Synagogue Becomes A Stage For Production Of "The Big Voice"

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 11:36am

From the article:

"For close to a century, the Actors Temple on West 47th Street was considered sacred ground for performers, and now many years later, the temple is attracting a whole new set of performers. NY1’s Clover Lalehzar filed the following report.

Formally known as the Congregation Ezrath Israel, the temple was founded by a group of shop owners in Hell's Kitchen, but quickly became a sanctuary for stage and vaudeville actors, who because of their professions were not welcomed in other synagogues.

With its firm foundation in place, the temple thrived and attracted marquee names, like some of the three Stooges, and Shelley Winters. But after World War II, the congregation withered, and the temple's funds were pretty much depleted.

This did not seem to get in the way of the Temple's livelihood.

“The finances of the synagogue were not very good when I came for a number of reasons, the membership had gone down,” exaplained Rabbi Jill Hausman. “It's my job to build it up, but what a luxury I have building it up, without having to worry about money at all.”

A rather unorthodox but familiar way to pay the bills was set in motion.

For the first time in its 89-year history, the temple is doubling as an off-Broadway theater and fittingly its inaugural production is "The Big Voice: God or Merman," talks about spirituality and finding inner peace."





Read on and watch the interview.

Updated On: 1/5/07 at 11:36 AM