The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan has announced the lineup for the Fall Theatrical Arts Programs, which will take place in-person with the Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas at Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium and JCC Harlem.
The lineup for October and November events includes a concert presentation of the world premiere of the musical Fallout, a performance by Tom Gold Dance, a new play festival with Jewish Plays Project, a conversation with a cast and a creative member of A Strange Loop, and a Salon d’Artiste with L’Atelier.
“I’m thrilled to partner with unique and exciting organizations to spotlight works that are patiently waiting to be showcased to the world,” says Jason Blitman, Director of Programs for the Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas. “Not only will we be able to share the first pieces of Tom Gold Dance, but we will be the first home for The Workshop’s multi-disciplinary artist lounge, showcasing the work of Jews of Color, Indigenous, Sephardi and Mizrahi (JOCISM). We also have two exciting theatrical events: the three playwrights who won the Jewish Play Project’s National Jewish Playwriting Competition during the pandemic will finally have their New York premieres on our stage, and Ukrainian singer-songwriter Dmitry Koltunov presents a concert of his beautiful new folk-rock musical featuring a stellar lineup of Broadway performers.”
For his Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan debut, Tom Gold Dance will present two pieces on October 26: the first full-length in-person performance of Portraits and the world premiere of B-shert. Set to chamber music by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, Portraits is inspired by the Morgan Library & Museum’s 2020 retrospective, David Hockney: Drawing from Life. Portraits premiered live in February 2021. In August 2022, the Tom Gold Dance Company presented a new work consisting of selections from Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes for solo piano. Now, Gold is developing this piece in B-shert, which will incorporate themes from the Bless: Design for Good exhibition currently on display at the Laurie M. Tisch Gallery.
At JCC Harlem on October 24, Nemuna Ceesay (Associate Director) and Jason Veasey (Original Cast Member) of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical A Strange Loop will join Exploring Black Narratives for a discussion on the intersectionality, radical self-acceptance and belonging. At A Night of Broadway and Belonging: Creating the Musical A Strange Loop, Ceesay and Veasey will speak with Lonnie Firestone, founder and director of Exploring Black Narratives. Nemuna will share how she developed the series for its Broadway run and how her own identity — as black and Jewish — is similar to and different from the show’s main character, Usher. Jason will share what it was like to be in the rehearsal room and how he created a character that represents “thought”.
On October 30, the MMJCCM will present in concert Fallout, a new American musical about family, the importance of community and the bittersweet trials of the American dream. With a book by David Goldsmith (Motown: The Musical) and directed by Shaun Peknic (Associate Producer, Once), Fallout is inspired by the life of the Ukrainian-born musical composer/lyricist, singer-songwriter and founder of the startup Dmitry Koltunov.
In the new Russian-American folk-rock musical Fallout, a Ukrainian immigrant family escapes the anti-Semitism of the Soviet Union in the aftermath of Chernobyl to settle in Brighton Beach, New York. There, 20-something Yasha struggles to reunite her family following the untimely death of her older sister. He finds hope and direction in the booming technological world of the early 2000s while coming up against the buried childhood trauma that threatens to upset them all.
Fallout: A New Musical in Concert will be followed by a discussion with the cast and creative team. The concert cast includes David Benoit (Jekyll & Hyde, Avenue Q), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast), Vicki Lewis (Anastasia, Chicago), Samantha Massell (Fiddler on the Roof), Kylie Liya Page ( Les Miserables), Christina Sajous (Spongebob Squarepants, the Broadway Musical), Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud, Hamilton) and Ryan Vona (Once, Cirque du Soleil Paramour), with cast members Ari Axelrod, Madsie Flynn , Marissa Hecker and Geoffrey Allen Murphy.
The first fellows of The Workshop, North America’s premier arts fellowship centered on the work of JOCISM artists and cultural makers (Jews of Color, Indigenous Jews, Sephardim and Mizrahi), will present an evening of works in progress at The Workshop’s Artist Salon on November 14 at the MMJCCM. The Salon will include a music video presentation, a dance piece, scenes from new plays and a photography exhibition, which interrogate, dissect, provoke, subvert and play with the many angles of Jewish collective memory and identity. . The Salon will feature work by studio fellows Avi Amon, Nemuna Ceesay, Bill DeMeritt, Rebecca S’manga Frank, Benji Kahn, Lilach Orenstein, and Daniel Terna.
On November 30 and December 1, in partnership with the Jewish Plays Project, the MMJCCM will present a Festival of New Jewish Plays. Since March 2020, three plays have won the Jewish Plays Project’s National Jewish Playwriting Contest, but the authors have yet to receive their prize: a trip to New York with a reading of their brand new award-winning play. The Festival of New Jewish Plays will feature presentations of A Moving Picture by Jenny Berman Eng, winner of the 10th annual competition, directed by Rebecca S’manga Frank; Oklahoma Samovar by Alice Eve Cohen, directed by Eric Nightengale, winner of the 11th annual contest; and the winner of the 12th annual Bess Welden’s Madeleines contest, directed by Annette Jolles.
MMJCCM ARTS + IDEAS 2022 THEATER ARTS PROGRAM
A Night of Broadway and Belonging: Creating the Musical A Strange Loop
Mon, Oct 24, 7:30-8:45 p.m.
JCC Harlem
Join JCC Harlem and Exploring Black Narratives for a discussion on intersectionality, radical self-acceptance and belonging with Nemuna Ceesay and Jason Veasey of A Strange Loop, who were both instrumental in the development of this production Tony Prize and Pulitzer Prize winner.
In Michael R. Jackson’s A Strange Loop, among the most acclaimed shows on Broadway in years, a Disney usher (named Usher), struggling to come to terms with his Big, Black, Queer self, writes a musical to feel seen. in his identity. In a conversation with Lonnie Firestone, founder and director of Exploring Black Narratives, we’ll hear from A Strange Loop associate director Nemuna Ceesay and original (Thought 5) actor Jason Veasey.
Nemuna will share how she developed the series for its Broadway run and how her own identity — as black and Jewish — is similar to and different from the show’s main character, Usher. Jason will share what it was like to be in the rehearsal room and how he created a character that represents “thought”. You won’t want to miss this special night as we dive into the unique narrative of A Strange Loop that resonated so deeply with audiences.
Wed, Oct 26, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
For its Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan debut, Tom Gold Dance will present two pieces: the first full in-person performance of Portraits and the world premiere of B-shert, both created by company founder and producer Tom Gold.
Set to chamber music by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu, Portraits is inspired by the Morgan Library & Museum’s 2020 retrospective, David Hockney: Drawing from Life. Tom Gold Dance premiered Portraits in February 2021 in a performance broadcast live from the nave of the Church of Heaven’s Rest in New York.
A new golden work, B-Shert, on selections from Gnossiennes for solo piano by Erik Satie, premiered last August. Gold expands the work to incorporate themes from the Bless: Design for Good exhibition currently on display at JCC’s Laurie M. Tisch Gallery.
Sun, Oct 30, 3:00-5:30 p.m.
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
In the new Russian-American folk-rock musical Fallout, a Ukrainian immigrant family escapes the anti-Semitism of the Soviet Union in the aftermath of Chernobyl to settle in Brighton Beach, New York. There, 20-something Yasha struggles to reunite her family following the untimely death of her older sister. He finds hope and direction in the booming technological world of the early 2000s while coming up against the buried childhood trauma that threatens to upset them all.
For one night only, the Fallout creative team, along with a company of actors and musicians from Broadway and beyond, will take us on Yasha’s journey in song. With a book by David Goldsmith and directed by Shaun Peknic, Fallout is inspired by the life of musical comedy composer/lyricist, Ukrainian-born singer-songwriter and startup founder Dmitry Koltunov. As part of the late 20th century surge of Soviet Jews in the United States, Koltunov, along with his creative team, crafted a new American musical about family, the importance of community, and bittersweet hardship. of the American dream. The concert will be followed by a discussion with the cast and creative team.
Mon, Nov 14, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Join The Workshop’s first fellows for an evening of art and culture, as they showcase work in progress that interrogates, dissects, provokes, subverts and plays with the many angles of Jewish collective memory and identity . The event will include a music video presentation, a dance piece, scenes from new plays and a photography exhibition. Fellows: Avi Amon, Nemuna Ceesay, Bill DeMeritt, Rebecca S’manga Frank, Benji Kahn, Lilach Orenstein and Daniel Terna
Wed. Nov. 30 and Thu. Dec. 1, various times
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Since March 2020, three plays have won the Jewish Plays Project’s National Jewish Playwriting Contest, but the authors have yet to receive their prize: a trip to New York. Join us as JPP relaunches with two days of exceptional readings of these award-winning new plays, featuring the best actors, directors and designers in town.
10th Annual Contest Winner: A Moving Image
By Jenny Berman Eng
Directed by Rebecca S’manga Frank
A NYU student’s storyline on a WWII Mercedes Benz labor camp collides with a legendary professor and the dark secret of his Hollywood success.
11th Annual Contest Winner: Oklahoma Samovar
By Alice Eve Cohen
Directed by Eric Nightengale
In 1887, two Latvian teenagers fled the Russian army and became the only Jews in Oklahoma Land Run. A century later, their daughter reinvents their story, aided by ghosts, blintz and strong Russian tea.
Winner of the 12th annual competition: Madeleines
By Bess Welden
Directed by Annette Jolles
Spicy with poetry, Yiddish and Spanish, Madeleines is about a family of Jewish women struggling with how to love each other through shared grief and the comfort of baking.
