Just moments from Independence Day, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene is getting ready to explore the impact of ethnic traditions on American popular culture with its timely re-imagining of the musical Amerike – The Golden Land (running July 4 to August 6), and an Immigration Arts Summit (July 17 & 18) that will bring together a diverse tapestry of artists and arts organizations that contribute to the cultural vitality of our city.
A musical journey through the American immigrant experience from the 1880s to the mid-20th century, Amerike – The Golden Land recreates the sights and sounds of New York City as it welcomed waves of Jewish immigrants. Its score, performed by a 7-piece klezmer band led by music director and co-creator Zalmen Mlotek, is packed with popular songs of the day, showing how they were adapted and refreshed by immigrants. “It isn’t just that new Americans adopted American life,” says Mlotek, “America adopted the cultures of its immigrants. We are a melting pot culturally as well as socially, even to this day!”
To illustrate the give-and-take absorption of songs and tropes, below is a playlist of the songs in the show… songs that were heard on the radio and in the theatres along Second Avenue at the time and that continue to be covered to this day.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/12136386734/playlist/0VmOUtUmuxuw3Nd0MPtY35
Directed by Drama Desk Award nominee Bryna Wasserman, with movement and staging by Chita Rivera Award nominee Merete Muenter, and music direction and arrangements by NYTF artistic director Zalmen Mlotek, this re-conceived production of Mlotek and Moishe Rosenfeld’s Amerike — The Golden Land (originally The Golden Land) — plays a five-week off-Broadway engagement at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, in the shadow of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, from Tuesday July 4 at 7 pm through Sunday August 6 at 6 pm. The official off-Broadway opening is Monday, July 10 at 7 pm.
The cast of 12 features Glenn Seven Allen; Alexandra Frohlinger; the international klezmer star Daniel Kahn; Dani Marcus; Stephanie Lynne Mason and David Perlman. The show’s ensemble includes Ashton Michael Corey, Maya Jacobson, Alexander Kosmowski, Raquel Nobile, Isabel Nesti, and Bobby Underwood. Jessica Rose Futran and Christopher Tefft are the designated principal understudies.
The show is presented in an authentic American immigrant Yiddish (that often mixed both languages), supported by English and Russian supertitles.
The production design team reunites The Golden Bride alums Yael Lubetzky (lighting); Izzy Fields (costume design) and Muenter, who is responsible for the movement and staging. New to the team are scenic and projection designer Jason Courson, sound designer Patrick Calhoun and props designer Colleen Lynch. Eileen Haggerty is the production stage manager. The production’s casting and general management are supervised by Jamibeth Margolis, CSA, with production oversight by two-time Tony Award-nominated and two-time Drama Desk Award-nominated producer Christopher Massimine.
Established in 1915, the Drama Desk-winning NYTF brings a rich cultural heritage to life on its stage—one that was nearly destroyed some 75 years ago. Now in its record-setting 103rd consecutive season, NYTF is the associate producer of Broadway’s Indecent, winner of two Tony Awards, including the one for direction of a play.
Tickets, which are $35 to $60, are on sale now at www.nytf.org and by phone at 866-811-4111. For more information call the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at 212/213-2120, ext. 206, or visit www.nytf.org
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