Raquel Cion in Me & Mr. Jones, photo by Steven Menendez
Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie is writer/performer Raquel Cion’s homage to the music icon’s artistry and his humanity, and to her own lifelong Bowie “soul love.” In her 90-minute cabaret performance at Pangea (178 Second Ave., New York), Cion takes us through her highs and lows, bracketed by David Bowie’s music, his life, and his death, told with humor, emotion, and passion. She describes her youthful misadventures growing up in Connecticut, her relationships, and her battle with breast cancer, and connects all of those things through the words and mysticism of an artist who meant so much, to so many.
The New York Times described Cion as “half witch… half cabaret performer,” and she lives up to that accolade. She is not an impersonator, or a cover artist. She seems somehow to embody the very spirit of David Bowie, the ultimate shape-shifter, the master of multiple personas, and the creative genius who challenged every single idea in the world of art, performance, music, and beyond.
Raquel Cion channels David Bowie, photo by Deborah Martin
Cion weaves her own story into the Bowie timeline, finding parallels with wry humor, sharing her pain, and her joy. She quotes Bowie, “I’m a born librarian with a sex drive,” and reveals that she is, in fact, a librarian. After the artist’s untimely death from cancer in 2016, Cion was diagnosed with breast cancer, and while being treated with radiation, she discovers that her tech’s name is Aladdin, like the Bowie alter ego, Aladdin Sane. She notes that during treatment she was a block away when Bowie’s art collection was auctioned off by Sotheby’s. She delights in the fact that her home in Brooklyn is in the same zip code as the Brooklyn Museum’s massive David Bowie Is retrospective, and slyly reveals that she found an error in one of the displays. Naturally she sought out the curator to inform him.
Cion is a true Bowie fan but this show is so much more than just a true fan’s tribute to a great artist. Her experience will resonate with anyone who has ever taken solace in music, with anyone who has been considered “other” in any capacity. It is a tale of love, and of finding something meaningful in a world that can sometimes work hard to strip away the meaningful things. Cion’s performance is theatrical and unapologetically emotional, and while the show is seen through the mournful lens of the death of David Bowie, it is also delivered with a spirit of joy, and a lesson about cultivating and celebrating individuality.
Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie will return to Pangea on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22, and again on March 13 and 14.
2019’s Doris Dear Christmas Special may have ended just a few short weeks ago, but creator Raymond DeForest is already hard at work dreaming up his show for Christmas 2020. This is the fifth year for the special, which features host Doris Dear, played by DeForest, joins a cast of performers to share diverse holiday traditions and stories. For us at Downtown, it is a favorite annual treat.
Each year, the show has raised money for “The Longest Day” initiative with the Alzheimers Association, selling custom-made enamel pins and cookies. The character of Doris Dear was inspired by DeForest’s mother, who passed away a few years ago from Alzheimer’s. As the new year passed, we got a chance to learn more about the Doris Dear Christmas Special with DeForest–Ms. Doris Dear herself–and a peek into the creative process behind the show.
Downtown: How do you prepare for your infamous holiday show?
Raymond DeForest: I start thinking about my next show in January after I have had time to relax and come down from the absolute enjoyment I feel from doing my three-night run of “The Doris Dear Christmas Special.” It starts with an idea, usually sparked by a memory of growing up in Staten Island with my family that I then run by my director, Lina Koutrakos. I am usually inspired by a certain moment growing up like when my sister and I would lay on the floor, staring up through the Christmas tree at the lights. Then I start looking at music and songs; I try not to repeat what was done the year before. That’s not easy. It’s a holiday show, and there are some songs like White Christmas that, for me, seems to say “Merry Christmas” better than anything. There is always a balance between giving my audience a nostalgic feeling through songs and stories mixed with more modern takes on the holiday to keep current.
DT: Who were your guests for this year?
RD: This year’s guests were, as one audience member exclaimed to me, “AMAZING!”. Lina Koutrakos, my director, has a permanent spot. She is a bluesy rock gal that does a song like no one I know. “Those Girls” are a girls group that brings a nostalgic, yet modern take on some great songs (“Jing-A-Ling” is an audience favorite). Patrick DeGennaro, my musical director this year, wrote a brand-new song just for us, and it was so wonderful and holiday spirit-filled. Ari Axelrod was a new addition, and he was charming and funny. Not only did he sing a beautiful rendition of “The Nearness of you” but also played the conga and charmed us with his stories of Hanukah. Sean Harkness is another permanent guest in the Rumpus Room. When Sean plays guitar, the audience swoons.
Doris Dear, Ari Axelrod, Those Girls, Lina Koutrakos, Sean Harkness and Steve Count
DT: How long does it take you to rehearse?
RD: I start rehearsing myself around mid-summer. I am constantly writing and refining my material as I rehearse the songs, so the stories and songs feel seamless. I don’t stop that refining until the show closes! The cast comes in about a month before the shows, to work with the musical director, director, and I, going over parts and script.
DT: Do you add new guests each year?
RD: Each year I try to change the talent slightly. About 50% of my audience are repeats, so providing them with new talent is important.
DT: Tell us a little about your piano player and his song, which he performed this year.
RD: My piano player/musical director this year was Patrick DeGennaro. We had worked together on my new solo show, “More Gurl Talk,” that I performed at The Music Theater of CT, NYC, and the historic theater in Fire Island. I wanted him to do something special for the show, so he decided to write something for us. The song, “I Know It’s Christmas” was perfect and Doris Dear was in it!
DT: You have a lot of guests at your show. What do you attribute this to?
RD: This was my fifth year doing the show. The shows sell well and attract an audience that is not the usual “cabaret” audience. It has a wider reach, so talented singers and musicians want to be a part of the show. I am very honored that I have that rich talent on my stage. When I sit back on the side of the stage and listen to these artists, I think to myself, “wow, how are you so darn lucky!”
Doris deaar, Lina Koutrakos and Patrick DeGennaro
DT: Where does your talent come from, and when did you know that you were going to be a performer?
RD: My talent comes from the very deep pool of amazing singers and musicians that are here in NYC. These are world-class performers. As I said, I am truly a very lucky girl to have them in my “Rumpus Room.”
I stepped on stage in college and new that very minute that I wanted to do this as my profession. I am honored to say I have been a full time working actor/singer for 42 years!
DT: What can we expect next from your work?
RD: I am always looking for ways to bring my message of family and love to a wider audience. At 61 years of age, I only do the work that is authentic and real for me. If I am not going to enjoy the work, I turn it down. The character of Doris Dear has opened up a whole new way of storytelling and performing for me. I am in talks with a major studio about bringing Doris Dear to a wide TV audience as well as bringing my shows to Universities and also teach students about the “art” of character development and storytelling. It’s very exciting for me to share my experience of the past 42 years in the business.
I also work on several committees with the SAG-AFTRA union and can help new actors coming into the business with maneuvering the real world. We live in such a strange world right now. There is so much hate coming from so many places. When my audience walks into my “Rumpus Room,” I want that feeling of a tough world left outside. I want my space to be one where all people can come and have a good time. As one reviewer from your magazine said…“ … I LEFT THE PLAY WITH A SMILE FROM EAR TO EAR AND THAT WARM AND FUZZY FEELING OF A LIFE FAR LESS COMPLICATED THAN THE FAST-PACED ONE OF TODAY. THANK YOU, DEAR DORIS!” – DOWNTOWN MAGAZINE
DT: Every year your show gets us ready for the holidays, and now you are hitting an even younger generation, who know nothing about the 1950s/60s. Does this lack of direct connection and experience worry you?
RD: It doesn’t “worry” me as much as it keeps me aware of what I am writing. I try hard to reference nostalgia without being so “old fashioned” that I lose anyone under 50 years of age!! LOL. This year I had several children come to many of my shows. Many stopped by after the show to tell me how much they loved it and especially the character of Doris Dear. As one beautiful girl said to me …” You are the aunt I always dreamed of having”. That’s the best compliment I could get. So, I guess that makes Doris not only the “Perfect American Housewife” but also the “The perfect crazy aunt”!!!
Christine Smith takes a drag from her well-deserved cigarette outside the Bowery Electric. She’s just wrapped a spectacular solo performance for her sophomore album release, Meet Me On The Far Side Of A Star. It’s fitting this album made its debut in the intimate Map Room: its twinkling, celestial backdrop placing Smith in a sort of netherworld somewhere between Weimar Berlin and Major Tom’s shuttle.
“Oh dear! Looks like I’m molting,” she chuckles, as several wisps of black marabou feathers float from her dress to the sidewalk. She stamps out her smoke, signs a CD for a fan, and warmly greets old friends who came to see the songstress on her former stomping grounds.
The Bowery is foggy, with a damp chill in the air: the kind of weather that reluctantly welcomes nostalgia and melancholy. This night, Smith served as the ferrywoman, steering the boat with electric piano keys and a small red Spanish accordion, through an emotive display of loss, longing, and regret. Christine Smith treads the line between days gone by and harsh modernity. She ruefully gazes back at the storms of the past with wry observation, hard-fought wisdom, and persistent optimism. She is a seasoned warrior armed with wit, poetic dreams and a delicious glass of red to calm those tides.
Smith’s seen her fair share of touring and recording over the last twenty years, having played with Crash Test Dummies, Jesse Malin, and Ryan Adams; as well as sharing the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group, and H.R. of Bad Brains.
With such a punk/rock background, it’s astonishing to hear Smith’s own gentle, conversational voice and classic piano plucked straight out of a 1930s cabaret. It turns out that during her early days living as an ex-pat in London, Smith supported herself playing jazz standards. From there she served as the musical director for Newsrevue (London’s longest-running satire show).
There are strong elements of the Great American Songbook in this album, but Smith proudly wears her other influences on her sleeve – echoes of Petula Clark here, some Patti Smith there, some Simon LeBon flair, sprinkled with a bit of Angelo Badalamenti and 1950s doo-wop. She is a shining result of her eclectic tastes and influences. Her autobiography will be one hell of an incredible read one day.
Meet Me On The Far Side Of A Star began as a collaboration with Texas singer-songwriter Victor Camozzi, who shared Smith’s passion for 1930s-40s American classics. A year and some massive life shifts later, Smith’s “achingly beautiful” masterpiece was finished. Meet Me On The Far Side Of A Star is an artistic triumph. Rolling Stone recently praised her track Happily Never After (featuring Tommy Stinson of the Replacements) as a top ten Country/Americana song of 2019. One hopes that Christine Smith keeps exploring her own voice and draws more from her deep well of experience and compassion.
Have you been to the Kit-Kat Club, meine Lieblinge? It’s appeared in many places over the years; you can find it in Park Slope right now at Gallery Players. Make yourself comfortable cozying up to the stage at intimate candlelit tables. The regal Emcee and a diverse cast of sizzling entertainers will serenade you. Pay no attention to the impending rise of the Third Reich and violence in the streets. In the Kit-Kat Club, life is beautiful.
The Gallery Players’ excellent production of Cabaret takes a strong stance on the already dark classic. Cabaret examines the fall of the Weimar Republic through the eyes of everyman Clifford (Jonas Barranca), an American tourist searching for inspiration and sexual liberation. Cabaret begins with charming glimpses into the seedy bohemian utopia of Berlin: the surprisingly tolerant spinster landlady, the loose neighbor‘s endless queue of amorous sailors; the thriving queer community; the fading squeaks of the Roaring Twenties party horn. As the story progresses, Clifford falls for Sally Bowles (Erica Lustig), a delightful but self-centered English singer with delusions of stardom.
In this production, director David Thomas Cronin focuses on the real villainy of nationalism via the collective. We witness kindly neighbors, family, and friends yield to prejudice and paranoia. Cabaret delves into homophobia, abortion, and the destruction of democracy.
The lighthearted atmosphere of the first act takes a chilling turn when a swing lowers and a small boy sings the show’s Nationalist anthem, Tomorrow Belongs To Me. The song is revisited as the characters react to the dangerous political climate. The star-crossed romance between Fraülein Schneider (Liz Gurland) and Jewish fruit peddler Herr Schultz (Paul Page) reflects the personal tragedy of xenophobia. Despite Clifford’s growing concerns for their future, Sally blithely refuses to relinquish the bliss of ignorance and privilege.
The enigmatic Emcee, brilliantly played by Brian Levario, dials down the more traditional Greek chorus element and transforms into a ghoulish Pied Piper. The audience, through his interactions, also serves as the cabaret audience, and ultimately a stand-in for passive enablement.
“The role is a great kaleidoscope of the human condition,” says Levario. “The same darkness is creeping into so many of our present national conversations. Our Emcee is not one to see you safely through Berlin, but instead to show you just how through either mass action or inaction, the darkness can win.”
“What we have here is uniquely gritty, audacious, sexy, and…dangerous,” adds Lorinne Lampert, who plays Fraulein Kost, “David has mined every corner of the script to give roundness and clearer motivation to certain secondary characters.”
This proved to be a provocative artistic choice; many thoughtful questions could be heard in the chatter after the show. Cabaret at the Gallery Players is at once a rueful look at the rise of fascism and a cautionary tale.
Cabaret runs at the Gallery Players until 29 September. It is not to be missed, meine Damen und Herren.
Legendary stage and screen actor Joel Grey will directNational Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s United States’ premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish in downtown this summer.
“For me, it feels like Fiddler is coming home,” Joel Grey says. “This will be a bold and rich re-imagination, with a highly acclaimed group of theater artists from Broadway that will respectfully re-envision this classic theater touchstone in fresh ways.”
Throughout his illustrious career, Joel Grey has exemplified a stunning artistic ability to enliven the stage and screen through memorable roles, such as George M. Cohan in George M!, the Wizard of Oz in Wicked, and his multiple-award-winning performance as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret on Broadway and in film.
One of only eight people to win an Academy Award and Tony Award for playing the same role, he seamlessly transitioned from stage to screen to directing, earning a Tony Award Nomination for his co-direction of the Broadway revival of The Normal Heart in 2011.
Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, based on the Tevye the Dairyman vignettes by renowned Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem and translated by Shraga Friedman, has not been staged professionally since its world premiere production in Israel more than 50 years ago. The Off-Broadway production will take place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, NYC, from July 4 through August 26—presented in Yiddish with English and Russian supertitles.
“We are proud to announce that Joel Grey, one of the most respected artists of our time, will be directing the first Yiddish language version of Fiddler on the Roof in U.S. history,” says National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Chief Executive Officer Christopher Massimine. “When NYTF presented Joel Grey with a Lifetime Achievement Award five years ago, we lauded his accomplishments on stage, in film, and on television, and at the heart of all of this work has been a commitment to providing audiences with captivating performances. We are excited that he will bring this same inspiration and creativity to this unprecedented presentation of Fiddler on the Roof.”
Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick and legendary producer and director Hal Prince – who was the original producer of Fiddler on the Roof – have been consulting with NYTF on the production.
“Joel Grey is a terrific director. He is well-versed in the material – it’s in his bones,” Hal Prince said.
Joining Mr. Grey for the production are Tony Award-winner and multiple Tony Award-nominee Beowulf Boritt, Set Design, whose credits most recently include Come From Away, Prince of Broadway, Hand to God, On The Town, A Bronx Tale, and Rock of Ages; and, Ann Hould-Ward, Costume Design, Tony winner for Beauty and the Beast and Tony nominee for Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George.
“The Yiddish translation connects the masterpiece by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein to the source material by Sholem Aleichem in a very moving way. It enriches the way that an audience in 2018 will understand the culture, language and customs which sustained the Jewish people for a thousand years in Eastern Europe and how modernization forever changed it,” said NYTF Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek.
Fiddler on The Roof features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. The original Broadway production of the show, which opened in 1964, was the first musical theatre production in history to surpass 3,000 performances; the show won the Tony Award for Best Musical as well as eight other Tony Awards in 1965, and since has been performed in every metropolitan city in the world, from Paris to Beijing.
The Yiddish translation was artfully crafted by noted Israeli actor/director Shraga Friedman in 1965, and deepens the connection of the work to Aleichem’s original stories. Friedman, a native Yiddish speaker, was born in Warsaw and escaped a War-Engulfed Europe with his family, making their way to Tel Aviv in 1941.
Friedman, well acquainted with the Aleichem’s works, used his translation to infuse Fiddler with literary references to the original Tevye Stories as well as other stories by the beloved author (i.e. “If I Were a Rich Man” is translated into Yiddish as “If I Were a Rothschild”).
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Joel Grey started at an early age on perform on stage, making his professional debut at the age of nine as Pud in the Cleveland Playhouse production of On Borrowed Time. The son of Goldie “Grace” and actor, comedian and musician Mickey Katz (who won regard for his Yiddish-English comedy songs), Joel Grey’s theatre career took off in the early 1950’s, with credits that have included Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard; Anything Goes; Wicked; Chicago; George M! (for which he was nominated for a Tony Award); and, Cabaret(for which he won a Tony Award in 1966). He played the role of Ned Weeks in the Public Theatre’s original Off-Broadway production of Larry Kramer’s seminal play The Normal Heart in 1986, and co-directed the Tony Award-winning Broadway premiere in 2011.
His film credits include Cabaret (for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1973); Buffalo Bill and the Indians; Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins; Dancer In the Dark; and The Seven Percent Solution. On television, he appeared on Alias, Oz, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Grey’s Anatomy, among other shows, and won Golden Globe and Drama Desk Awards. In 2013, he directed On Borrowed Time at the Two River Theater. His memoir, Master of Ceremonies, was released in 2016 (Flatiron Press).
NYTF is collaborating with filmmaker Max Lewkowicz of Dog Green Productions, who is creating the musical’s official video documentary, Fiddler. “Fiddler on the Roof has always been part of my background in terms of understanding musical theatre,” said Max Lewkowicz. “But as I got older I began to realize a lot of things about the piece; it’s not a simple musical, it’s very complex, and what makes it amazing is that it deals with so many different themes that we as human beings can connect to.”
Fiddler on The Roof performances will run from July 4 through August 26. Tickets to previews of Fiddler on the Roof start at $45, and performance tickets start at $50. For tickets, visit www.NYTF.org or call 866-811-4111. For group sales and memberships, call 212-213-2120 Ext. 204.
Opened last month in the heart of the Theater District, The Green Room 42 is an immersive 130-seat state-of-the-art entertainment venue. It not only offers audiences the chance to see some of their favorite performers up close and personal, but it also offers a food menu designed by Chef Gabriel Israel of the adjacent restaurant Green Fig. Beyond the food and entertainment, cocktails, craft beer and wine are also offered. Yes, all on the fourth floor of the YOTEL.
Since its Mar. 5 opening, plenty of major Broadway performers have taken to the stage of The Green Room 42. This includes Constantine Maroulis, Lillias White and Alice Ripley. A change of pace from the top stars of the stage, The Green Room 42 also offers a “Bottomless Brunch” on Sundays, featuring the undewear-clad singing duo The Skivvies, dishes from the aforementioned Chef Gabriel and 90 minutes of unlimited prosecco drinks.
Daniel Dunlow: The Green Room 42’s owner Gil Rubenstein operates all the food and beverage outlets at the YOTEL NYC, including modern Israeli restaurant Green Fig and rooftop lounge Social Drink & Food, which both opened last year. For the final piece of the project, Gil transformed the hotel’s event space into an entertainment venue where guests could watch performances in an up-close and personal setting. Although New York City has a lot of theaters and music venues, he found that there weren’t many intimate rooms that offer Broadway level performances at a wallet-friendly price.
How would you describe the venue to someone who hasn’t yet been there?
The Green Room 42 is a new, funky, urban take on the classic New York cabaret scene. It’s Frank Sinatra meets Sia, which is exactly the aesthetic of the room. As for the business model, it’s centered around value and hospitality. That means just one show a night, spacious seating and no food or beverage minimum ever. Come as you wish and stay for as long as you like — you’re our guest. We pride ourselves on offering a lower ticket cost than anywhere else in town, and all the while paying the acts fairly. It’s all about the experience: great food, drink and creative entertainment. Broadway stars are coming out of the woodwork to perform at this venue, and they’re also flocking in to see the shows; so you never know who’ll you’ll run into in the crowd.
What does the venue name mean? Is the 42 related to the street?
DD: A “green room” is the space in the theater that is between the dressing rooms and the stage. It’s where actors hang out before they go onstage. It’s a place on Broadway where you get to see Simba from The Lion King in full lion costume and makeup, but playing Candy Crush on his phone. That’s exactly what cabaret is to me: It’s a space where the artist is live in front of you, but being a human being and not playing a part. They are comfortable and personable, telling stories, laughing, joking and kidding around. That’s what you get in the green room and at The Green Room 42. As for the “42,” it was added so people knew where to go: 42nd Street.
Do you have a favorite item on the menu? Is there a full menu offered during all shows?
DD: We offer a full menu during every show at The Green Room 42. We have everything from artisan pizza to an unreal schnitzel burger. My personal favorite are the steamed mussels with garlic and white wine sauce that are served for the table to share. They are absolutely addicting. They’re meant to be shared at the table, but if you’re sitting with me, we will not be sharing them — I will be eating them all by myself. (laughs)
What was the first show you booked there?
DD: The first show I booked here was Lillias White, the Broadway legend from The Life, Dreamgirls, Fela! and Hercules. She sold out her Valentine’s Day show here. She’s already returned for a second show with a packed house. While she was signing her first contract, I got the impulse to have her sign two copies just so I could keep a copy of her autograph.
Russ, for someone who hasn’t seen you live before, what should be expected?
Russ Kaplan: “Theatrical Psychedelic Party Jazz.” For this show we’re ransacking the Broadway canon — from both classics and new shows — to find new exciting twists on familiar tunes. It’s mostly instrumental with the occasional stealth vocalist.
Who’s going to be onstage with you?
RK: My band, the massive and massively-awesome Russ Kaplan +7: me on keyboards, Moppa Elliott on bass, Wayan Zoey on drums, Tom Gavin on guitar, Christoph Knoche on reeds, Kyle Saulnier on more reeds, Eric Biondo on trumpet, and Brian Adler sitting in on percussion. Plus of course special guests Justin Guarini and beatboxer Chesney Snow, both from In Transit.
Do you have a favorite song to perform live?
RK: So far, “Poinciana.” We haven’t played these Broadway songs yet, but I’m pretty psyched to jam out on some Phantom; I don’t want to give away which song.
Where was the first live show you ever performed in New York?
RK: First show with my band was at the Douglass Street Music Collective in Brooklyn, at my 29th birthday. First performance of any kind as a New Yorker, at Arlene’s Grocery, beatboxing to “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” at a Motown tribute show.
Russ Kaplan
Russ Kaplan aside, any upcoming shows you’re especially excited for?
DD: I’m really stoked to get Telly Leung in here. He’s such a genuine guy with a love for the arts. I can’t wait to see what he brings to his solo show. Also, there are some shows in the works right now that I can’t yet speak about, but they’ve got me very excited—you’ll hear about them soon.
The Green Room 42 show aside, Russ, what’s coming up for you career-wise?
RK: Lyricist Sara Wordsworth and I are finishing the latest draft of our new musical Minnesota. Hi, producers!
When not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
DD: Free time? I go see theater, but I consider that research. I’m a huge fan of Broadway. I love seeing current shows, watching YouTube clips of old shows and collecting Broadway memorabilia. Some of my prized possessions are a signed Ethel MermanGypsy playbill, a signed Mary Martin headshot, Billy Porter’s eyelashes from Kinky Boots, and my hall of Tyne Daly memorabilia — I’m obsessed with Tyne Daly. My apartment is like a museum of Broadway. I recently bought the original grand piano from Don’t Tell Mama, one of New York’s first true cabaret clubs. This is the piano that they had in their club since day one. I played it when I performed my very own first cabaret there five years ago. This piano, which is now in my bedroom, is the piano that all the greats like Liza Minnelli and Bernadette Peters sang on, and shows like RENT and The Last 5 Years were written on this piano late at night in the piano bar. I’m a pianist and composer myself, so I spend some free time tickling the ivories and performing around town. So as for free time, I’d say roughly six hours of my day are spent sleeping, and then the other 18 are for theater stuff.
RK: Hanging with my wife and daughter. Watching BBC nature movies.
DD: I love pianos and I love music, so I obviously love the Piano Man. I went to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden again last month. That was my fifth time seeing him. That guy knows how to do it.
Finally, any last words for the kids?
DD: A wise man once told me that there are many different llamas that take you to the top of “Mt. Great Entertainment.”
Legendary stage and screen actor Joel Grey will directNational Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s United States’ premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish in downtown this summer.
Fiddler on The Roof features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. The original Broadway production of the show, which opened in 1964, was the first musical theatre production in history to surpass 3,000 performances; the show won the Tony Award for Best Musical as well as eight other Tony Awards in 1965, and since has been performed in every metropolitan city in the world, from Paris to Beijing.
