Category
performance
Don Rickles on film for the very first time
This other Rickles will be revealed in a new feature-length documentary, \”Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,\” directed by longtime friend and fan, John Landis, best known for \”Animal House\” and \”Trading Places.\” The film premieres Dec. 2 on HBO and will later be released on DVD.
Prithee, art thou a Jew?
Jews have participated regularly in RenFaire — which recreates with the greatest possible accuracy English life during the Renaissance — and actors like Luskin are now finding greater freedom to express their cultural identity in the roles they play. The main stumbling block to date had been that Jews were exiled from England 300 years before the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The trade mission storyline allows this Ottoman tribe of 35 performers to slip its Jewish characters into the formerly Judenrein shire. In keeping with its historical recreation, Oojahm features a detailed history that includes Jewish-Muslim coexistence and cooperation.
Theater: ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ — populism through a post-punk prism
A classically trained pianist who didn\’t write his first song until he was 24, Friedman thrives on intensive research — whether it\’s the hundreds of interviews that form the basis of The Civilians\’ plays, or historical research for \”Bloody Bloody\” — and draws musical inspiration from a seemingly limitless range of styles.
Violinist Joshua Bell walks in the footsteps of masters
Bell is, by his own admission, more of a cultural Jew than a religious one. \”My mother is Jewish, a very typical Jewish mother,\” he said. \”She was very involved in my practicing. Both my parents were behind me and loved music. But for me, Jewishness was very much a cultural tie. I feel very close to the Jewish side of the family. I grew up with my Jewish cousins, going to all the bar mitzvahs, so I feel very close to that side, and I identify myself as being Jewish.\”
Pink Floyd’s Waters Caught Red-Handed
Waters\’ performance received much acclaim in Israel, but it is his spray-painting stint at the security fence in the West Bank the day before the showcase that is making lasting waves there and abroad.
Jazz and Classical in Perfect Harmony
Caine credits his successes today to a willingness to stick with his musical vision through lean times.
\”Follow that instinct,\” he urges young musicians. \”It\’ll happen, if you work hard, and you can keep moving somehow.\”
Sweet Sixteen and Ready to Rise
Kolet\’s participation in charity events has put her onstage with artists such as Elton John, U2\’s Bono and, most recently, Andrea Boccelli. She has developed a close working relationship with Klaus Meine of the legendary German rock band, the Scorpions, having performed with him last year in Israel.
L’Chaim to Kitsch!
In a dark spotlight-lit stage, a man in a long, black suit; yarmulke; and tallit slung over one shoulder fervently sings into a microphone, while a dance troupe in similar — but sexier — garb twirls behind him.
He\’s not a cantor. He\’s not a rabbi. He\’s not even religious. He is Evgeni Valevich, a performer whose repertoire includes a program of Russian Jewish music in the genre called Estrada. Estrada may be a genre unknown to Westerners, but to Russians, the term is immediately recognizable.
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