Famous Jews on Broadway

America gave the world two undoubted achievements in the field of culture: this is jazz, and this is a musical. The role of the Jews in both cases is significant. I already wrote about the Jewish stars of American jazz in the Forum (No. 177). Jazz was born in New Orleans.

The musical-in New York on Broadway and it originated from the American vaudeville and the European operetta, first as a brilliant revue and only then as a genre of the musical. Vaudeville as a form-variety theater existed in America from 1880 to 1930-s and was a collection of numbers that were not related to each other (sketches of comedians, tricks, acrobatics, popular songs and dances). A vaudeville actor had to be able to do all this, that is, to sing, dance, laugh, juggle, juggle, do something that no one had done before, etc. The most famous vaudeville in the early 20 century created the Irish-Jewish couple of producers and directors George Cohan and Sam Harris. Other popular forms of entertainment in the United States in the second half of 19 century and the beginning of 20 were burlesque (parodies of famous performances and popular artists), extravagans (circus and musical numbers, trained animals, pyrotechnic effects), revisit the style of Parisian Foley productions Bergere

Operetta came to the USA in the middle of the 19 century. Unprecedented success was in 1883, the "Parisian Life" Offenbach with the rhythms and dances of the cancan. Operetta in the style of Franz Legar by American composer Zigmund Romberg, a Jew born in Vienna, was also very popular; English comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan. The most famous revue of Ziegfeld Follies (1907-1931) was created by Impresario Florenz Siegfeld, the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany. He gathered in the corps de ballet a hundred beauties who appeared on the stage of his Broadway shows, shining with ornaments, feathers and fantastic costumes. Many vaudevilian stars participated in his review. Here are some of them.

Sophie Tucker, the first lady of vaudeville, was born on the way from Russia to America. For temperament, self-deprecation, fullness, sexuality and rude, close to the soldiers' humor, she was called Red Hot Aidishe Mama.

Fanny Bryce, a popular comedienne and singer whose songs became hits, participated in Siegfeld's revue from 1910 to 1930. Her life story was reflected in the musical and the movie “Funny Girl,” in which Fanny Bryce sang Barbra Streisand.
Nora Bayes, an actress, singer, composer, librettist, was unusually popular in vaudeville and Broadway revues and shows of the beginning of the 20 century.

Eddie Cantor, comedian (often performing in vaudeville in the popular role of a black character, for which his face was painted with black paint), a dancer, singer, songwriter, was born into a family of immigrants from Russia. In the revue, Siegfeld performed with 1917 and was one of the most popular artists.

Among other stars of vaudevilles, who performed on the stages of Broadway theaters, were:
Al Jolson, who was born in Lithuania and became the first in America (in time for performing on stage) to be a celebrity among Jewish actors;
Groucho Marx, an outstanding comedian of theater and film, speaking with his four brothers and named as a Broadway star and a Hollywood star;

George Jessel, comedian, singer, composer, who became famous for his nickname “US Toast Minister”, as he often led all sorts of political and entertainment ceremonies;
Molly Picon, theater and film actress, star of Jewish vaudevilles and Yiddish performances.

Bert Lahr, one of the most famous comedian artists in the clown genre, who performed in burlesque and revue.

It is believed that the first attempt at creating a musical was to stage 1924 on the Broadway scene of Rudolf Frim’s musical comedy “Rose-Marie”, a play about cowboys and the “flower of fragrant prairies Rose-Marie, which has brave cowboy’s heaven ". (I think many people remember these popular melodies and words at the time). Bryml was born in Prague to a Jewish family and became a composer in America, the author of a number of popular songs and operettas King of Vagrants, Three Musketeers and others. In 1927, the premiere of the performance at that time in the Broadway Siegfeld Theater was held The Floating Theater '(' 'Show Boat' '), authored by the famous Jewish couple: composer Jerome Kern and poet-librett Oscar Hammerstein. Edna Farber's popular novel about life in Mississippi with a non-Broadway theme related to racial prejudice and unhappy marriage was chosen as the literary basis. This musical performance on a serious topic is considered to be the first real American musical. 1931 was one of the most important events in the history of American musical theater. The musical Gershwin “I sing for you” received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize, which meant official recognition of the genre.

In 30, Irwin Berlin was born king of musical Broadway. He was born in Russia and created many songs and musicals, among them the most famous “Call Me Madame”. Musical “Oklahoma” 1943 by composer Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein played an important role in the genre's development. For the first time, musical numbers were not interposed elements, but determined the plot and revealed the characters of the characters of the two cowboys, the life of one of them ends tragically.

The pre-war and post-war Broadway (Golden Era of the Musical) presented the world with a whole pool of outstanding composers, among whom, according to the JINFO.ORG website, Jews constitute 69% of those who received the Tony award for musicals, starting with 1950, when it was awarded. Here are just some of them and in brackets musicals, Tony Award: Richard Rogers (except Oklahoma, South Pacific, Sound of Music, King and I, Leonard Bernstein (“Beautiful City”), Frederick Lowe (“My Beautiful Lady”), Jerry Bock (Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello!), Richard Adler, Jerry Ross (“Damn Yankees '', '' The Pajama Game ''), Frank Loesser ('' Guys and Dolls '', '' How to succeed in business without even trying ''), John Kander ('' Cabaret ''), Stephen Sondheim ( '' A funny thing that happened on the way to the Forum '', '' Company '', '' Little Night Music '', '' Sweeney Todd '', '' Str aus ''), Jerry Herman ('' Hello Dolly ''), Sai Coleman ('' City of Angels '', '' The Will Rogers Follies ''), Mel Brooks ('' Producers ''). No less famous are the composers who created popular musicals even before Tony was awarded, among them Jerome Kern (“Floating Theater”, “Robert” ”and the entire 18 musicals and Broadway show), who emigrated from Nazi Germany Kurt Weil (“ Lady In the Dark and 10 musicals) and others.

Among the songwriters (lyricists) and librettists who created the literary basis of musicals and won the Tony Prize for it, the Jews were 70 and 56%, respectively. Here are some famous names in America: Oscar Hammerstein, Alan Lerner, Dorothy and Herbert Fields, Adolf Green, Ira Gershwin, Batty Comden, Lorenz Hart, etc.

Interestingly, the famous Richard Rogers, who created the Broadway musicals 40 with Hart and Hammerstein, became one of two people in America who ever won an Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Emmi, or Pulitzer Prize.

Many Jewish stars of vaudevilles became stars of musicals. Among them are Al Johnson, Bert Lahr, Eddie Cantor, Fanny Bryce. Ethel Merman, one of the most famous stars of Broadway 30-50, played leading roles in many musicals and won the Tony 4 award. Other stars of different years:

Harvey Firstein, one of the first actors in America, who did not conceal that he was gay, received the 2 Tony Award as a scriptwriter and leading man in the musical “Sentimental Song”.

Mandy Patinkin, owner of Tony for his roles in the musical “Evita” and “Sunday in the park with George”. His beautiful voice sounded in more than 10 performances on Broadway.

Jerry Orbach made his debut on Broadway in Kurt Weill's Three-Ride Opera, 3 was nominated for Tony times and received her for his role in the musical Promises, Promises.

Irresistible Barbra Streisand played the main roles in the musicals “Funny Girl” and “People”.
Recently, Matthew Broderick has received $ 100000 per week for his performances in the musical “Producers”.
The musical is one of the most complex stage genres in which dramatic, musical, vocal, choreographic and plastic art merge together in unbroken unity. Therefore, outstanding directors, producers, choreographers, production directors have always worked on the creation of musicals. Among them are Jewish celebrities such as Jerome Robbins, one of the best choreographers of the 20 century (his most famous work is the musical “West Side Story”); director, producer, librettist George S. Kaufman (Tony and Pulitzer Prizes); one of the best theatrical artists of the USA, Boris Aronson, who left Russia at the beginning of 20's (among his works are the musicals Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, etc.). Separately, it should be said about the brothers Schubert Lee, Sam and Jacob, who emigrated with their parents in 1882 from Poland, who created several theaters on Broadway, making it the center of New York theatrical life, having produced many musicals and revisits to which they invited the best American actors and directors. (In 1924, the brothers owned 86 theaters in the USA, produced 25% of all theater productions around the country; in 2009, the owners of the Schubert Theater Association had 17 theaters on Broadway).

Many musicals on Broadway last for several years and last for many performances. The first and second places here are occupied by “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Weber (9323 and 7485 performances). Next are musicals by Jewish composers: in third place is “Les Miserables” by Claude-Michel Schonberg, 6680 performances from 1987 to 2003, in sixth place – “Chicago” by Jack Condor, 5652 performances since 1996, in seventh place – “The Beautiful and the Terrible” '' Alan Menken, 5461 performances from 1994 to 2007, in the tenth is another Schonberg musical, "Miss Saigon", 4097 performances from 1991 to 2001. In the second ten - ''Fiddler on the Roof'' by Jerry Bok, '' 'Hello, Dolly' by Jerry Herman, 'My Fair Lady' by Frederick Loewe, 'Wicked' by Stefan Schwartz, 'Hairspray' by Marc Shaiman (2500-3000 performances). One of the most famous musicals “South Pacific” by Rodgers and Hammerstein, which was also awarded a Pulitzer Prize (1925 performances from 1949 to 1954), was revived in 2008 and is still running successfully in the theater. Lincoln Center.
Many Broadway musicals were filmed in Hollywood, acquiring an even longer (if not eternal) life.
So, starting with the rhymed title “Jews on Broadway,” I will end with another rhyme “Our People in Hollywood.”

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