To me, Michael Einav is a symbol of a true success, a young boy from a small town in Israel, who makes his way to the big city- Tel Aviv. There he appears in several local musicals, until he gets his big break in the Israeli version of American Idol. He doesn’t make it to the finals, but one of his performances remains unforgettable, even nine years later. Just when the offers for a debut album start flowing, he decides to devote himself to his true passion: Broadway. He then puts everything aside to work with the best creators of our entertainment industry and put together a truly one of a kind one-person cabaret, where he combines amusing and moving stories from his professional career with the best of Broadway’s repertoire. As if all of this isn’t enough, he recorded the Demo for a brand new Broadway musical in the process.
The name of the show, “On the Road to Broadway,” which plays in one of Israel’s biggest theaters, tells Einav’s biggest desire. “Since I was a little boy, I had this passion to stand on a Broadway stage, and I decided to make this dream happen, no matter what,” he says on a special interview for the Jewish Journal. “But whenever I was ready to board the plane, something came up. So I may still be here in Israel, but I know that I will get there.”
“When I was 21 I moved to London, where I studied at the Guildford School of Acting. I was positive I was going to stay there and even got myself an agent, but I suddenly got this feeling I must come back home. It was the right thing to do at the time, but ever since, I know that when the right moment comes, I will make the dream come true.”
So even though he is not quite there yet, the dream seems now closer than ever. Einav is a good friend with one of Israel’s busiest directors, Yaron Kafkafi. When Kafkafi met with some big Broadway producers to present them with a brand new musical about the life of King David, he didn’t think twice before picking Einav to record the Demo: “Playing the lead would be a dream come true, but a production of a Broadway musical is a long and complicated process and that anything can happen.”
Until then, he keeps himself pretty busy. Besides filling theaters with his show, Einav plays in an Israeli production of one of his favorite musicals: Parade, and does voices for the Hebrew versions of animated features, such as the leading male role in Disney’s Tangled. There’s no doubt the future is wide open for Einav, and after watching him perform several times, the one thing I can say for sure is that he is a born performer. When he sings, it’s hard to keep your eyes open. His voice is so intoxicating, that almost every single person in the room closes their eyes and being led by the clear notes and gentle trebles. When he sings, he carries the audience with him to a faraway land, made of childhood dreams and fantasies, because what Michael Einav does is pure magic.
I know that until he takes over Broadway, it may be a little hard for you to enjoy his voice in real life, but you will get one chance in the near future, as Einav will perform in Orange County on August 29th, along with the brilliant choreographer, Ido Tadmor. The performance will be an Introduction and charity benefit for TLC, Tilly’s Life Center, and will take place
in Shady Canyon Country Club at 100 Shady Canyon Drive, Irvine, CA 92603. August 29th, 6:30 p.m.
Until then, here’s a taste of what he can do with his voice: