Lindsay Levine, Melana L. Lloyd and Toni Ann DeNoble as the Queen of Sheba
in Vital Theatre Company's production of "The Klezmer Nutcracker."
by Ted Merwin Special To The Jewish Week
What would the holiday season be like in New York without Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker”? Just hearing the soaring “Waltz of the Flowers” leads to thoughts of snow and mistletoe. But Jews often feel left out in the cold at this time of year, with noses pressed to the glass of someone else’s celebration. Just in time for the holidays comes Ellen Kushner’s “The Klezmer Nutcracker,” a Jewish retelling of the iconic ballet, with music by the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra. Directed by Linda Ames Key and choreographed by Dax Valdes, “The Klezmer Nutcracker” is the story of a girl named Sara (Danielle Strauss) whose family Chanukah party is mysteriously transformed by the arrival of Tante Miriam (Kushner herself), who bestows a Golden Dreydl on her awestruck niece
and then whisks her away on a magical adventure. With a wisecracking Fool (Dan J. Gordon) as her only guide, Sara outwits a goofy Demon King (Christopher Michael Lacey) in order to save the world for the forces of goodness and Yiddishkeit. Kushner is the author of fantasy novels for grownups that include “Swordspoint,” “The Fall of the Kings” and “Thomas the Rhymer.” She is also the host and writer for Public Radio International’s “Sound and Spirit,” produced by WGBH in Boston. The program weaves together diverse commentary and music on topics ranging from the impact on artists of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” to contemporary resonances of the biblical tale of Jonah. “The Golden Dreydl” was originally presented on air as part of that program, and then performed in a staged reading at Symphony Space in 2000. Kushner then turned it into a children’s chapter book with the same title, with illustrations by Ilene Winn-Lederer. “I wanted something with the specific gravity and sexiness of Christmas,” Kushner remarked over a corned beef sandwich at Ben’s Deli in the Theater District. Kushner, who grew up in the Shaker Heights suburb of Cleveland, recalled her childhood as a “Jewish kid in a Christian world,” who was “obsessed with magic worlds.” But her favorite authors, who included Madeleine L’Engle, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, all wrote fantasies grounded in Christian teachings. She yearned for what she called “Jewish-infused” material in the books that she read. “The traditional ‘Nutcracker’ story is of kids going to a party that young Jewish audience members weren’t invited to or don’t belong at,” Kushner noted. By contrast, “The Klezmer Nutcracker” is “the family party that you can actually go to.”
“The Klezmer Nutcracker” is presented by the Vital Theatre Company at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre, 2162 Broadway at 76th Street. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. through Jan. 3. For tickets, $20, call the box office at (212) 579-0528.
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