance
PERFORMERS
Claire Barry
Theodore Bikel
Joanne Borts
Mike Burstyn
Adrienne Cooper
Lisa Fishman
Fyvush Finkel
Elliot Finkel
Ion Finkel
Marilyn Michaels
Zalmen Mlotek
Phyllis Newman
Eleanor Reissa
and an all star Klezmer orchestra featuring: Alicia Svigals, Michael Alpert,
Hankus Netsky, Annette Ezekiel, Susan Watts, Rachel Lemisch, Howard Leshaw,
Marty Confurius and Don Mulvaney among others
Honorary Committee
CHAIR
Patricia Watt
Theodore Bikel
Hon. Gale A. Brewer
Martha Clarke
Cy Coleman
Tovah Feldshuh
Hon. Lew Fidler
Hon. C. Virginia Fields
Hon. Alan Jay Gerson
Harrison J. Goldin
Frank Gorshin
Joel Grey
Sheldon Harnick
Hon. Alan G. Hevesi
Erica Jesselson
Elaine Kaufman
Hon. Melinda Katz
Aaron Lansky
Jack Lebewohl
Dorothy Loudon
Bette Midler
Hon. Gifford Miller
Hon. Eva Moskowitz
Hon. Jerrold Nadler
Hon. Mike Nelson
Danny Newman
Leonard Nimoy
Itzhak Perlman
Mandy Patinkin
Tony Randall
Carl Reiner
Mimi Sheraton
Joseph Stein
Elaine Stritch
Michael Tilson Thomas
Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson
Hon. David Weprin
Hon. David Yassky
Louis Zorich & Olympia Dukakis
PRESS RELEASE
Subject: An American Treasure, Gala Concert celebrating the Yiddish Theatre
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Patricia Watt (212) 595-0924
FOLKSBIENE HONORS LIBESKIND AND MELAMED AT STAR STUDDED EVENT.
ON JUNE 4TH AT THE 92ND STREET Y, THE FOLKSBIENE YIDDISH THEATRE WILL HONOR
DANIEL LIBESKIND AND LEO MELAMED AT A CONCERT/FUND-RAISER FOR THE ONLY
PROFESSIONAL YIDDISH THEATRE IN AMERICA.
(March 28, 2003): Daniel Libeskind, the architect designated to rebuild the
site of the World Trade Center, and Leo Melamed, the Chairman Emeritus of the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange, both children of Holocaust survivors, will be
the honorees at a gala concert to celebrate Yiddish Theater in America on
June 4th at the 92nd Street Y. The event, "An American Treasure, A Gala
Concert Celebrating the Yiddish Theatre - A window to a Jewish past - A
mirror to the Jewish soul", which is being hosted by the comic legend Alan
King, will feature performances by Theodore Bikel, Phyllis Newman, Mike
Burstyn, Marilyn Michaels, Fyvush Finkel, Claire Barry, Eleanor Reissa,
Joanne Borts, and other distinguished guests. The concert is being produced
by Moishe Rosenfeld, with musical direction by Zalmen Mlotek.
A number of luminaries have joined the Honorary Committee for the event to
show their support to the cause of sustaining a living, growing and creative
professional Yiddish theatre in America. The committee includes Theodore
Bikel, Martha Clark, Tovah Feldshuh, Harrison J. Goldin, Sheldon Harnick,
Alan G. Hevesi, Erica Jesselson, Councilwoman Melinda Katz, Elaine Kaufman,
Aaron Lansky, Jack Lebewohl, Dorothy Loudon, Councilman Mike Nelson, Danny
Newman, Leonard Nimoy, Itzhak Perlman, Mandy Patinkin, Joseph Stein, Elaine
Stritch, Michael Tilson Thomas, Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson, and Louis Zorich &
Olympia Dukakis.
On June 4th, the Folksbiene will mark the beginning of its 88th season. The
two honorees were chosen because they embody the energy and future of the
Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre.
Daniel Libeskind, who was born in Poland, moved to Israel and then New York,
where Daniel spent his teen years attending the Bronx High School of Science
and Cooper Union, where he studied architecture. Libeskind's design of the
Jewish Museum in Berlin has been praised internationally as an architectural
masterpiece. Now he stands before the greatest architectural challenge of all
time - the rebuilding of Ground Zero.
Leo Melamed, also born in Poland, survived the Holocaust by fleeing with his
parents across Europe and Asia, arriving in Chicago in 1941. In 1965 he left
the practice of law to trade futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Within a few years he was elected chairman and revolutionized the markets by
introducing the concept of financial futures. In 1999, he was named by the
former editor of the Chicago Tribune, among the ten most important Chicagoans
in business of the 20th century.
Tickets to the concert begin at $75. Sponsorship packages to the event, which
include admission to the cocktail reception with honorees, cast and special
guests, begin at $500. The event will take place at the 92nd Street Y, at 7pm
on Wednesday, June 4th. For tickets and information call 212-213-2120 or
visit the website at www.folksbiene.org.
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