Poster for “The Broadway Musical – A Jewish Legacy.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS–The Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival (SJCA) in conjunction with the congregation of Temple Sinai, will present a showing and a panel discussion on Thursday, July 18, of “The Broadway Musical – A Jewish Legacy.” The showing of the PBS documentary, celebrating the Jewish roots of a distinctly American form of art, the Broadway musical, will be at Temple Sinai, 509 Broadway, at 7 p.m.
According to organizers, The documentary looks at the origins of contemporary Broadway in Yiddish theater, the connection of the art form to the early 20th century version of the American Dream, and the pervasiveness of successful songs that influenced pop culture and vice versa.
However, most of these early shows were not specifically “Jewish” in storyline.
“The composers and their new and original work emerged at a time where Jews in a new land were “the other,” says Phyllis Wang, coordinator of SJCF. “They needed something that was theirs. They looked to assimilate… for survival… they were trying to play by American rules because they wanted to fit in. They took a little bit of American life and a little bit of their heritage to create something new that was uniquely American.”
The documentary includes historians and narrator Joel Grey sharing details of the immigrant experience and the cultural backdrop. Critics and contemporary composers featured in the film decode the often hidden messages in the lyrics.
Registration, which is required, may be obtained on the SJCA home page (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/Db0ZvTj/SJCAHomePage). Admission will be a $5 donation.
