Re: Thomashevsky

[Lori M Simon <lorelecs...>]

Would you share some of the stories with us, please?
Lorele

On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 22:04:58 -0500 TTova <TTova (at) rogers(dot)com> writes:
> I worked with Michael Tilson Thomas in San Francisco premiering his 
> grandmother bessie' Thomashevsky's songs. We premiered three of them 
> 
> with a 17 piece orchestra giving much attention to the original 
> orchestrations...
> The stories Michael told of his grandparents were earthy, randy,  
> hair 
> raising and outrageous....
> what a legacy...
> I believe Michael is  in the preplanning of a movie about their 
> lives...
> 
> 
> 
> On Nov 23, 2003, at 4:53 PM, Trudi Goodman wrote:
> 
> > Translates just fine.
> >
> > A rumor in the Yiddish Theatre was that Thomashevsky had so many 
> > illegitimate children that they could form a fan club. Usually his 
> 
> > current mistress(and often their child/children) would sit in one 
> of 
> > the front row seats of any house he was in.
> >
> > P.S. Michael Tilson Thomas...the conductor is his grandson.
> >
> > Trudi
> >
> > >From: Lori M Simon
> > >Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> > >To: World music from a Jewish slant
> > >Subject: Thomashevsky
> > >Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:54:16 -0500
> > >
> > >Friends,
> > >
> > >I thought I'd share this story with you. An older friend of mine, 
> 
> > Mabel
> > >Snyder (nee Fenster), grew up in the Yiddish Theater in Cleveland 
> and
> > >from time to time tells me stories. Today she shared this gem 
> with me.
> > >Boris Thomashevsky was in town doing Grine Felder and little 
> Mabel was
> > >sitting in the prompter's box, where she liked to watch from.
> > >Thomashevsky played a coal miner and in the opening scene he 
> walked 
> > down
> > >into his basement apartment, covered in coal dust, face black, 
> and
> > >prepared for himself a glezele tey (glass of tea). Since the 
> glass 
> > would
> > >have been hot, he took a towel and wrapped it around the 
> glass...and
> > >wrapped it around the glass, and wrapped it around the glass. He 
> was
> > >making such a big deal about the wrapping. Now Mabel's father had 
> 
> > warned
> > >her.that Thomashevsky was an alcoholic, like Barrymore, and when 
> he 
> > was
> > >drunk he was magnificent onstage, sometimes improvising great 
> things,
> > >improved in artistry, so everyone watched quietly to see what he 
> would
> > >do. When nothing was forthcoming but the towel shtik, the house 
> > started
> > >whispering and tittering because he had been sitting for such a 
> long 
> > time
> > >doiing the pantomime with the towel. Quietly, to the prompter he 
> said,
> > >"Momzer, gib mir a vort!" The first two rows and the orchestra 
> pit 
> > heard
> > >and were hysterical, but the rest of the house had no idea what 
> was 
> > going
> > >on. They just thought here was the great Thomashevsky, hamming it 
> up
> > >with a shtick, but really it was the drunk Thomashevsky who had 
> > forgotten
> > >his line and said, "Bastard, give me a word!" Dosn't translate as 
> 
> > well,
> > >but there ya go.
> > >
> > >Lorele
> > >> www.theresatova.com
> 

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