Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Harvey Fierstein, Paula Vogel to Receive Legend of Off Broadway Awards by Talya Zax

The 7th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards will honor Harvey Fierstein, Paula Vogel and Israel Horovitz as Legends of Off Broadway, alongside Athol Fugard, Charlotte Moore, and Estelle Pars…

SOURCE: forward.com at 12:32PM
Saturday, November 19, 2016

New York Times Publishes Most Hilarious Leonard Cohen Correction Ever

A recent New York Times op-ed about the death of Leonard Cohen contained one of the most inadvertently hilarious corrections ever.

SOURCE: forward.com at 08:36AM
Friday, November 11, 2016

How ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Flips the Romance Script

That the show is a musical frees the story from the usual realism constraints. Once we’re in a land where people randomly break into song, we’re primed to be less judgmental of the show�…

SOURCE: forward.com at 11:51AM
Thursday, November 10, 2016

WATCH: Amazing Yiddish Rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’

Daniel Kahn’s unique genius lies in his self-described “tradaptations,” his translations and adaptations of songs across languages.

SOURCE: forward.com at 11:45AM
Saturday, November 5, 2016

A Trip Back to a New York Where Everyone Was Jewish and Gay

“Gay Gotham” at the Museum of the City of New York, celebrates what it meant to be gay in New York — and, no surprise, Leonard Bernstein and Tony Kushner are part of the show.

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Rockefeller Foundation’s Judith Rodin Aims To Take 100,000 Kids to ‘Hamilton’

How important is Judith Rodin? Ask one of the 20,000 New York public school students who got to see the Broadway hit “Hamilton” because of her and they might say she is life-changing.

SOURCE: forward.com at 09:04AM
Monday, May 25, 2015

Two Yentas Walk Into a Bar... by Meredith Blake

Old Jews Make Us Laugh With ‘Not-So-Kosher' Jokes

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:58PM

When Violence Overcame a Freedom Struggle by Gal Beckerman

Excerpt From New Book Tells of Meir Kahane's Tumultuous Reign Over Soviet Jewry Movement, and the Fatal Consequence

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:58PM
Thursday, January 23, 2014

Lipa Schmeltzer Reaches For Broadway and Beyond

On the last Sunday of 2013, Lipa Schmeltzer, the famous and controversial Hasidic singer revered by many took to the Broadway stage to celebrate 15 years of entertainment. Click here for the…

SOURCE: forward.com at 11:00AM
Thursday, December 26, 2013

On and Off Broadway, 2013 Was the Year of The Transitional Jew

Shlomo Carlebach appeared on stage this year. So did Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Asher Lev and a passel of other characters. What did they all have in common? This was the year of Jews in transitio…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Thursday, December 5, 2013

Remembering Israeli Literature's Only Nobel Laureate

Shai Agnon was a consummate Zionist. Yet, he remained nostalgic for the Ukrainian village of his youth. His contradictions continue to confound and fascinate. Click here for the rest of the …

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Wednesday, December 4, 2013

André Schiffrin, the Publisher Who Knew When the Party Was Over

The death of André Schiffrin, who presided over the publishing world for half a century, marks the end of an era for the evolving world of book producing and selling. Click here for the res…

SOURCE: forward.com at 12:32PM

Meet the Fifth (Jewish) Beatle — Manager Brian Epstein

Beatles manager Brian Epstein struggled with his sexuality and his Judaism right up until he died of a drug overdose. We discuss his legacy with the author of ‘The Fifth Beatle.’ Click h…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Deconstructing an Older Sarah Silverman

Throughout her career, Sarah Silverman has channelled shocking jokes through a character that excuses her for making them. Now, at age 42, she’s trying something more risky. Click here…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Monday, December 2, 2013

Why Bambi Is the Most Jewish Deer in Disneyland

At first, the story of Disney’s doe-eyed fawn gallivanting through the forest seems like a simple children’s tale. But some see a darker message for the Jews. Click here for the …

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Sunday, December 1, 2013

Why Thanksgivukkah Is a Portmanteau — and What That Means

Thanksgivukkah is a portmanteau, a word created by mashing up two separate words. Philologos offers a primer to some other wacky words. Click here for the rest of the article...

SOURCE: forward.com at 06:00AM
Saturday, November 30, 2013

Beloved Israeli Director Shemi Zarhin Tries His Hand at Fiction

Shemi Zarhin is best known for his films. With “Some Day,” set among the working class people of Tiberias, he makes a memorable transition into novel writing. Click here for the …

SOURCE: forward.com at 06:00AM
Friday, November 29, 2013

The Only Jewish Kid in His Moscow Class

Maxim D. Shrayer, author of ‘Leaving Russia,’ grew up in school experiencing casual anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union. Decades later, he finds himself unable to forget. Click her…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Wednesday, November 27, 2013

World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor Celebrates 110th Birthday

Alice Herz-Sommer, the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor, celebrates her 110th birthday. Benjamin Ivry pays tribute to a pianist who remains a symbol of indomitable spirit. Cli…

SOURCE: forward.com at 10:37AM

Hungary Designer Has a Little Dreidel (and a Menorah)

A Hungarian Jewish startup has an avant-garde approach to making menorahs and dreidels. Next up: modernist mezuzas and Seder plates. Click here for the rest of the article...

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Arik Einstein, Voice of Good Old Israel, Dies at 74

WIth the death of Arik Einstein, a part of Israel has passed away. A voice of Israel — the voice, for many — will sing no more, Chemi Shalev writes. Click here for the rest of the articl…

SOURCE: forward.com at 09:24PM

How Tevye's Author Got an Oklahoma Oilfield Named After Him

The name of the Sholem Alechem oilfield in Oklahoma is puzzling to locals and Yiddishists alike. Doni Bloomfield ferrets out the truth about a mystery in the Bible Belt. Click here for the r…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM

8 Best Songs To Ring in Thanksgivukkah

The rare collision of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah has resulted in a pop-cultural flavor. For your holiday listening pleasure, our critic’s playlist offers the best of both worlds (and ho…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Monday, November 25, 2013

How Hanukkah Entered American Mainstream

Hanukkah didn’t always seem to try to compete with Christmas. The holiday’s fascinating history finally gets told in Dianne Ashton’s ‘Hanukkah in America.’ Clic…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM

When George Washington Celebrated Thanksgivukkah

Regardless of what you’ve been told, this is not the first Thanksgivukkah in American history. Eric Schulmiller explains. Click here for the rest of the article...

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Sunday, November 24, 2013

Imagining Life of Dona Gracia, Portuguese Jew and Richest Woman in World

An Israeli writer stumbled onto the famous story of Dona Gracia Nasi, a 16th-century Portuguese widow. Turns out, she was likely the wealthiest woman of her era anywhere. Click here for the …

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM

Will the Real Sholem Aleichem Please Stand Up?

Is ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ a celebration of Sholem Aleichem, or a contamination of his legacy? Two new books examine the question from two very different perspectives. Click here f…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM

How an Affront to Judaism Came To Memorialize Israel's War Dead

Andarta is a Hebrew word for the war memorials found all over Israel today. Ironically the term was once derided by rabbis when used by ancient Greeks. Click here for the rest of the article…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Saturday, November 23, 2013

Celebrating 200 Years of French-Jewish Composer Charles Valentin-Alkan

This month marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of French composer Charles-Valentin Alkan. He was a furiously individual thinker — and an observant Jew in a secular land. Click here fo…

SOURCE: forward.com at 06:00AM
Friday, November 22, 2013

How 'Stars of David' Made Leap From Page to Stage

Ten years ago, Abigail Pogrebin wrote a book about Jewish identity. Little did she know that some of her favorite songwriters would help bring ‘Stars of David’ to the stage. Clic…

SOURCE: forward.com at 05:00AM
Thursday, November 21, 2013

It's Not Easy Being a Jewish Artist in a Muslim Land

Venturing into global conflict zones, some of which are Muslim, can be challenging to Jewish theater artists. Two women share the perils they have faced in Iraq and elsewhere. Click here for…

SOURCE: forward.com at 10:09AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards