1776 comes to Israel

February 18, 2009 - 10:01 AM by

A scene from Israel Musicals' production of 1776.

A scene from Israel Musicals' production of 1776.

English language theater is often hit or miss in Israel. There’s certainly a plethora of English production companies around the country, with JEST (Jerusalem English Speaking Theater) and the Light Opera Group of the Negev (LOGON) being two of the most established (evidently you need a good acronym).

A newer player in the field is Israel Musicals. After putting on shows like Man of Lamancha and The Sound of Music, the group is currently featuring the venerable Broadway extravaganza 1776.

I remember seeing the movie as a young teen when it was released way back in the ’70s, and thoroughly enjoying it, so it was without trepidation, I took some of my own kids to the production’s Jerusalem debut.

Kind of timely, with our own coalition back room negotiations in full swing, the musical exposes in an affectionate manner the behind the scenes tug and pull leading up to the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence in the summer of 1776 in Philadelphia.

The audience at the Gerard Behar Center was a pretty homogenous collection of middle-age to older observant American immigrants. It’s likely that most of them don’t know Hebrew well, and to get out and see a quality musical in English is a real treat.

Featuring a cast of amateur and professional American/Israeli actors and two actresses portraying the wives of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the show was a little long, but the performances were fine, the singing professional, and the spirit downright revolutionary.

1776 will be playing around the country through March. It’s not going to make you forget about Broadway, or off-Broadway, but if you like old-fashioned, wholesome musicals, 1776 will do the trick. And it provides a reminder of what real leadership really looks like, a timely tap on the shoulder in these trying times.

Tags: , , , , • Category: General, Movies, Music, Politics, Pop Culture 

Comments

2 Comments on 1776 comes to Israel

  1. David-Joe on Thu, Feb 19th 2009 2:54 AM

    2. It is not so much good leadership as to adhering to an ideal Constitution. As the United States has effectively abandoned its own these days perhaps some other country would be interested in embracing it.

    Definitely the stucture of Israel’s government is in dire need of revamping and ridding once and for all the instability and dilution that is inherent.

  2. Comrade Tovya on Thu, Feb 19th 2009 4:39 AM

    3. well that certainly is interesting!

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