SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
A CurtainUp Review
Shlemiel the First
|
Where is it written you gotta be happy?.— Mrs. Shlemiel
|
Amy Warren and Michael Iannucci
in Shlemiel the First
(Photo: Gerry Goodstein) |
In Shlemiel the First Robert Brustein’s musical adaptation of the Isaac Bashevis Singer play, with lyrics by Arnold Weinstein and klezmer-inspired music by Hankus Netsky, Shlemiel does not break his nose. He does, through a highly comedic series of events, manage to leave home on a mission to spread the fame of the wisest man of Chelm (in Yiddish folklore, a town singularly lacking in wise men) and end up unknowingly coming back to his home town.
With all the inhabitants of this town, including his wife and two children, looking just like those in Chelm, who can blame the poor shlemiel from coming to the logical conclusion that he has chanced upon an exact replica of his very own Chelm? Happily, in this alternate Chelm, his children are more respectful and his wife is more loving.
The wisest man of this town insists that Shlemiel must keep his hands off his duplicate wife. But flesh is feeble, and soon Shlemiel discovers that even sex is better in Chelm 2. It takes the wife of the wisest man of Chelm to straighten things out and prove “The women were always wise. They knew how dumb the men were.”
Shlemiel the First was first produced in 1994 at Boston’s American Repertory Theater. For those who missed it and subsequent performances, it's back, thanks to Theater for a New Audience, the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, and other presenters, directed and choreographed by David Gordon.
The musical stars Michael Iannucci as the lovable Shlemiel and and Amy Warren as his sharp-tongued wife, his “shlemielika.” Iannucci and Warren fill the stage with many warm and loving moments. Most of the other actors play multiple roles. And the ensemble, made up of the various wise men of Chelm, don stuffed bosoms and aprons to become the wives of Chelm.
Robert Israel has created a set with a crazily slanting floor and walls and doors tilting every which way, fancifully capturing the skewed thinking of the people of Chelm. A doorway in the middle of the stage separates indoor and outdoor scenes. And Gordon has found a perfectly delightful way of using musicians and actors to change scenes, with a few surprises too delicious to reveal.
Throughout the show the lively klezmer music and the catchy lyrics accompany and enhance the action. What’s more, klezmer, a mixture of Greek and Central/Eastern European music traditionally played at Jewish celebrations, with its graceful, flowing melodies is also capable of capturing highly emotional moments.
Shlemiel the First offers many lessons. Fools can be wise, and those who think they are wise are often fools. Practical women are almost always wiser than their pompous husbands. Sometimes compassion is more important than wisdom. Goodness is the glue of human existence. And best of all, to appreciate all these lessons — you don’t have to be Jewish!
|
Shlemiel the First Based on the play by Isaac Bashevis Singer Conceived and adapted by Robert Brustein Lyrics by Arnold Weinstein Composed, adapted and orchestrated by Hankus Netsky Arrangements, additional music and music direction by Salmon Mlotek Direction, choreography and editorial supervision by David Gordon Cast: Michael Iannucci and Amy Warren; also Bob Ader, Jeff Brooks, Jesse Means, David Skeist, Darryl Winslow and Kristine Zbornik Set Designer: Robert Israel Costume Designer: Catherine Zuber Lighting Designer: Jennifer Tipton Sound Designer: David Meschter Running Time: 2hours, one intermission Theatre for a New Audience, National Yiddish Theatre - Folksbiene New York University's Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts 566 LaGuardia Place From 12/13/11; opening 12/15/11; closing 12/31/11 Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:00pm with an additional Monday evening performance at 7:00pm on December 26. Matinees are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00pm with and an additional 2:00pm matinee Friday, December 23 and one 3:00pm Sunday matinee December 18 Tickets: $75, students, and 25 or under $10 (866) 811-4111 or nyuskirball.org Reviewed by Paulanne Simmons Dec. 15, 2011 |
|
Musical Numbers
| |
Act One
|
Act Two
|
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. Visit Curtainup's Blog Annex For a feed to reviews and features as they are posted add http://curtainupnewlinks.blogspot.com to your reader Curtainup at Facebook . . . Curtainup at Twitter Subscribe to our FREE email updates: E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message. If you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. |
Anything Goes Cast RecordingOur review of the show
Book of Mormon -CDOur review of the show
Slings & Arrows-the complete set
You don't have to be a Shakespeare aficionado to love all 21 episodes of this hilarious and moving Canadian TV series about a fictional Shakespeare Company
