October 9, 2007 (Vol. 6, No. 4)

National Yiddish Theatre to Perform at Lehman Oct. 17

The world-renowned National Yiddish Theatre—Folksbiene—will give a free performance at Lehman on Wednesday, October 17, at 4 p.m. in the Lovinger Theatre. Simultaneous English and Russian supertitles will make the performance fully accessible to non-Yiddish speakers. Tickets are required and must be ordered in advance by calling 718-960-8025.

The event marks the second year in a row that the City University of New York is hosting a season of free Folksbiene performances at Lehman and three other CUNY colleges. The program, entitled "Chiri Biri Bim Bam: Yiddish Songs from Roots to Pop," traces the history of Yiddish music from its earliest days in Eastern Europe to the height of its popularity in the United States.

Included in the new 90-minute show are a staged reading of a classic musical folk play, a celebration of Yiddish humor, and a concert by Yiddish recording legend Claire Barry and City Opera star Robert Abelson. Joined by vocalist Heather Klein, they will demonstrate how liturgical music and Yiddish folk, vaudeville, and theatre songs influenced Tin Pan Alley and Broadway and led to the popular phenomenon of the Barry Sisters.

Claire Barry and her sister, Myrna, recorded such mainstream hits as "Bei Mir Bist du Shein" and earned a crossover appeal that made them one of the most popular singing duos of the 1950s. They made numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and toured the Soviet Union.

Directed by Zalmen Mlotek, an internationally recognized Yiddish music expert, compose,r and conductor, Folksbiene is the last full-time Yiddish theatre company in the nation and has introduced this art form to new audiences around the world. Free performances will also be held at Queens College on Oct. 14 at 2 p.m., at Hunter College on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m., and at Brooklyn College on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. For more information, call Folksbiene at 212-213-2120.

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