Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
#1Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 11:39amMore of a curiosity than anything else. Do any of the Broadway Stars not perform because of the holidays?
bobs3
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/12
#2Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 1:53pm
Depends on the star. Some take the high holidays very seriously others are more lax.
When Linda Lavin was starring in GYPSY she took Yom Kippur off and her understudy, Jana Robbins (who is also Jewish) went on. After the performance, at the stage door Robbins met the man who would become her future husband. His greeting was "Hi. My ex-wife lives with your ex-husband. Can I buy you a drink?"
Updated On: 9/16/12 at 01:53 PM
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#2Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 2:12pmThough not the High Holidays, there is the famous, though probably apochryphal story of the chorus girl in SUGAR BABIES who asked Ann Miller, "Are you going to work on Passover?", to which Miss Miller replied, "Honey, I don't do game shows!"
#3Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 2:26pm
The simple answer is that some do and some don't. It depends on the religious commitment of the actor. This is pretty much true of any profession, though--whether your religious commitment supercedes your professional commitment. (A recent example I remember is that Tovah Feldshuh didn't perform in IRENA'S VOW on the eve of Passover, which would lead me to assume that she doesn't perform on any high holidays)
Almost all Jewish actors, observant or not, perform on the sabbath though--it would be almost impossible to maintain a career in theatre if you consistently missed two shows a week. Steven Hill (probably best known now for his work on LAW AND ORDER) once said that he knew his stage career was over when he became a fully observant Jew and began keeping the sabbath, as he knew it wouldn't be possible for him to always miss Friday night and Saturday matinee performances.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
Updated On: 9/16/12 at 02:26 PM
#4Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 3:54pm
Just wondered how many are somewhat observant. I am a "conservative" Jew. I would never work on the holidays but will use the internet and watch television. I love to hear Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur so go to synagogue then.
Wondered about folks like Mandy and Marc. They seem more traditional observant. If they are performing live would they take personal days?
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#5Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 3:59pmAlthough he wasn't Jewish, Alec Guinness had it written into his contract that he wouldn't perform on Good Friday on the few times he acted on Broadway.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
#6Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 4:07pmUmmmm I don't think Good Friday is celebrated by Jews. It is the day remembering the crucifixtion.
Those Blocked: SueStorm. N2N Nate. Good riddence to stupid! Rad-Z, shill begone!
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#7Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 5:52pmI said he wasn't Jewish.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#8Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 7:19pm
Most likely. But, I'm sure some of them just have it written into their contracts and then its just another day off. The bigger the name, the more likely it doesn't count as a personal day.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#9Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 8:09pm
BUT in a thread intitled Jewish High Holy days when you say "Even though he wasn't Jewish he asked for Good Friday Off"... kind of gives the impression that you think Good Friday is a Jewish Holiday.
seriously not trying to be a dick.
Those Blocked: SueStorm. N2N Nate. Good riddence to stupid! Rad-Z, shill begone!
Updated On: 9/16/12 at 08:09 PM
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#10Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/16/12 at 10:29pmNonetheless you succeeded admirably.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
#11Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 12:02am
Although he wasn't Jewish, Alec Guinness had it written into his contract that he wouldn't perform on Good Friday on the few times he acted on Broadway.
What does that even mean?
Wynbish
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/27/12
#12Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 12:04amAlso, although he wasn't Buddhist either, Alec Guinness had it written into his contract that he wouldn't perform on Good Friday on the few times he acted on Broadway.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#13Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 1:34amThere was a former West End and Broadway Jean Valjean who got every friday evening and Saturday afternoon off. His name is Dudu Fischer and he got this because he was orthodox Jewish. And, as a side note, I do believe he did the role in Israel as well.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
bobs3
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/12
#14Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 6:57am
Interesting comment. Makes me wonder -- do theaters in Israel do Friday evening and Saturday matinee performances?
When I visited Israel I found it interesting that you could buy a cheeseburger at McDonalds in Tel Aviv but you couldn't get one at McDonalds in Jerusalem (this was back when I used to eat fast food).
Updated On: 9/17/12 at 06:57 AM
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#15Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 7:21am
No, theatres in Israel do not perform on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Israel actor/singer/cantor David "Dudu" Fisher played Jean Valjean in the Israeli production of Les Miz. Cameron Mackintosh liked him so much, he asked him to do the role on bradway. Fisher got a contract for six performances a week, with an alternate for Friday nights and Saturday matinees.
mamaleh
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
#16Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 9:09am
Tel Aviv is known to be a much more freewheeling city in terms of strict observation of religious laws and traditions. For instance, in a worldwide poll it was recently voted the most gay-friendly city in the world, surpassing New York, Toronto, etc. In addition to cheeseburgers, in Tel Aviv you can also get a tattoo, which is strictly forbidden by the Torah.
http://www.jpost.com/LifeStyle/Article.aspx?id=253121
I also read that Dudu did not do Sabbath performances in New York.
Inigomontoya
Featured Actor Joined: 6/24/07
#17Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 9:57am
I must correct you guys,
I live in Tel Aviv and theaters are open on both Friday night and Saturday night.
some theaters(though I might admit not the big ones, but more on the fringe side) even have shows today(which is Rosh Hashana)
#19Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 10:41am
L'Shanah Tova y'all.
I thought everything shut down for shabbos in Israel.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
ArtMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/08
#21Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 3:20pmThe bus and train stop runnung around 4:00 pm on the Sabbath in Tel Aviv.
Inigomontoya
Featured Actor Joined: 6/24/07
#22Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 9/17/12 at 7:12pm
Public transplantation and most of the stores do close from around 6:00 on Friday and until 20:00 on Saturday, but on most of the places it does not include places like restaurants, movies, theaters, bars, clubs, live music/concert hall venues.
Jerusalem is kind of a different story, but when it comes to theater, 4 of the major 7 theaters are in Tel Aviv, which is known for it's night life
#23Jewish High Holy Days and Broadway
Posted: 11/9/12 at 3:27pmI didn't want to start another thread but was hoping to get some recommendations. I'm currently vacationing in Israel... What's playing?
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