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December 1, 2008

Songs of Life Festival, Israel & Bulgaria, Nov 21–Dec 1, 2008

"The Songs of Life Festival" will be held in Israel and Bulgaria from Nov 21 - Dec 1, 2008. The festival will feature Sacred Service by Ernest Bloch.

The festival marks the 65th anniversary of the heroic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews during World War II and serves as a celebration of the preservation of life.

Individual performers as well as choirs are invited to perform in the festival. Performers will sing Bloch s Sacred Service in Bulgaria and Israel. The 12-day itinerary also allows for individual presentations by guest choirs and opportunities for sightseeing and guided tours. Auditors are also invited to attend the festival and participate in the tours.

Please join us in this celebration of thanksgiving that will impact generations to come.
www.SongsOfLife.org
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December 4, 2008

A Besere Velt / Klezmatics, Somerville, MA, Dec 4, 2008

STAND UP, SING OUT!

A double anniversary concert celebrating 10 years with

A Besere Velt (A Better World)
Yiddish Community Chorus of the Workmen's Circle

and 20 years with

band photoThe Klezmatics
2006 Grammy Award winner for their innovative
recording of long lost Woody Guthrie songs

Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square
Somerville, MA 02144

For further info:
Please contact the Boston Workmen’s Circle office at 617-566-6281
www.workmenscircleboston.org

December 6, 2008

Klezmer Conservatory Band, San Francisco, CA, 6 Dec 2008

Klezmer Conservatory Band
Dec 6, 2008, 8pm
San Francsico Jewish Community Center
3200 California St.,
San Francisco, CA
(415) 292-1233

Tickets: www.jccsf.org

December 7, 2008

Metropolitan Klezmer, Brooklyn, NY, Dec 7, 2008

band photoMetropolitan Klezmer

Sunday, December 7
7:00pm
Temple Sholom of Brooklyn
2075 E 68th Street # 1
Brooklyn, NY 11234
Full Metropolitan Klezmer octet,
returning to Mill Basin by popular demand!
tickets $18
(718) 251-0370
www.ourtemplesholom.org

Yale Strom, Elizabeth Schwartz w/Hot Pstromi, La Jolla, CA, 7 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 7, 2008,
1:30-2:30

Awards Celebration and Gala Concert with Elizabeth Schwartz, Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi celebrating 101 years in Southern California. For tickets and information (310) 552-2007
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The Klezmatics, Pittsfield, MA, 7 Dec, 2008

band photoThe Klezmatics
A Happy Joyous Hanukkah: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie

12/7/2008,
Colonial Theatre
Pittsfield, MA
(413) 997-4444
www.klezkanada.com

December 10, 2008

Sephardic Music Fest Teaser Night, NYC, 10 Dec 2008

Dec 10, 2008 @ 8 pm
Sephardic Music Festival Teaser NightSEPHARDIC MUSIC FESTIVAL
TEASER NIGHT
Galeet Dardashti's new project "The Naming" featuring SYREN Modern Dance
Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos)
70 North 6th St, Williamsburg, NY
Doors 7:30pm
Following Galeet's show, Electro Morocco and DJ Diwon will play featuring Smadar & Sam Thomas.

Sephardic Music Fest Teaser Night, NYC, 10 Dec 2008

Dec 10, 2008 @ 8 pm
Sephardic Music Festival Teaser NightSEPHARDIC MUSIC FESTIVAL
TEASER NIGHT
Galeet Dardashti's new project "The Naming" featuring SYREN Modern Dance
Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos)
70 North 6th St, Williamsburg, NY
Doors 7:30pm
Following Galeet's show, Electro Morocco and DJ Diwon will play featuring Smadar & Sam Thomas.

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, Lörrach, Germany, 10 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/10/2008
tbd
Lörrach, Germany
+ 49 (0) 76 21 940-8933
www.stimmen.com

December 11, 2008

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, Barcelona, Spain, 11 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/11/2008
Barcelona, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

December 12, 2008

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, San Sebastian, Spain, 12 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/12/2008
San Sebastian, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

December 13, 2008

Di Chuzpenics, Neustadt in Holstein, Germany, Dec 13, 2008

Di ChuzpenicsDi Chuzpenics

Sonnabend, 13. Dezember 2008, 20 Uhr:
Kulturzentrum Forum, Neustadt in Holstein
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Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi, NYC, Dec 13, 2008

Hot PstromiDec. 13th, 7pm
Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi return for the annual Khanike in the Heights concert and party at Hebrew Tabernacle, 551 Fort Washington Avenue (at 185th Street).

For tickets and information, 212 568-8304
www.hebrewtabernacle.org

Yale Strom, Elizabeth Schwartz w/Hot Pstromi, La Jolla, CA, 13 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 13, 2008, 7:30pm:

Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi return for the annual Khanike in the Heights concert and party at Hebrew Tabernacle, 551 Fort Washington Avenue (at 185th Street). For tickets and information, 212 568-8304
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December 14, 2008

Metropolitan Klezmer, New York, NY, Dec 14, 2008

band photoMetropolitan Klezmer

SUNDAY 12/14, 2PM: Lenox Hill House 331 E 70 St NYC
$5 QUARTET! 212-744-5022 www.lenoxhill.org

Klezmer Jam, Brookline, MA, 14 Dec, 2008

The December Workmen's Circle klezmer jam is Sunday, Dec. 14 (the second Sunday for this month) , 7-9 pm at the Workmen's Circle, 1762 Beacon Street in Brookline, about 5 blocks west of Washington Square, which is about 12 blocks west of Coolidge Corner, right on the Green Line Beacon Street route. We play from printed music, which we will have available in C and B-flat. All levels of players are welcome. There is a piano, though keyboard players are urged to bring a portable keyboard.

Yale Strom, Elizabeth Schwartz, Ismail Butera, Yonkers, NY, 14 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 14, 1pm:

Yale Strom, Elizabeth Schwartz and Ismail Butera in concert at the Hudson River Museum 511 Warburton Avenue in Yonkers.

For information, call 917 963-4550.
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The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, Bilbao area, Spain, 14 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/14/2008
Bilbao area, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

December 16, 2008

"Beyond Boundaries", NYC, 16 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 16, 2008:

3Pm to 4:30:
Symposium 'Beyond Boundaries: Klezmer in the 21st Century' at CUNY's Martin E. Segal Theatre.

7pm:
Concert with Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi and special guests celebrating the first anniversary of the historic 'Great Day on Eldridge Street' photo and gathering. Martin E. Segal Theatre, CUNY, New York
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The Center will be co-presenting, “Beyond Boundaries: Klezmer Music in the 21st Century”. Featuring distinguished Klezmer performers, scholars, composers and cultural mediators, the event will be comprised of an afternoon Symposium with Music (3-5:30 PM) and an evening Concert (7-9 PM).

This event is part of the ‘Beyond Boundaries Series in Jewish Music’ launched by the Center for Jewish Studies in Spring, 2008. The series seeks to explore aspects of Jewish music from the perspectives of multiple geographies, cultural identities and musical styles.

The afternoon symposium with music at 3:00 p.m. will consider the current state of Klezmer music and its implications for the 21st century.

Moderated by Dr. Marsha Dubrow, Resident Scholar in Jewish Music at the CUNY Graduate Center’s Center for Jewish Studies, the symposium features noted Klezmer experts Alicia Svigals, Hankus Netsky, Yale Strom, Joel Rubin, Eve Sicular, Seth Rogovoy, and composer, Stephen Dankner, in a series of presentations followed by an eclectic conversation that promises to stimulate rich discussion about Klezmer as a world music genre with a long history and evolving future.

Klezmer has a many centuries history, but its revival in the late 20th century has inspired countless musicians of all stripes to jump into the fray and ‘mix it up’ with all types of musics including classical, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, and other pop genres.

The panelists, respected and established in their particular areas, will explore the current Klezmer scene not only in America, but in Europe, Israel and beyond, as they consider the possible prospects of the genre for future generations of musicians and audiences.

The evening concert at 7 p.m. will feature a concert of Klezmer music by renowned Klezmer ethnographer and performing artist, Yale Strom and his band, Hot Pstromi, with the illustrious performers from the afternoon symposium joining in. In addition, internationally-acclaimed classical cellist, Matt Haimovitz, will perform composer Stephen Dankner’s ‘Klezmer Fantasy’, a boundary-crossing, contemporary classical work that incorporates various Klezmer elements, and also a work composed by Yale Strom, The Ram’s Daughter, arranged for cello and piano. Accompanying Haimovitz will be Geoffrey Burleson, faculty member at Hunter College, CUNY and Princeton University.

Yale Strom also will present brief film clips from his forthcoming documentary, “A Great Day on Eldridge Street” marking the gathering in 2007 of over 100 Klezmer musicians in lower Manhattan at the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue to celebrate the joy of Klezmer music-making and its rich history.

Among the symposium particpants:

Alicia Svigals – one of the world’s leading Klezmer fiddlers and a founder of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics. She has played with and written for violinist Itzhak Perlman, the Kronos Quartet, playwrights Tony Kushner and Eve Ensler, the late poet Allen Ginsburg, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, singer/songwriter Debbie Friedman, Hasidic superstars Avraham Fried, and many others. She has appeared on David Letterman, MTV, Good Morning America, PBS’ Great Performances, on NPR’s Prairie Home Companion, Weekend Edition and New Sounds.

Dr. Hankus Netsky – A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and scholar, Vice President for Education at the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, and Chair of the Contemporary Improvisation Department at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Netsky is a founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, an internationally renowned Yiddish music ensemble, and serves as research director of the Klezmer Conservatory Foundation, dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Yiddish and Klezmer music traditions. He collaborated with violinist Itzhak Perlman on “In the Fiddler’s House” a Klezmer music video, recording and touring project which culminated in a PBS documentary and two EMI CD releases.

Yale Strom – A violinist, composer, filmmaker, writer, photographer, and playwright, Strom is a pioneer among revivalists in conducting extensive field research – over 60 ethnographic trips – in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans among the Jewish and Rom communities. He is the author of The Book of Klezmer: The History, The Music, The Folklore (2002), The Absolutely Complete Klezmer Songbook (2006), and most recently, his first children’s book, The Wedding that Saved a Town (2008) based upon a true Klezmer story. His award-winning documentary films include The Last Klezmer, L’Chaim Comrade Stalin!, and Klezmer on Fish Street. Currently Strom is Artist-in-Residence in the Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University.

Dr. Joel Rubin – Internationally acclaimed performer of Jewish instrumental klezmer music and Hasidic music. In addition to performances with traditional musicians such as the Epstein Brothers (USA) and Moshe Berlin (Israel), he was the founder and clarinetist of some of the most internationally respected klezmer ensembles, including the Joel Rubin Jewish Music Ensemble and Brave Old World. Rubin’s fifth solo album, ‘Midnight Praryer’ came out in 2007 on Traditional Crossroads. He has concertized throughout Europe, North America and Asia and has taught master classes and workshops at many universities including Yale and Syracuse, and for the Israeli and Berlin Ministries of Education. Joel Rubin wrote the first full-length doctoral thesis on Jewish instrumental klezmer music (City University of London, 2001), as well as numerous books and articles on Klezmer and Jewish Music Traditions. In addition, Rubin is the recipient of numerous research
grants and fellowships.

Seth Rogovoy – writer, award-winning critic, book author, lecturer, teacher and radio commentator. Rogovoy is the author of The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover’s Guide to Jewish Roots and Soul Music (2000) and Editor-in-Chief of Berkshire Living, an award-winning regional lifestyle and culture magazine. A cultural journalist, Rogovoy served for nearly 20 years as a rock and jazz critic for the Berkshire Eagle and writes frequently for Jewish publications including the Forward, Hadassah Magazine and the Berkshire Jewish Voice. His cultural commentary can be heard on WAMC Northeast Public Radio Network (www.wamc.org).

Eve Sicular – drummer, bandleader and film scholar, Sicular founded Metropolitan Klezmer Octet in 1994 and the all-female Isle of Klezbos sextet in 1998. Her groups have appeared on CNN Worldbeat, PBS, NPR, and multiple tours in Europe and North America. She has produced five internationally acclaimed CDs for both her bands. As a film scholar, she worked on MoMA’s series “Bridge of Light: Yiddish Film Between Two Worlds,” and subsequently curated the Film and Photo Archive department at the Yivo Institute at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. Her groundbreaking writings have been published widely, including the anthologies, When Joseph Met Molly and Queer Jews, as well as feature articles in Lilith, Mix and Davka magazines.

Dr. Stephen Dankner – composer and music commentator, Dankner received his D.M.A. from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Vincent Persichetti and Roger Sessions. He has composed nine symphonies, ten string quartets and much other vocal, choral, choral chamber and orchestral music. From 2004-2008 he was composer-in-residence with the Louisiana Philharmonic. With his Ninth Symphony premiere in March, 2010, this orchestra will have premiered six of Dankner’s symphonies. He has had residences at Yaddo, the Millay Colony and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Dankner has received five commissions from the Albany Symphony, including ‘The Klezmer Fantasy’ which was composed for cellist, Matt Haimovitz, in 2007.

Evening Concert Performers:
Matt Haimovitz: Renowned cellist, Matt Haimovitz, made his debut in 1984 at the age of 13, as soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. At 17, he made his first recording, performing the Saint-Saens, Lolo, and Bruch concerti with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, for Deutsche Grammophon. Haimovitz has since gone on to perfom on the world’s most esteemed stages, with such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic with James Levine, the New York Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta, the English Chamber Orchestra with Daniel Barneboim, the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin, and the Cleveland Orchestra with Charles Dutoit. Born in Israel, Haimovitz has been honored with numerous awards and is the first cellist ever to receive the prestigious Premio Internazionale “Accademia Musicale Chigiana” (1999). He has recorded extensively for 10 years as an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophone, and, since 2000, on Oxingale
Records, the label he co-founded. Oxingale Records was singled out by the New York Times as one of classical music’s “adventurous smaller companies (where) the real action has moved to,” and has become the model for a growing legion of independent classical labels. Haimovitz has been featured in numerous publications including Newsweek and the New Yorker, and has been the subject of full-length televised features on CBS’s Sunday morning with Charles Kuralt, PBS’s Salute to the Arts and Nova.

Geoffrey Burleson: pianist, has performed to wide acclaim throughout Europe and Noth America. He is equally active as a recitalist, concerto solist, chamber musician and jazz performer. The New York Times has hailed Mr. Burleson’s solo performances as “vibrant and compelling,” furthermore praising his “rhythmic brio, projection of rhapsodic qualities, appropriate sense of spontaneity, and rich colorings.” Burleson made his New York City solo recital debut at Merkin Hall in 2000, sponsored by the League of Composers/ISCM. He has recorded the complete piano sonatas of Vincent Persichetti. Upcoming releases include Messiaen’s“Quartet for the End of Time,” Roy Harris’ “Complete Piano Works” for Naxos, and “Odd Couple”, a program of American cello and piano works with cellist Matt Haimovitz, featuring the Barber and Carter sonatas, as well as pieces by David Sanford and Augusta Reed Thomas. Geoffrey Burleson teaches piano at
Princeton University, and is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Piano Studies at Hunter College, CUNY.

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Charlottesville, VA, 16 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 16 @8pm
Gravity Lounge
103 S 1st St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 977-5590
$15 ADV $18 DOOR

December 17, 2008

Lori Cahan-Simon & Walt Mahovlich, Beachwood, OH, 17 Dec 2008

Dec 17th, Wednesday
Green Road Synagogue
2437 South Green Road, **Beachwood, *OH* 44122. Phone: 216-381-4757
Chanukah party for Holocaust survivors
Walt Mahovlich and Lori Cahan-Simon will perform around 2pm

KLEZMANIA!, San Francisco, CA, 17 Dec 2008

KLEZMANIA!
Its Annual Public Chanukah Concert at the Oakland City Centre

December 17, 2008
12 PM to 1 PM

Admission: FREE Outdoor Concert Nice Price :-)
Location: Downtown Oakland at 12th and Broadway.
Klezmer, Israeli, and Don't Forget, Chanukah Music!

Brought to you By Entire Productions and the City of Oakland

"Jews and Jazz", NYC, 17 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 17, 2008

7pm:

Concert and panel discussion, "Jews and Jazz" at the Eldridge Street Synagogue featuring Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi with Loren Schoenberg, Executive Director, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem

Note: Elizabeth Schwartz will be participating on the panel only due to Kol Isha. For information, tickets: (212) 219-0888
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Fleytmusik CD Release Party, NYC, 17 Dec 2008

cd coverFleytmusik CD Release Party
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Banjo Jims!

Come to our CD release parteeeee!!!! 7:30pm (till about 9:00). Loads of playing—of course—plenty of CDs, tee-shirts, and dancing! (We'll make room!) Jake, Pete, and Brian will all be there, so you come too!! Here's the info to get there, including via helicopter (leave no stone unturned?!):

Banjo Jims
700 East 9th Street (corner Ave C)
New York, NY 10009
www.banjojims.com

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Asheville, NC, 17 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 17 @8pm
Club Hairspray
38 N French Broad Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 258-2027
$15

December 18, 2008

Yale Strom book-signing, NYC, 18 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 18, 2008
5:00pm to 6:15pm:

Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi concert and presentation of Yale Strom's NEW BOOK FOR KIDS! ('The Wedding That Saved A Town', Kar-Ben) at Cong. Bnai Jeshurun, 88th Street between Broadway and WEA, New York (212) 787-7600
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Hot Pstromi / Children's Book reading, NYC, Dec 18, 2008

Hot PstromiDec. 18th, 7pm: Hot Pstromi concert and presentation of Yale Strom's NEW BOOK FOR KIDS! ("The Wedding That Saved A Town", Kar-Ben) at Cong. Bnai Jeshurun, 88th Street between Broadway and WEA, New York (212) 787-7600

www.bj.org

Zamir Chorale: The Art of Jewish Music, à la Russe

The Art of Jewish Music, à la Russe
A Centennial Celebration of the Society for Jewish Folk Music

Klára Móricz

Thursday, December 18, 2008
7:30 p.m., Berenson Hall
Hebrew College, 160 Herrick Rd., Newton, MA

$15 general admission; $10 students
Advanced registration required; seating is limited

Reserve Now

Questions? 617-559-8733

How does music define a people? And how does a people define an art form-music-that embodies the essence of national, ethnic or religious identity? These are the questions that engaged Jewish composers who gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1908 to create the Society for Jewish Folk Music. The Society, which thrived in various forms, first in Russia and then in Vienna until the rise of Hitler, brought together the talents of Joseph Achron, Michail Gnesin, Alexander Krejn and others who-unlike their Western European counterparts-maintained a connection to the Jewish community while creating serious works of Jewish music for the concert stage.

Through lecture and illustrations with live musical performances, Klára Móricz will explore the Russian origins of Jewish music as a serious art form and the relationship of this body of work to emerging twentieth century Jewish nationalism and modernism. She will be joined by pianist Edwin Swanborn, tenor Elias Rosemberg and soprano Lynn Torgove.

This lecture-performance is a prelude to a concert by the Zamir Chorale of Boston, Hebrew College artists-in-residence, at Temple Emanuel, Newton, on Wednesday, December 24, 7:30 p.m., Glories of the St. Petersburg Society for Jewish Music.

Klara MoriczKlára Móricz is the Valentine Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Amherst College. She is author of Jewish Identities: Nationalism, Racism, and Utopianism in Twentieth-Century Music (University of California Press, 2008), editor of a forthcoming volume of the Béla Bartók Complete Critical Edition (University of California Press) and a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of the American Musicological Society and Studia Musicologica. A prolific author, she has published articles on Bartók, Liszt, Fauré, Schoenberg and Bloch.

Kugelplex, San Francisco, CA, 18 Dec 2008

Kugelplex
Thursday, December 18th – Amnesia, San Francisco
9pm. We’re back for our annual Christmas vs, Channukah blowout featuring us vs. perennial adversaries, The Shut-Ins.

Amnesia
853 Valencia St. bet. 19th & 20th
San Francisco
www.amnesiathebar.com

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Chapel Hill, NC, 18 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 18 @8pm
Hell Bar & Lounge
157 East Rosemary Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: (919) 932-4997

Jewltide w/The Sway Machinery, DeLeon, Cleveland, OH, 18 Dec 2008

The Sway Machinery with DeLeon

Cleveland, OH
Thursday, December 18th - 8PM doors
Grog Shop - www.grogshop.gs
2785 Euclid Heights Blvd
(216) 321-5588
Jewltide-sponsored by JDub Records

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, Gijón, Spain, 18 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/18/2008
Gijón, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

December 19, 2008

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Charleston, WV, 19 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 19 @8pm

Empty Glass
410 Elizabeth St,
Charleston, WV
(304) 345-9893
$10 ADV/$12 DOOR

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, San Cugat, Spain, 19 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/19/2008
San Cugat, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

December 20, 2008

Maxwell Street Klezmer, Skokie, IL, 20 Dec 2008

Maxwell St. Klezmer

Sat, Dec 20 2008, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Holiday Concert including an Ars Viva Christmas program.
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
Skokie, IL
Tickets: www.arsviva.org

Freylach Time Klezmer Band plays "Jewgrass", Durham, NC, 20 Dec 2008

I'm excited to tell you about a new musical adventure that Freylach Time Klezmer Band and some local Old Time musicians are planning. We are playing music together, experimenting with blending the genres and creating some very fun music. Our first public event will be a free concert Sat Dec 20 at the Broad Street Cafe in Durham. Music begins at 8 PM. You can buy dinner, snacks, or beer, or just hang out and enjoy the "Jewgrass" music. Hope to see you there!

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Richmond, VA, 20 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad

December 20 @8pm
The Camel
1621 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 353-4901

Basya Schechter's Heschel Project, NYC, 20 Dec 2008

Saturday, December 20th, 8p.m.
Basya Schechter's Heschel Project
At the Riverdale Y Cabaret series, with wine, and discussions...
The Yiddish poetry set to music, with full program translations, and notes
www.riverdaley.org
Phone: (718) 548-8200
$25

Jewltide w/The Sway Machinery, DeLeon, Los Angeles, CA, 20 Dec 2008

The Sway Machinery with DeLeon and PJA's Festival of Rights

Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, December 20th, 2008 - 8PM doors
The Troubador - www.troubadour.com
9081 Santa Monica Blvd
Price: $12
Jewltide-sponsored by JDub Records

Pomegranates & Figs - A Feast of Jewish Music, Berkeley, CA, 20 Dec 2008

Happy Hanukah!
Pomegranates & Figs: A Feast of Jewish Music
featuring

  • Teslim with Kaila Flexer & Gari Hegedus

  • Klezmer Band, the Gonifs

  • Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble
  • Sat., Dec 20, 8pm
    Zellerbach Hall (UC Berkeley Campus)
    Tickets start at $20

    For further info

    Celebrating the rich diversity of Jewish music, Pomegranates & Figs showcases the infectious exuberance of klezmer, Yiddish folk song, and the soulful traditions of Sephardic music. From the creators of Klezmer Mania!, this triple bill features the driving, danceable rhythms of klezmer band The Gonifs; the glorious harmonies of Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble; and the Bay Area string duo Teslim, featuring violinist Kaila Flexer and multi-instrumentalist Gari Hegedus—with special guests violinists Julian Smedley, Shira Kammen, and Leah Wollenberg, harpist Liza Wallace, and percussionist Faisal Zedan.

    Sightlines: 7 pm—Pre-performance talk with Francesco Spagnolo of The Judah L. Magnes Museum

Yankele, Paris, France, 20 Dec 2008

Yankele
du 20 au 23 décembre 2008 au Centre de culture chinoise, les Temps du Corps

Samedi 20, lundi 22 et mardi 23 décembre 2008 à 20h et dimanche 21 décembre à 19h

Réservation : 01 49 35 16 25 - yankele@free.f

Prix des places : 15€, 10€

10 rue de l’Echiquier, 75010 Paris - Métro : Bonne Nouvelle, Strasbourg St Denis

Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi, Brooklyn, NY, 20 Dec 2008

Hot Pstromi"TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE KHANIKE"

Creatures will stir with Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi at Barbes in Park Slope. Strom - fiddle, Norbert Stachel - reeds, Peter Stan - Accordion, David Licht - Percussion, Sprocket - Bass and Elizabeth Schwartz - vocals and hand percussion.

Cover $15
376 9th St. (corner of 6th Ave.) Park Slope, Brooklyn 347
(718) 422 0248

www.barbesbrooklyn.com

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, Madrid, Spain, 20 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/20/2008
Madrid, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

Bresler-Katsh, Providence, RI, 20 Dec 2008

Fishel Bresler and Shelley KatshIn Providence at the Brooklyn Coffee & Tea House,

Fishel Bresler & Shelley Katsh play Klezmer & Hassidic Music

5 Saturday Evenings 8 – 10 PM $9
Oct. 25, Nov. 29, Dec. 20, Jan. 31 & Feb. 28

209 Douglas Ave, 5 minutes from the Providence Marriot, (down the hill from Staples & Whole Foods): Go right on Orms along side the Marriot, over rt 95, then take first right onto Douglas Ave. We're 1/2 mile down on the right, just past the rt 95 S entrance.

For more specific directions go to www.BrooklynCoffeeTeaHouse.com

December 21, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 21 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Sunday, December 21 at 11 am 1pm and 4pm

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Klezmer Workshop, London, UK, 21 Dec 2008

Sunday 21 December 2008

Klezmer Workshop: 12 - 1pm
London Klezmer Session: 1 - 4pm

The Cross Kings, 126 York Way, N1

A festive version of the London klezmer session, which is once a month on a Sunday afternoon. Bring an instrument and a tune, or just come to shmooze & booze. The pub does great food and has comfy sofas, too... Info and tunes. Next date: Sunday 18 January.

Workshop £5; Jam £1.

Klingon Klezmer, W. Chester, PA, 21 Dec 2008

Klingon KlezmerKlingon Klezmer

What will be the klezmer of the 21st century? the 22nd? Fasten your seat belt! -- or, don't ! Prepare for warp drive !

FOR A GOOD TIME: COME TO Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre
at West Chester University on Sunday afternoon December 21 at 3:00 PM

THE KLINGON KLEZ MOTHERSHIP IS LANDING !!!

KLINGON KLEZ : good old-fashioned, heartwarming, rompin’, stompin’, fun-for-the-whole-family traditional klez/funk fusion from other planets, played by genuine aliens masquerading as virtuoso musicians!
Our goal is to take the music --and you!!--evolving and rocking into the future !
Proving that everyone can be uplifted and have a lot of fun at the same time, KLINGON KLEZ concerts typically produce mass dancing in the aisles and occasional departure into orbit.
We will rock your situation!
You will get happy!
You will go into Chanuka lit up like a, uh, menorah !!

Details:
General Admission - $15.00

to get tix in advance: www.wcupa.edu/vas

KIDS UNDER 13 FREE ! just print out this calendar listing and wave it triumphantly at the door!

Maxwell Street Klezmer, Skokie, IL, 21 Dec 2008

Maxwell St. Klezmer

Sunday, Dec 21 2008 / First show: 1:30 PM / 2nd Show: 4:30 PM
Holiday Concert including an Ars Viva Christmas program
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
Skokie, IL
Tickets: www.arsviva.org

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, Scholar Series, NYC, 21 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 21, 2008
* Scholar Series
Victor Esses Tarab Ensemble | Elie Massias Flamenco-Ladino
@ The Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th St., NYC
2-5pm | $15 | $12 ASF members
Entrance fee includes both performances, panel discussion, entrance to Yeshiva University Museum and the ASF Ladino etchings exhibit
-Co-sponsors: The American Sephardi Federation, Yeshiva University Museum, NY Council for the Humanities, the Foundation for Iberian Music, the Institute for Sephardic Studies, Jewish Awareness Through Music (JATM) and Shemspeed
BUY TICKETS

Lori Cahan-Simon & Walt Mahovlich, Lyndhurst, OH, 21 Dec 2008

Dec 21st, Sunday
Legacy Village Bandstand
Cedar & Richmond, Lyndhurst OH
3-3:30pm Outside! Good thing it's only a 1/2 hour and with giant heaters on the stage.
Walt Mahovlich and Lori Cahan-Simon
FREE!!!!!

Metropolitan Klezmer, Nyack, NY, Dec 21, 2008

band photoMetropolitan Klezmer

SUNDAY 12/21, 4PM: Riverspace Arts, Nyack NY
119 Main Street. Temple Beth Torah choir opens...
FULL OCTET 845-348-0741 www.riverspace.org

Lox & Vodka, Olney, MD, 21 Dec 2008

Light the first night's Chanukah candles with
Lox & Vodka
FREE Dreidels and Latkes (potato pancakes!) too

Sunday, December 21
4:30-6:30

Bring your family, friends and Chanukah spirit to:
B.J. Pumpernickels
18169 Town Center Dr
Olney Town Center
Olney, MD 20832

Happiest of holidays.
Hope to see you there.

Opening Night: 4th Annual NY Sephardic Music Fest, NYC, 21 Dec 2008

Sarah AroesteDecember 21st, NYC 7 PM
Opening Night 4th Annual NY Sephardic Music Festival and Special Holiday Show!
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleeker Street
6 PM Doors Open

Full Sarah Aroeste Band
(Sarah Aroeste- vocals; Emmanuel Mann- bass; Dan Nadel- flamenco guitar; Mal Stein-drums)
Also with Diwon and Pharaoh's Daughter
$15 advance/$18 door
Click here for more info & to purchase tix

Yankele, Paris, France, 21 Dec 2008

Yankele
du 20 au 23 décembre 2008 au Centre de culture chinoise, les Temps du Corps

Samedi 20, lundi 22 et mardi 23 décembre 2008 à 20h et dimanche 21 décembre à 19h

Réservation : 01 49 35 16 25 - yankele@free.f

Prix des places : 15€, 10€

10 rue de l’Echiquier, 75010 Paris - Métro : Bonne Nouvelle, Strasbourg St Denis

Good for the Jews, Alexandria, VA, 21 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Sunday, Dec 21: Birchmere Music Hall, Washington DC
Doors at 6pm, show at 7:30pm
Birchmere Music Hall, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22305
Buy tickets at the Birchmere box office, at www.Ticketmaster.com, or by calling (202) 397-SEAT.

MySpace.com/GoodForTheJews

Casco Bay Tummlers, Biddeford, ME, 21 Dec 2008

Casco Bay Tummlers
Sunday, Dec. 21, 5pm
Temple Etz Chaim
Bacon Street, Biddeford, ME

Looking for a good klezmer dance party? Look no further. This annual dinner and dance party is always a favorite.

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Binghamton, NY, 21 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 21 @8pm
Cyber Cafe West
176 Main st.
Binghamton, NY
607-723-2456
$15

The Sway Machinery, San Francisco, CA, 21 Dec 2008

The Sway Machinery with DeLeon and PJA's Festival of Rights

San Francisco, CA
Sunday, December 21st, 2008 - 6PM Doors
111 Minna Gallery -
http://www.jccsf.org/hub_web/NewJewishRit.aspx?catid=625
Sponsored by the Hub
Super 8: Hub Hanukkah Party
111 Minna Street
(415) 974-1719
Price: $8 Members/Advance $12 at the door

Zoyres Eastern European Wild Ferment, Berkeley, CA, 21 Dec 2008

band photo

Come celebrate the 1st night of Chanukah and the Winter Solstice with two sets by Zoyres Eastern European Wild Ferment.

December 21, 2 sets starting at 8pm; $10
Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley
(just east of Shattuck Avenue & downtown Berkeley BART)

Great sit-down listening spot in downtown Berkeley.

The Klezmatics w/Joshua Nelson, Pamplona, Spain, 21 Dec, 2008

new album coverKlezmatics with Joshua Nelson
Brother Moses Smote the Water

12/21/2008
Pamplona, Spain
+34 985.083.665
www.conciertosdelnorte.com

December 22, 2008

Maxwell Street Klezmer, Glencoe, IL, 22 Dec 2008

Maxwell St. Klezmer

Monday, Dec 22 2008
Two Dinner Seating Options
Dinner Seating #1: 4:30 PM / Concert: 6:00 PM
Dinner Seating #2: 7:00 PM

Winter Wonderland Express
Hannukah Dinner and Concert
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 22 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Monday, December 22nd at 7pm*
* Special discounts for 7 p.m. shows: code KLEZPM10

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Good for the Jews, Philadelphia, PA, 22 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Monday, Dec 22: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia PA
Doors at 6 pm, show at 7:30 pm
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Buy tickets at the World Cafe Live box office, online at www.worldcafelive.com, or by calling (215) 222-1400

MySpace.com/GoodForTheJews

Klezwoods, Cambridge, MA, 22 Dec 2008

Santa KlezKlezwoods present Santa Klez
Monday, Dec 22, 9pm
Atwoods Tavern
877 Cambridge st. between Inman and Lechemere.
Cambridge, MA
www.atwoodstavern.com

Casco Bay Tummlers, Brunswick, ME, 22 Dec 2008

Casco Bay Tummlers
Monday, Dec. 22
Henry and Marty's Restaurant,
Brunswick, ME

Chanukah dinner with music by the tummlers. Call 721-9141 for times and reservations.

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Lancaster, PA, 22 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 22nd @8pm
Ad Lib Cafe
51 N Market St
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 394-3794
$15 DOOR/$12 DOOR

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, Asefa & Layaliel Andalus, NYC, 22 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 22, 2008
Asefa and Layaliel Andalus
@ Zebulon
8pm | FREE
258 Wythe Ave, Williamsburg

Yankele, Paris, France, 22 Dec 2008

Yankele
du 20 au 23 décembre 2008 au Centre de culture chinoise, les Temps du Corps

Samedi 20, lundi 22 et mardi 23 décembre 2008 à 20h et dimanche 21 décembre à 19h

Réservation : 01 49 35 16 25 - yankele@free.f

Prix des places : 15€, 10€

10 rue de l’Echiquier, 75010 Paris - Métro : Bonne Nouvelle, Strasbourg St Denis

December 23, 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, Dan Nadel, Aviva, Romashka, 23 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 23, 2008
Flamenco Guitarist Dan Nadel and Ladino Singer Aviva
And the festive 9-person band, Romashka
@ Spanish Portugusse Synagague
3 West 70th St. at Central Park West
7pm | $15 adv or $18 door / all ages

Good for the Jews, NYC, 23 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Tuesday, Dec 23: Highline Ballroom, New York NY
Doors at 6 pm, show at 8 pm
HighLine Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St.
New York, NY 10011
Buy tickets at the HighLine Ballroom box office, online at
www.highlineballroom.com or by phone at 866.468.7619
Featuring special guest musicians and comedians to be announced

MySpace.com/GoodForTheJews

Community Klezmer Night, Newton, MA, 23 Dec 2008

Prozdor Hosts Community Klezmer Night

Tuesday, December 23, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Hebrew College
Berenson Hall

Free and open to the public

Celebrate the second night of Hanukah with the Prozdor Klezmer Band—an evening of music in conjunction with the Leventhal-Sidman JCC Klezmer Band and the Newton Kids Klezmer Band. The three bands will perform lively and celebratory music after a candle-lighting. More...

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, East of the River, Anistar, 23 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 23, 2008
• East of the River and Anistar
@ Drom
7:30pm | $15
85 Avenue A (b/w 5th St & 6th St)

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, Allentown, PA, 23 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 23rd @8pm
Allentown Brew Works
812 W. Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 433-7777
$15 DOOR/ $12 ADV

Yankele, Paris, France, 23 Dec 2008

Yankele
du 20 au 23 décembre 2008 au Centre de culture chinoise, les Temps du Corps

Samedi 20, lundi 22 et mardi 23 décembre 2008 à 20h et dimanche 21 décembre à 19h

Réservation : 01 49 35 16 25 - yankele@free.f

Prix des places : 15€, 10€

10 rue de l’Echiquier, 75010 Paris - Métro : Bonne Nouvelle, Strasbourg St Denis

December 24, 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, 24 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 24, 2008
Variety Show
Anthony Coleman's Sephardic Tinge, Todd Berry, Leah Siegal, Jakie Hoffman, Diwon & Rebetzin Hadassah Gross
@ City Winery
9:30pm | $25
155 Varick street between Spring & Vandam, NYC
BUY TICKETS

Good for the Jews, Seattle, WA, 24 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Wednesday, Dec 24: Triple Door, Seattle WA
Doors at 5PM, show at 7PM
The Triple Door, 216 Union Street
Seattle WA 98101
Buy tickets at www.tripledoor.com, by phoning (206) 838-4333 or at the Triple Door box office.

MySpace.com/GoodForTheJews

Klezmas Eve w/Ken Ulansey Ensemble, Philadelphia, PA

KLEZMAS EVE + CANTONESE

WHAT'S A JEW TO DO ON CHRISTMAS EVE?

IN A TWIST ON THE USUAL CHINESE-AND-A-MOVIE, TEMPLE BETH ZION-BETH ISRAEL INVITES THE ENTIRE PHILADELPHIA JEWISH COMMUNITY TO A NIGHT OF MUSIC AND MOO SHU...

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) For years the age-old question of what do Jewish people do on Christmas Eve has been perennially answered with, "Chinese food and a movie." This year, however, Temple Beth Zion Beth Israel (BZBI) in Center City, Philadelphia is putting a new spin and twirl on the old stereotype when they present KLEZMAS EVE + CANTONESE – a FREE Klezmer Music Concert a (no reservations required) and a kosher Chinese dinner (paid reservations required by December 16th) for the entire Jewish Community of Philadelphia December 24th at the synagogue at 18th & Spruce Sts.

KLEZMAS EVE
The FREE Klezmer concert, performed by the KEN ULANSEY ENSEMBLE will showcase the eclectic and ethereal strains of Klezmer Music – a style of music that is inherently Jewish in nature. The concert begins at 8:00pm in the Goldberg Sanctuary at BZBI. "Music has the universal ability to connect people from diverse backgrounds and ideologies," said BZBI's Cantor Sharon Grainer. "We wanted to create an all-ages event that would be bring together the entire Jewish Community in the Greater Philadelphia region," she said.

CANTONESE
Prior to the concert (and not to completely disregard that "age-old question") BZBI will host a kosher (meat) Cantonese Chinese food buffet. The dinner, catered by Lin's Glatt Kosher Chinese in Cherry Hill, NJ, will begin at 6:00pm and require advance reservations and payment by December 16th. Tickets are $18.00 per adult and $10 for children 10 and under. Tickets and reservations may be made visiting the website at www.bzbi.org and clicking on the KLEZMAS EVE + CANTONESE logo on the home page, or by calling the synagogue office at 215.735.5148. Directions and parking information may also be found on the website.

KEN ULANSEY
Penn Council for the Arts award-winner Ken Ulansey is a musical chameleon. He has performed contemporary classical music with Relache; jazz with his own award-winning band, The Ken Ulansey Ensemble; Latin music with Synthesis and Minas; and folk music with leading national and local songwriters. Ulansey has toured extensively in Europe and the United States, played on nearly 200 recordings, and collaborated with dancers, filmmakers, poets and storytellers. www.kenumusic.com

WHAT IS KLEZMER MUSIC?
In his book, Joys of Yiddish, author Leo Rosten explains the word klezmer comes from two Hebrew words: kley and zemer – meaning vessel of music or song.
The idea is that an instrument like a violin or clarinet, (often associated with Klezmer music), takes on human characteristics like laughing and crying - with a joyous exuberance or a soulful wailing.

Originating in the shtetls or villages and ghettos of Eastern Europe, Klezmer is a folk musical tradition that Jewish immigrants brought with them to the United States in the 1880s. Klezmer musicians, often itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as 'Klezmorim', performed at joyful
events particularly weddings, since the early middle age till the nazi and Stalinian prosecutions. They played traditional music, folk songs, folk dances and solemn hymns before prayers. A typical group contained three to six musicians. Their music was played on trumpets, bugles, flutes, clarinets, fifes, violins, cellos and drums – combining musical styles of the surrounding cultures from Central and Eastern Europe. In some ways Klezmer music was similar to Jazz – infused and informed by improvisation, unique harmonizations and creative solos. The Klezmorim earned very little money and traveled from town to town seeking out opportunities to play. As characters, the shabby Klezmorim were familiar to all Ashkenazi Jews. They were regarded as drifters, odd types and itinerant minstrels. They were a recurrent theme in the paintings of Marc Chagall and Chaim Gross.

TEMPLE BETH ZION-BETH ISRAEL
As it becomes more challenging to sustain Jewish identity and religious practices in an increasingly homogeneous culture, it becomes more important to find relevant connections between Jewish faith and modern life. By emphasizing the ethical underpinnings of the Mitzvot and the practical applications of our traditional beliefs, Beth Zion-Beth Israel (BZBI) helps its congregants not just to have faith, but to live it every day.

Established in 1946, just after the Holocaust and prior to the founding of the State of Israel, BZBI has served the community around Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square for more than 60 years. Formed by the union of three congregations, BZBI has been at home in the striking Neo-Gothic synagogue on 18th Street since 1954. Today, under the leadership of Rabbi Ira F. Stone and Cantor Sharon Grainer, BZBI practices conservative Judaism with an egalitarian worship service, bringing Torah, T'Fillah (prayer), and Gimilut Hasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness) to life in a vibrant urban community. Of course all are welcome any time at BZBI. Our building, Sanctuary and Bimah are wheelchair accessible, and we have large text Siddurim and listening devices for the hearing impaired. For more information call 215.735.5148 or visit www.bzbi.org

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, New York, NY, 24 Dec 2008

nice jewish girls gone badNice Jewish Girls Gone Bad
December 24 @8pm
Comix
353 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 524-2500
$15 ADV $20 DOOR

Jewltide w/DeLeon, Brooklyn, NY, 24 Dec 2008

Wed., December 24th in Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
featuring DeLeon + special guests
Sponsored by Brooklyn Jews

Jewltide-sponsored by JDub Records

Fishel Bresler's Klezmer & Hassidic Ensemble, Pawtucket, RI, 24 Dec 2008

band photo by Irving SchildFishel Bresler's Klezmer & Hassidic Ensemble will perform their 18th annual concert on
on Wednesday, December 24th - 7:30 PM at Congregation Ohawe Shalom Coffee House, Pawtucket RI. .

671 East Ave in Pawtucket (corner of Glenwood, nr where Blackstone meets Hope St)
Doors open 7:00PM $10 adults, $7 children (under B-Mitzvah).
Special sponsor seating in the front rows $18 per seat
Funded in part by a grant from the RI State Council on the Arts

In honor of Chanukah, Latkes will be on sale, along with other snacks & beverages.
For questions 401 273-9814

December 25, 2008

Jewish Museum Family Celebration Day, NYC, 25 Dec 2008

Mama Doni and Mama Doni Band cut loose with a rocking Chanuka show
"FUNKY MUSIC WITH A JEWISH TWIST"
Thurs, Dec 25 - Jewish Museum Family Celebration Day

At the Jewish Museum on December 25, MAMA DONI will perform favorites from her debut CD, I Love Herring (& Other Fish Shticks for Kids), along with latkelicious new songs from her new EP, I Love Chanukah! The Chanukah collection includes a wild mix of musical styles including "Latke Man," a retro-swing pop song; "The Funky Gold Menorah," a kid-friendly hip-hop dance tune; "La Vida Dreidel," a Jewish twist on Latin style; and "You Say Hanukah, (I say Chhhanukah)," a quirky steel drum, island-style number. Chanukah will never be the same!

The Jewish Museum,
1109 Fifth Avenue (at 92nd St.), NYC.
Shows at 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Family Celebration Day runs from 11:00am - 4:00pm
TICKETS: Free with museum admission.

INFO: 212.423.3200.
thejewishmuseum.org

2nd Annual Community-Wide Yiddish Cultural Festival, Berkeley, CA, 25 Dec 2008

2nd Annual Community-wide
Yiddish Culture Festival

A Great Alternative to Chinese Food and a Movie
on December 25, 2008

Program by KlezCalifornia

To be held at Congregation Netivot Shalom
1316 University Avenue, Berkeley

Live Klezmer Music! Yiddish Singing! Yiddish Dancing with instruction! Yiddish Kibbitzing (instruction provided, if you need it!) Yidishe Kinder Programming for the kids! Have a nosh - Kosher Yiddish delicacies by Lois Cooks including: kugel, kasha varnishkes, latkes with applesauce and sour cream, bagels and cream cheese, babka, mandlebrot. seltzer, coffee, and tea will be available for purchase from 12:30 to 3:30. A fantastic family event: bring Bubie, Zeydie and the eyniklekh (Grandma, Grandpa and the grandkids).


12:15 to 1:15 Workshops

Yiddish Singing and Movement For Families (Gerry Tenney & Claire Sherman)
Hassidic Dance, for adults plus youth age 8 and older. (Bruce Bierman)
Yiddish Expressions to Keep In Your Back Pocket, for people who know no
or little Yiddish. (Harvey Varga)
Yiddish Vinkl, a place to go to speak Yiddish with others. (No Leader)
The Jam'n Room, bring your instrument and jam with other musicians. (No leader,
but we know some musicians will be there!)

1:30 to 2:30 Workshops

Yiddish Crafts For Families (Claire Sherman)
Yiddish Dance, adults plus youth age 8 and older. (Bruce Bierman)
Heymishe Yiddish Singing, with songsheets in English transliteration.
(Judy Kunofsky and Mitchell Shandling)
Vaser oyf Kashe (Water for the Porridge), Yiddish film clips on the hardships of
making a living. (Zehavit Stern)
Yiddish Vinkl, a place to speak Yiddish with others. (No Leader)
The Jam'n Room, bring your instrument and jam with other musicians.
(No leader, but we know some musicians will be there!)

2:45 to 4:45 Yiddish Dance Party and Show

Live Klezmer Dance Music by Kugelplex
Dancing for One and All led by Bruce Bierman
David Rosenfeld, Badkhn (Master of Ceremonies)
Gerry Tenney
The East Bay Jewish Folk Chorus

Tickets at the door: $25 adults (18 and older), $12 kids and seniors over 65 (first two children only), third child in a family, and children under 5 are free.

Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley
Questions: Robin Braverman: 925-979-1998 or rivkah48@sbcglobal.net

Sponsored by: Congregation Netivot Shalom, Congregation Beth El, The Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, The Jewish Music Festival, Aquarian Minyan, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Chochmat HaLev, and Tehiyah Day School

David Chevan in Family & Community Concert of Jewish Music, Hamden, CT, 25 Dec 2008

David Chevan
This Thursday I will be hosting the annual Family and Community Concert at
Mishkan Israel in Hamden, Connecticut. If you have nothing to do that
afternoon (it starts at 5:00) or need a break from whatever you and your
family are up, please join us. There will be some new singers and some old
friends. It is always a lot of fun, plus there are tasty treats to eat. If
you come, please bring a non-perishable item for the food pantry.

Here's the info in great detail (just the way I send it to the press!!)
Thursday, December 25, Annual Family and Community Concert of Jewish Music
at 5: 00 p.m., featuring Cantor Arthur Giglio, Isaiah Cooper, Richard Gans,
Stacy Phillips, and the Greater New Haven Kapelye led by David Chevan,
Congregation Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Road, Hamden, CT. There is a small
admission charge and please bring a non-perishable food donation for the
food pantry. For further information, call (203) 288-3877

Strom & Schwartz in Khanika party, Amherst, MA, 25 Dec, 2008

Hot PstromiDecember 25, 2008

2pm: A Freylekhe Family Khanike! with Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz, National Yiddish Book Center, Amherst Massachusetts.

A great event for the entire family! For tickets and information, contact 413-256-4900.

Good for the Jews, Los Angeles, CA, 25 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Thursday, Dec 25: Echoplex, Los Angeles CA
Doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm
Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd. (between Scott and Park Avenues, in Echo Park)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
All ages show.
Buy tickets at Ticketweb.com
Featuring special guest musicians and comedians to be announced

MySpace.com/GoodForTheJews

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, Piamenta, Eden Mi Qedem, Diwon, 25 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 25, 2008
Piamenta, Eden Mi Qedem, Diwon & more
@ Highline Ballroom
431 W 16th St (b/w 9th & 10th Ave), NYC
10pm | $15 adv
BUY TICKETS

December 26, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 26 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Friday, December 26nd at 7pm*
* Special discounts for 7 p.m. shows: code KLEZPM10

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Golem, Washington, DC 26 Dec 2008

GolemGolem
Friday, December 26, 2008

Washington, DC
Kennedy Center,
8:00 PM,
FREE

Good for the Jews, San Francisco, CA, 26 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Friday, Dec 26: Red Devil Lounge, San Francisco CA
Doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm
Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
Buy tickets at the RDL box office, online at www.reddevillounge.com, or by calling (866) 468-3399.

MySpace.com/GoodForTheJews

December 27, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 27 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Saturday, December 27th at 11am and 1pm

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Maxwell Street Klezmer, Chicago, IL, 27 Dec 2008

CD coverMaxwell St. Klezmer

Sat., Dec 27 2008
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM / Hannukah Celebration - Eight Nights of Joy with Rabbi Joe Black
Come and see us LIVE (or tune in to hear it at WFMT 98.7 FM)
Made possible by a generous donation from the Vlad Moskin Foundation

Temple Sholom of Chicago
3480 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL

For tickets, call 773-525-4707

Good for the Jews, Chicago, IL, 27 Dec 2008

Good for the Jews?Good For The Jews
the 2nd annual "Putting the Ha! in Hannukah" tour.
(Our promise to you: No songs about dreidels. And no Israeli folk dancing.)

Saturday, Dec 27: Schuba's, Chicago IL
Doors at 7:30 pm, show at 8 pm
Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport
Chicago, IL 60657
Buy tickets at Schubas.com

Hanukkah Worldwide w/DeLeon & J. Viewz, Philadelphia, PA 27 Dec 2008

Birthright Israel NEXT presents:
HANUKKAH WORLDWIDE
co-sponsored by JDub Records

Saturday, December 27th @ North Star Bar

Featuring: DeLeon and J. Viewz, plus dreidels & gelt!

Date: Saturday, December 27, 2008
Time: 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM | 21+ | FREE

First come first serve. RSVP for your free tickets

If you'd like to attend this event, please RSVP

Further info
birthright israel logo     JDUB Records logo

Golem, DJ Joro Boro, The Wailing Wall, Boston, MA 27 Dec 2008

GolemBirthright Israel NEXT & JDUB Records present: Hanukkah Worldwide in Boston
featuring DJ Joro Boro & Golem & The Wailing Wall

Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 8:30 PM @ TT the Bear's
Doors 8 pm / Show 9 pm
$8 advance / $10 day of show

tickets here
birthright israel logo     JDUB Records logo

Maydalleh, NYC, 27 Dec 2008

"A Night of Light"
Maydalleh's Official 2008 Hebrew party- This Saturday night.

Join Maydalleh, The Israeli House and Hillel NY to celebrate Chanukah with the biggest Hebrew party New York has ever seen.

This Saturday, December 27th at
KUSH LOUNGE

PREMIUM OPEN BAR (10:00pm-12:00am)
Free drinks menu include: Grey Goose Vodka, Belvedere Vodka, Patron, Ketel One, Jack Daniels, Bombay Sapphire, and many more…)

Special drinks 12-1:00am

Brazilian drummers, Hebrew Samba, Belly Dancers, Chanukah doughnuts, and the best Hebrew music all night long. More surprises in store! Limited Capacity! See flyers for details.

Tickets are selling fast and we are almost sold out of the $32 Premium Open Bar discounted tickets! ($40 General admission will be available at the door!)

For more information and to purchase tickets go to: www.maydalleh.com/chanukah

Regular tickets will be available after 12:00am (upon availability) for $20

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, Electro Morocco, 27 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 27, 2008
Electro Morocco
@ Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette St., NYC
11pm | $15 adv
BUY TICKETS

December 28, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 28 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Sunday, December 28 at 11am and 1pm

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Lori Cahan-Simon & band, Cleveland, OH, 28 Dec 2008

Dec 28th, Sunday, Noon
The Workmen's Circle
1980 S. Green Road, South Euclid, OH
This will be a terrrific show. Joining Lori Cahan-Simon will be Walt Mahovlich, accordion
and clarinet; Alexander Fedoriouk, tsimbl and other stuff; Ken Javor, bass;
Max Rothman, fidl; and Mell Csicsila, traps and other percussion.
There will be latkes, activities for the children, Chanukah storytelling (by Lori), and a fabulous concert!
All for only $5 for W.C. members, $6 for others.
Please RSVP to 216 381-4515 with your reservation so we know how many latkes to order!!!!!!

A bronx khanike yontif w/Pesakh Fishman & Miriam-Khaye Seigel, Bronx, NY, 28 Dec 2008

Please come to our Khanike yontif - Sun. 12/28 in BX -
Master Yiddish Storyteller Pesakh Fishman and singer Miriam-Khaye Seigel
perform at the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center,
3301 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx 1:30 PM
info: 917-930-0295

Kumt dem zuntik af undzer khanike-yontif
dem 28stn detsember, 1:30 bay tog,
tsu hern dem mayster-dertseyler, Peysekh Fishman,
mit der zingerin Miriam-khaye Segal,
inem Sholem Aleichem kultur-tsenter, 3301 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx,
rog 208te gas, eyn gas fun Montefiore-shpitol.
#4 ban biz Mosholu Parkway, oder D-ban biz 205te gas.
info: 917-930-0295

Last night Hannukah Dance Party, NYC, 28 Dec 2008

Celebrate Hannukah with holiday songs, dances and sufganiot at what has become our biggest party of the year. If you missed our great party on the first night of Hanukah you have a chance to come to this one on the last night -- which will be even better.

Bring a Hanukiah for candle lighting. Refreshments welcomed (kosher only)
Sunday December 28 at 7pm - 8th Night of Hanukah

Live Music featuring Rose & Meir Beer, back by popular request with a band for singing & dancing followed by an all-request session

No partner needed.
Contribution-$10

Bridge for DANCE 2726 Broadway at 104th St.
Information (917)207-0093 / www.rikud.net
-----
--------

Lisa Parrott Trio, NYC, 28 Dec 2008

The Lisa Parrott Trio
Red Room Lounge in northern Manhattan,
1 Bennett Ave. (at 181st St), Washington Heights
Ph: 212-960-3604
Subway: A or 1 train to 181st St. stop

Sunday December 28th
7:30–10PM

$5 cover – yes only $5!

Lisa Parrott – alto & baritone saxophones
Chris Lightcap - double bass
Gerald Cleaver – drums (a dreamy rhythm section..)

This gig is sponsored by Artists Unite Live.

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Fest, Zafri, Capadocia, Anath, 28 Dec 2008

4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival4th Annual NYC Sephardic Music Festival

December 28, 2008
Miriam Zafri, Rufus Cappadocia & Anath
@ Drom
7:30pm | $15
85 Avenue A (between 5th St & 6th St)

December 29, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 29 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Monday, December 29th at 1pm and 3pm

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

DeLeon, Washington, DC 29 Dec 2008

Monday, December 29, 2008

DeLeon
Washington, DC
Kennedy Center,
8:00 PM, FREE

December 30, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 30 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Tuesday, December 30nd at 11am and 1pm

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Great Small Works end-of-the-year Spaghetti Dinner w/Michael Winograd's Infection, NYC, 30 Dec 2008

Michael WinogradMichael Winograd's Infection @ GSW Spaghetti Dinner!!

GREAT SMALL WORKS end-of-the-year SPAGHETTI DINNER bash!
Tuesday, December 30th, 7:30pm
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South, NYC

including...
MICHAEL WINOGRAD'S INFECTION - skeleton mambo with a twist!
Michael Winograd, Jessica Lurie, Petr Cancura, Jeremy Udden - reeds
Joe Moffet, Frank London - trumpets
Dan Blacksberg - trombone
Patrick Farrell - accordion
Avi Fox-Rosen - guitar
Jorge Roeder - bass
Jon Singer - xylophone, percussion
Jason Nazary, Kenny Wollesen - percussion
Kristin Slipp - vox

FLIGHT - a shadow theater piece depicting the journey of a person displaced - shadows created & performed by Erik Ruin, with assistance from Leslie Rogers & live violin score by Katt Hernandez

a GREAT SMALL WORKS Festival of Lights Shadow Show

special new year sonic massages performed by WOLLESONIC

and, excerpts from Bread & Puppet Theater's
DIRT CHEAP OPERA, after Bertolt Brecht

December 31, 2008

Klezmer Nutcracker, NYC, 31 Dec 2008

logoTHE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER
Book by Ellen Kushner
with Ellen Kushner as "Tante Miriam"
December 6th - January 3rd
Vital Theatre Company
2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side

Tix: Call (212) 579-0528 / get your tickets now!

Wednesday, December 31th at 1pm

The STORY: This summer New York's Vital Theatre commissioned me to adapt my book THE GOLDEN DREYDL (based on my piece with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra) as a fully-staged show for the holiday season. It's been a thrill working with director Linda Ames Key, choreographer Dax Valdes, and the rest of the professional staff, crew & talent at Vital. And what's more, I'm in the show!

To my delight, they cast me as the mysterious aunt, Tante Miriam, the Drosselmeier figure (and yes, I have a fabulous cape to swirl), who gives little Sara the gift of a Golden Dreydl at the family Chanukah party. The dreydl is, of course, an enchanted girl, who spins Sara off into a world of magic and adventure, riddles and demons . . . .

The REVIEWS:
"Casting the author as Tante Miriam was a stroke of genius as she gives the entire play a spiritual and essentially Jewish quality that sets it apart from the fluff of the original Nutcracker … The music is truly brilliant."—CurtainUp

"The Klezmer Nutcracker is a vibrant show. . . there's plenty in it for grownups to enjoy too, including remarkable sets, a few jokes meant to go over kids' heads, some great choreography and at least one achingly sweet moment of song. For kids there's a surprising amount of plot that definitely won't insult their intelligence, a few obligatory moments of gross-out humor and plenty of magic."—Gather

"Winning characters and enthusiastic cast …. This sort of thing is the true magic of the theater, the reason to take kids out to a show rather than plop them in front of a DVD."—Blogcritics.com

"The family party that you can actually go to."—Jewish Week

"The enterprising Vital Theatre Company’s production … contained a theatrical innocence I love…."—New York Observer

FAQ

Is it a ballet?
No. But there is lots of fantastic dancing, and we reference the classic "Nutcracker" a lot.

Is the music live?
No. But Vital re-mixed the original tracks Shirim recorded for WGBH, and they sound fantastic! It's all Tchaikovsky—kinda—arranged by Michael McLaughlin & David Harris with a klezmer twist.

Is it just for Jewish audiences?
Come on! I figure, if I can sing "Messiah" and watch "The Nutcracker" every year, it's time to open up the season to a few more traditions for everyone. We have a multi-cultural cast of great splendor; see photos here.

Is this a children's play?
Yes, but it's got enough lissome dancers & grownup in-jokes to delight even you. I strongly recommend it for kids 5–11.

How long is it?
The show runs an hour, with no intermission.

What if I want to avoid an audience full of small children?
Come to one of the 7 p.m. shows. I'm doing a "Conversation with the Author" after the ones on Dec. 18th & 22nd. Check the Vital page for dates & details.

Are there discounts available?
$10 discounts for all 7:00 p.m. shows! Just use code KLEZPM10 in advance or at the door.

Where should I sit?
I recommend the 4 back rows. It's a 9-row theatre, with seats highly raked, so all sightlines are great. If you're too close to the front you can miss some of the staging. If you book online, you can see which seats are still available & pick the ones you want.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
Please see my "Golden Dreydl" FAQ.

What else?
Books & CDs will be on sale in the lobby, and the cast & I will be out there signing programs after each show.

Sarah Aroeste, Jerusalem, Israel, 31 Dec 2008

Sarah AroesteSarah Aroeste
December 31st 8:30 PM
Festiladino
Jerusalem Theater
Henry Crown Auditorium
w/ full orchestra
100 NIS
Box Office: 02-561-1498/9

Jerusalem,
Israel

Yiddishe Cup, First Night, Akron, OH 31 Dec 2008

band photoYiddishe Cup

First Night Akron (Ohio).
8:45 p.m.
www.firstnightakron.org

Paul Shapiro's Ribs & Brisket Revue, NYC, Dec 31, 2008

Ribs & Brisket RevueNew Year's Eve and the Cornelia St. Cafe

29 Cornelia Street, NYC, New York 212-989-9319
www.corneliastreetcafe.com
between West 4th and Bleecker Sts, Greenwich Village
1 Subway to Sheridan Square; A, C, E, B, D, V, F to West 4th St.

10:00PM RIBS & BRISKET REVUE
Paul Shapiro, saxophone & clarinet; Cilla Owens, vocals; Babi Floyd, vocals; Dan Rosengard, piano; Booker King, bass; Joe Ham, drums

What more exhilarating way to bring in the New Year than with Paul Shapiro's fabulous foot-stomping RIBS & BRISKET REVUE,* w/ the incredible Cilla Owens and Babi Floyd on vocals,and Paul's wonderful six-piece band.

$50 includes a glass of Nicolas Feuillatte Vintage Brut Champagne at midnight

*Paul was visited in a dream state by the ghost of Fats Waller who convinced him that R&B originally stood for Ribs & Brisket

OR DO THE WHOLE THING RIGHT--DINNER UPSTAIRS AND RIBS AND BRISKET DOWNSTAIRS $95