How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
Any fan of Yiddish literature will recognize the name Sholom Aleichem. Billed as "the Jewish Mark Twain," he revolutionized the genre of Jewish fiction and, most famously, penned the short stories that inspired the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." Now, the National Yiddish Theatre is commemorating the 150th anniversary of Aleichem's birth with the one-man musical "Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears."
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Theodore Bikel delivers a convincing performance at 85.
The show's writer and star is Theodore Bikel, no slouch in the Jewish theater community himself; throughout his prolific career, he has held starring roles in "The Sound of Music," "Fiddler" and numerous other Broadway productions.
Bikel begins the show as himself, telling us how the icon influenced his own career and inspired him to write this play. He then launches into a first-person narrative of Aleichem's life, using anecdotes from his early childhood to just before his death in 1916.
As he speaks, black-and-white photographs of these scenes are projected onto the arch behind him, adding depth to Bikel's retellings. Some of the stories are amusing; others are wrenchingly poignant, such as the story of the unexpected disappearance of one of Aleichem's childhood friends.
Bikel's sweeping hand gestures, boisterous pacing and clever vocal impressions keep the stories interesting and prevent the play from becoming a lecture. His performance is surprisingly robust for an 85 year old; in each of the nine part-Yiddish, part-English musical numbers, he surprises the audience with the rich baritone of a man half his age.
Later on in the play, Bikel unexpectedly takes on the persona of Tevye, Aleichem's most famous character. This shift from one narrator to another demonstrates that Aleichem's character was a reflection of himself, but the transition is also slightly confusing.
While the audience is likely to be populated by elderly patrons (as this is the age group that best remembers Aleichem's stories), Bikel's play is a great fit for anyone interested in Jewish history or literature, regardless of age.
"Laughter Through Tears" is an appropriate title, as this is story of a man who retained his wit and good humor even in the face of religious prosecution — a man who once said, "I would rather be remembered with laughter than not remembered at all."
"Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears" runs through Dec. 13 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (55 Lexington Ave.). Tickets ($45 to $55, $25 students) are available at ovataiontix.com or by calling 646.312.5073.
