Editor’s Picks:
THE JEWISH TONYS
More than 60 percent of all Tony Awards for musical productions, it turns out, have gone to Jewish composers, lyricists and librettists. (Think Rodgers, Bernstein, the Gershwins, Harvey Fierstein.) A selection of leading Broadway and nightclub singers gather to celebrate this rich tradition of Jews on the Great White Way, including Jenny Lee Stern (“Rocky: The Musical,” “Forbidden Broadway”), operatic tenor and four-time Grammy winner John Easterlin, Farah Alvin, Lesli Margherita, and more. — Monday, June 3, 7-9 p.m., Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center, 1 E. 65th St., (212) 507-9580, emanuelstreickernyc.org.
URI GURVICH RESIDENCY
Hailed as “a major new voice in jazz” (All Music Guide), the Israeli-born alto saxophonist and composer Uri Gurvich makes music that is a surprising multicultural amalgam. It blends Middle Eastern and Hebraic folk melodies with the musical traditions of all of Gurvich’s bandmates: pianist Leo Genovese and vocalist Bernardo Palombo, both Argentinian; Bulgarian bassist Peter Slavov; and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela. In his latest CD, “Kinship,” Gurvich “manages to find common ground on which to unite his group and bring every musical aspect in play together,” says AllAboutJazz. For his four-day residency at The Stone, Gurvich teams up with an eclectic crew of ethno-jazz players. — Tuesday-Saturday, June 4-8, 8:30 p.m., The Stone at the New School, 55 W. 13th St., thestonenyc.com.
LONG LOST
The works of Donald Margulies, “a poet of strained friendships and family relations” (The Times), don’t always focus on Jewish topics. But as the Pulitzer-winning playwright (“Dinner with Friends,” “Collected Stories,” “Time Stands Still”) draws upon his own upbringing as a Jewish-Greek immigrant, a certain Jewish vibe inevitably seeps in. His new work, “Long Lost,” follows the long-overdue reunion between two middle-aged, estranged Jewish brothers. When troubled Billy appears out of the blue in his brother David’s Wall Street office, the drama begins. Can family bonds smooth over past rifts? — In previews; opens Tuesday, June 4, Manhattan Theatre Club, 13 W. 55th St., manhattantheatreclub.com.
Theater
LABALIVE
In a meditation on the theme of life and death, Labalive, the 14th Street Y’s Jewish fellowship program, presents two genre-defying performances inspired by Jewish texts. In “En Garde,” Richard Saudek plays a clown trying to ritually guard a dead body so its soul can’t escape. In “Necrophoresis,” Dmitri Barcomi explores Anna Freud’s legacy through music, dance and dialogue. In the 14th Street Gallery, artist Jessica Tamar Deutsch presents whimsical drawings and writings from the diary of a 20-something Jewess. — Thursday, May 23, 7 p.m., The Theatre at the 14th Street Y, 344 E. 14th St., (212) 780-0800, 14streety.org.
NABUCCO
Made famous by it chorus “Va, pensiero” — or in English, the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” — Verdi’s opera “Nabucco” retells the story of Jewish exiles in Babylon after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Building on biblical accounts of the Babylonian exile, “Nabucco” (Nebuchadnezzar) combines political and love intrigues with some of the best-known songs in the history of opera. Starring baritone David Serero. — On various dates through Sunday, June 2, Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8301, cjh.org.
ALL MY SONS
Arthur Miller’s searing play about a manufacturer who knowingly supplies shoddy parts for WWII airplanes. Starring Annette Bening and Tracy Letts. — Through June 23, Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre, (212) 719-1300, roundabouttheatre.org.
YIDDISH FIDDLER, OFF BROADWAY
“Fiddler” in Yiddish, the unexpected runaway hit that both delighted and choked up audiences at the Museum of Jewish History, is now Off-Broadway. Directed by the acclaimed Joel Grey, a rich Yiddish translation by the late Shraga Friedman adds new depth to the iconic musical. With English and Russian supertitles. — Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., (212) 239-6200, telecharge.com.
KATORZA
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Israeli actor and stand-up comedian Israel Katorza presents an English adaptation to his popular routine. — Saturday, June 1, 10 p.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org.
Film
JEW SÜSS / POWER (1934) AND JUD SÜSS (1940)
Attempting to explain the rise of German anti-Semitism, “Power/Jew Süss” (UK, 1934), based on a novel by Lion Feuchtwanger, is the first important film of the German-Jewish exiles. Drawing upon the original film’s visuals and narrative, “Jud Süss,” the 1940s version of the film, directed by Nazi filmmaker Veit Harlan, was used as an anti-Semitic prop to justify mass murder. After screening sequences from both films, history Professor Frank Stern discusses why today the Nazi film is much better known than the original. — Thursday, May 30, 6:30 p.m., Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8301, cjh.org.
THE LOST CROWN
The Aleppo Codex, a.k.a. The Crown, is considered the most accurate and valuable edition of the Hebrew Bible. The filmmaker and great-grandson of the Crown Keeper navigates the dark corridors of its hidden history. Screening followed by Q+A with the producer. — Tuesday, May 28, 7 p.m., Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave., (646) 505-4444, jccmanhattan.org.
Music
ALON NEAR AND HILEL SALEM
Israeli-American bassist Alon Near and trumpeter Hilel Salem team up for a Smalls’ after-hours session. — Sunday, May 26, 1-4 a.m., Smalls Jazz Club, 183 W. 10th St., (646) 476-4346, smallslive.com.
SONGS OF JERUSALEM
To mark Jerusalem Day, Israeli singer Omer Shaish and the MusicTalks Ensemble offer a musical tribute to the City of David. Host and cellist Elad Kabilio provides background on a wide array of songs celebrating the city in its historic and contemporary context. — Wednesday, June 5, 7:30 p.m., Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8301, cjh.org.
Talk
IN THE BEGINNING WAS DESIRE
Avivah Zornberg blends biblical narrative and Talmud with secular literature on philosophy and psychology, breathing new life into the Adam and Eve story. Her remarks will be followed by a screening of “In the Beginning Was Desire,” a film based on Zornberg’s unique perspective by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, with visuals conceived and created by Naomie Kremer. — Wednesday, May 29, 6:30 p.m., Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center, 1 E. 65th St., (212) 507-9580, emanuelstreickernyc.org.
OUT OF THE BOX
Stepping into a bullfighting ring in Mexico for the first time in 1923, Sidney Franklin (the secretly gay “El Torero de la Torah”) launched a long career as the world’s first Jewish matador. Archivist Rachel Miller discusses Franklin’s story. Part of the “Out of the Box” lecture series. — Monday, June 3, 7 p.m., Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., (212) 294-8301, cjh.org.
EREV PRIDE
National Book Award-winning author Masha Gessen, whose work as a queer journalist in Russia under Putin has received international acclaim, joins Lab/Shul Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie to reflect on the fight for queer liberation globally. — Friday, May 31, 7 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org.
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Exhibitions
AUSCHWITZ
The most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the history of Auschwitz to date, this groundbreaking presentation brings together more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs, from over 20 institutions and museums around the world, to explore the history of Auschwitz and its role in the Holocaust. — Through Jan. 3, 2020, Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, (646) 437-4202, mjhnyc.org.
CITY OF WORKERS, CITY OF STRUGGLE: HOW LABOR MOVEMENTS CHANGED NEW YORK
From Samuel Gompers to A. Philip Randolph, this new show traces the social, political and economic story of labor through rare documents, artifacts and footage, and considers the future of labor in the city. Jewish contributions to the movement figure heavily. — Through Jan. 5, 2020. Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. (at 103rd Street), mcny.org.
LEONARD COHEN: A CRACK IN EVERYTHING
This show celebrates the singer-songwriter’s powerful legacy through mixed-media works, including a video projection showcasing Cohen’s own drawings and a multimedia gallery where visitors can hear Cohen’s songs covered by other musicians. —Through Sept. 8, The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.
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