The 1936 film, Yidl with His Fiddle, starring Molly Picon, is the most popular Yiddish film of all time. A massive hit and screened all over the world, in 1938, Josef Goebbels defied irony and showed the film in Germany to both Germans and Jews where it made lots of money. As much as he hated Jews, even he couldn’t deny that it was an infectious, life and love affirming comedy with many, now classic, songs. I’ve always felt that the film had a destiny as a stage musical.
Sharon and Lisa Rivo who run the National Center for Jewish Film and own the rights to the film also believe in the timeless destiny of the film and have given us permission to adapt it for the stage.
We had a reading of the text in June to prove to us if we were ready for the next step… Two staged readings, with music, one in the Berkshires and one in Boston to find a home for the show.
We’re ready.
Besides being lots of musical fun, the film has both cultural and historical significance and proposes a big “what if” that resonates in our divisive and fractured world.
Joe Green, the writer/director, wanted to do protest film about prejudice in Poland, German, and Eastern Europe. His protest was to portray a world in which prejudice did not exist. It's a world in which joy, brotherhood, happiness and fun are the ruling philosophies. Set in pre-war rural Poland, the show is more Harpo, Groucho, Zeppo and Gummo than Adolph, Adolph, Heinrich, and Hermann.
The original composer, Abe Ellstein, and lyricist Itzak Manger, were major artists in the prewar world and their work, funny, moving, heartwarming and in this show, full of joy and heart break. We've written some new songs and arrangements of the original songs to make the show very 2025 -- Musically diverse, blending many styles and many cultures. The conceit of the show is that a girl dressed as a boy goes on the road with her father who is an itinerant musician. Today, we'd call their music, Klezmer. Back then, the word just meant "dance" music. The bands adapted pop, jazz, classical, folk, Romany, and Middle Eastern music. Our four main characters, Yidl, Fraim, Ariel and Itzak, were versed in all kinds of music and styles which drive the show and will play their own musical instruments as well as singing and acting.
The purpose of doing this first stage of our production as a non-profit is to allow funders to receive a tax deduction for their contributions.