Denise Lor, Evelyn Kingsley, Moti Giladi, Sarah Rubine.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE—WHAT
KIND OF A QUESTION IS THAT? [Comedy-Musical Revue] B: H. Ritterman and Zvi
Reisel; M: Eli Rubinstein; L: Max Meszel; D: Marvin Gordon; L: Sally Small; P:
Henry Goldgrant and Arthur V. Briskin; T: Barbizon Plaza Theatre (OB);
10/19/70-11/15/70 (32)
A short-lived revue offering 19 songs and sketches about
Israeli life. Overstuffed with sentimentality, it
lacked wit and effective musical values. Its primary concern is vaguely reflected
in the title, a reference to the precarious state of the beleaguered nation of
Israel. Still, Lewis Funke reported that the revue’s contents had very little
to do with the title.
But political humor and music took a back seat to a variety
show format of material touching on such subjects as El Al Airlines, the
Israeli melting pot of nationalities, Jewish mothers, and kibbutzes. Of course,
the show also touched on the Arab-Israeli conflict and relations among America,
Israel, and the Soviet Union.
Funke noted, “Hopes are expressed
that in time there will be good neighbors on her borders; the point is made
that actually the Arabs and Israelis are brothers, stemming as they do from the
House of Abraham (Isaac and Ishmael) and a song tells of the ultimate deception
that will be the lot of Egyptians in the embrace of the Russians.”
A typical skit showed a Brooklyn mother visiting her son on
a kibbutz and being surprised that he prefers to stay rather than go home. Her
response: “What are you all of a sudden, a Fanny Farmer?”
This old-hat show, which Lee Silver found “cheerful and
enjoyable,” despite its tired jokes, was performed entirely in English by a
cast of Israelis and Americans. Funke’s favorite performers in the eight-member
cast were “Moti Giladi, a native Israeli with a nice glint in his eye; Sarah
Rubine, an attractive singer, and Mark Stuart, who can belt out a schmaltzy
song.”
Also in the cast were Denise Lor, a well-known television singer, and young James Brochu, who would one day score with his one-man show about Zero Mostel.
Next up: To Live Another Summer, To Pass Another
Winter
