WHAT: The Shalom Foundation and The National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene
Presents: A New York City Gala Concert by Warsaw’s Only Yiddish Theater
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18th, 2014 @ 7pm
WHERE: The Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, New York City
COST: $20, $15 Folksbiene/Museum of Jewish Heritage members, $10 students
CONTACT: Box Office: 646-437-4202 http://www.nytf.org
The Shalom Foundation and New York¹s National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene,
currently in its historic 100th season, are pleased to present The Ester
Rachel and Ida Kaminska State Jewish Theater from Warsaw, Poland to New York
audiences. This is the first time the Polish Yiddish Theater company, also
known as The State Jewish Theater, has toured in North America since the
1980’s. The New York visit is called Singer¹s New York and is part of
Singer¹s Warsaw Festival of Jewish Culture (named for Warsaw native and
Nobel Prize winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer) created by Golda Tencer
and organized by the Shalom Foundation.
Sixteen members will present a gala concert featuring music from their show
“Mazel Tov” showcasing popular Yiddish songs and comedic sketches (in the
style of the most famous Yiddish comic duo “Dzigan and Shumacher”) with
English translation supertitles. The concert features an 8-piece orchestra
and Zalmen Mlotek will be guest conductor, with guest artist Frank London of
The Klezmatics and Michael Winograd. Concurrently there is an exhibition
entitled “And I Still See Their Faces: Images of Polish Jews”.
“This is a rare opportunity for New Yorkers to see artists from the only
Jewish theater in Poland, which had been the home of the largest Jewish
population in Europe and center of Yiddish culture, literature, music,
theater and film. We are thrilled to be a part of this historic event.” says
Zalmen Mlotek, Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene.
The visit could not be timelier as it is coming on the heels of the opening
of the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. The museum is
seen as a major step for Poland in repairing ties to their Jewish past. The
State Jewish Theater performed at the opening ceremony of the museum.