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Apex of Yiddish theater makes its way to Davies Hall

Jun 9, 2008 3:00 AM (176 days ago) by Staff report, The Examiner
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Related Topics: SAN FRANCISCO
Michael Tilson Thomas based “The Thomashefskys” on the lives of his grandparents.
(Courtesy photo)
Michael Tilson Thomas based “The Thomashefskys” on the lives of his grandparents.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - The San Francisco Symphony presentation of “The Thomashefskys” is a music-hall apotheosis of the king and queen of Yiddish theater, Boris and Bessie T.

Says Michael Tilson Thomas, their grandson, and also creator, narrator, conductor of the show: “You can trace the whole history of Broadway music from its roots in the Yiddish theater, from klezmer and operetta, to Gershwin and Tin Pan Alley, and on to Broadway musicals.”

It’s a a tall order, but those who saw this multimedia documentary concert in 2005 vouce for it, and recommend the program wholeheartedly.

There are few events combining music, drama, comedy, personal and musical history in such a seamless, joyful manner. Judy Blazer, Neal Benari, Ronit Widmann-Levi and Eugene Brancoveanu are soloists.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at Davies Symphony Hall, located at 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. Tickets are $35 to $125. Call (415) 864-6000 or visit www.sfsymphony.org.

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Comments from Examiner Readers

3:06 AM MST on Sun., Nov. 23, 2008 re: "Performer gets risqué in new act"

rbamf ofrgta said:
hfgbnarc anvpku xlathw ievqkn pmuandsgi yeukofqa jsvc

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12:06 AM MST on Mon., Oct. 6, 2008 re: "Wicked ‘Witches’"

Examiner Reader said:
GOOD

3 agree | 3 disagree
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8:22 PM MST on Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 re: "Performer gets risqué in new act"

Bessica said:
The government should get out of marriage entirely. Straight or gay, we need good family law to protect children, we need contracts for interdependent relationships. Marriage is an important institution. Rename the legal part something else for EVERYONE. Many GLBT on the site **bisexualmingle c o m** want the same-sex marriage.

9 agree | 9 disagree
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8:36 PM MST on Thu., May. 15, 2008 re: "Theater: Hillbarn closes season with Elton John’s ‘Aida’"

Examiner Reader said:
I thought it was a great production and both Alexa Ortega and Adam Barry were absolutely fantastic.

27 agree | 18 disagree
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6:07 PM MST on Fri., Apr. 18, 2008 re: "Review: ‘Inspector’ is sadly clueless"

Examiner Reader said:
The Government Inspector: Quite poorly done. Actors unprepared. Line delivery mishaps. Overpriced. Prop failure at the end. It reminded me of sequels such as Oceans v11 - v13, where a group of well known actors use their names to draw a crowd and sell tickets. Uk. The result is a mediocre performance, in part because of too many cooks -- and some of these cooks, e.g. Geoff Hoyle are really good. Hopefully this review will save someone else the time and money.

28 agree | 18 disagree
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8:00 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 17, 2008 re: "Review: 'High School Musical' sticks to the status quo"

Parkside Poulegene said:
Re: High School Musical I just took my daughter Sharmuta to this show and we had to leave early! When we got home I took away all her "High School Musical" CD's and tee-shirts. If she even mentions the show again she's grounded for a month, and that goes for her other mother too. This show is really racist, homophobic and pro-Zionist and pro-Bush-Terror. There's too many white people in it. This show needs to be shut down and outlawed.

19 agree | 19 disagree
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10:40 AM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007 re: "Review: 'Heartbreak' at Berkeley Rep"

Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for the first honest review that I have read on this production. The length of Act two was tortuous to sit through.

392 agree | 340 disagree
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12:15 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 9, 2007 re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
I bet the scene where Macbeth and Macduff are branishing their CLAYMORES is a hoot!

309 agree | 322 disagree
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5:18 AM MST on Sat., Sep. 8, 2007 re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Playing naked? Not really - the main character's body is covered by fur! As the reader before wrote the actor playing Macbeth is extremely hairy. It is quite strange to see how hairy a mans body can be... His body hair was the most impressing thing of the whole play.

331 agree | 300 disagree
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2:23 PM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Bloody, Bold, Resolute, and Naked - AND HAIRY!!! I read an article that all actors were not allowed to shave any body hair three months before the play started to look "naturally". So it is impressive how hairy the actor playing Macbeth is - he has a furry chest and even a quite hairy back and bushy pubic hairs. It is very unusual today to see such a hairy actor fully nude, because normally an actor shaves at least his back hairs doing a nude scene on stage or in a movie... So big compliments to Daniel Eichner for presenting us his great furry body fully nude!

360 agree | 315 disagree
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11:14 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Good review... one of the few critics able to articulate some of the problems with this show. I left at intermission and the lighting was troublesome. sometimes I wonder what the other critics are thinking --- if you are still curious fgo on Saturday afternoons when the tickets are "pay what you can."

394 agree | 352 disagree
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9:27 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Munch claims "there is no denying" that the nudity in WSC's "Macbeth" "does little to enhance or elevate Shakespeare’s Scottish play." Well, the critics at www.PotomacStages.com and www.DCTheatreScene.com have taken the opposite view. Potomac Stages, in fact, wrote: "in no uncertain terms that this is a quality production that presents "the Scottish play" in a new and very effective light (or is that a new and very effective darkness?)." DC Theatre Scene wrote: "The actors’ nudity provides an extra dimension to their presentations...By being physically naked, these actors become emotionally naked as well. This production of Macbeth is a great gift to those who have the will to receive it. We are unlikely to see anything like it in the foreseeable future." So it seems the only thing there is no denying is that Munch doesn't speak for everyone.

412 agree | 321 disagree
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9:09 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Tonight's performance of "Macbeth" started at 8:05 pm and was done precisely at 10:30. I'm not the best at math, but that seems like under 2 and half hours...not over 3 hours, which the critic claims the play to be.

398 agree | 363 disagree
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6:47 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 20, 2007 re: "Eye of the beholder at the heart of ‘Fat Pig”"

JaimeK said:
Shame Fat Pig wasn't given an actual review on the acting. There were some pretty phenomenal performances. Especially Erin Riley as Helen and Courtney Ryan as Jeannie. Very VERY good show.

524 agree | 414 disagree
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2:03 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 13, 2007 re: "A trifle of a ‘Tempest’"

Examiner Reader said:
Closes in 4 days

456 agree | 407 disagree
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10:45 AM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007 re: "A harrowing choice at Theater J"

Examiner Reader said:
Why review it a few days before it closes and not mention its closing in the review?

449 agree | 438 disagree
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9:33 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shakespeare’s bloodiest"

EdnBetty said:
We just returned from Titus Andronicus, the play that Kenneth Tynan called "the worst play Marlowe ever wrote". We expected gore and got it! Tsoutsouvas was also great, but Valerie Leonard was vamping it over the top. And that voice set my teeth on edge!

752 agree | 487 disagree
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9:27 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"

Reader said:
Yes, "She Stoops to Comedy" at Woolly Mammoth is a treat!

553 agree | 471 disagree
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9:23 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"

Examiner Reader said:
Oh, we just a-DORed this show!

579 agree | 464 disagree
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