Re: Thomashevsky

Yup!

A great theatre story makes this marginally employed actor smile.

Trudi

>From: Lori M Simon

>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org

>To: World music from a Jewish slant

>Subject: Re: Thomashevsky

>Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 09:54:25 -0500

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

>Lorele

>On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 22:04:58 -0500 TTova 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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