THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF AN AMERICAN KLEZMER Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Songs from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin Created and Written by Joseph Vass; Directed by Peter Moore DEC 2 – 31 on the Proscenium Stage special thanks to 2016–2017 SEASON BWBR Architects Colle + McVoy Minnesota Dance Theatre “...a marvel of balletic storytelling.” -Star Tribune December 16-23, 2016 State Theatre with the Nutcracker Orchestra Ticketmaster.com or 800-982-2787 “A towering ambition and multidisciplinary triumph.” -Pioneer Press January 20-22, 2017 The Cowles Center Tickets: thecowlescenter.org 612-206-3600 53rd Performance Season | mndance.org | Dear Park Square Patron, What a joy to have the musical melting pot that is George Gershwin back on stage! His blend of Jewish immigrant and African-American music styles created the American Songbook – putting stars in the eyes of each new generation of fans. With your help, we put stars in the eyes of the nations’ largest teen theatre audience. More than 33,000 teens come to us from schools as close as Humboldt and Harding and as far away as Superior, Wisconsin and Cresco, Iowa. They leave here inspired by a new understanding of the human spirit – challenged to rethink their role in life. Special partnerships put Park Square stars in the classroom. Artists Doug Scholz- Carlson and Kym Longhi are helping the immigrant students at Leap High School devise an original play in English and their (24!) native languages. The students want to share their dreams for college and demonstrate how more education will build social equity and greater financial security for their families. These students will perform their original play for their families and community elders on our stage next spring. We need you (yes you) to keep our “stars” working on stage and in the community. Your tax-deductible contribution helps teens of all backgrounds envision bright futures through theatre that matters. Thank you for your generosity! Richard Cook, Artistic Director C. Michael-jon Pease, Executive Director, CFRE 651.767.8482 | [email protected] 651.767.8497 | [email protected] OUR MISSION is to enrich our community by producing and presenting exceptional live theatre that touches the heart, engages the mind and delights the spirit. 3 MUSICAL SELECTIONS ACT ONE Portamento (George Gershwin) ............................................................Klezmerica Vodka* (Instrumental) (George Gershwin) ..........................................Klezmerica On Tin Pan Alley The Sidewalks of New York (Lawlor & Blake) .................................... The Griot The Banks of the Wabash (Paul Dresser) .................................. The Chanteuse She Is More to be Pitied Than Censured (W. Gray) ....................... The Chazzen Oyfen Pripetshok (Mark Warchafsky) ................................................... The Griot A Mixed Blessing (Burton, Henry and Vass) ................ The Griot & The Chazzen The Man I Love (George and Ira Gershwin) ................................. The Chanteuse Heyser Bulgar (Traditional) ................................................................... Klezmerica I Got Rhythm (George and Ira Gershwin) ............................................. Ensemble INTERMISSION ACT TWO Bulka’s Song (Instrumental) (Joseph Vass) ......................................... Klezmerica Embraceable You (George and Ira Gershwin) ....................................... The Griot Noach’s Teive (Abraham Goldfaden) ................................................ The Chazzen ‘S Wonderful (George and Ira Gershwin) ..................................... The Chanteuse Someone To Watch Over Me (George and Ira Gershwin) ............ The Chanteuse Dybbuk #2 (Joseph Vass) ..................................................................... Klezmerica Summertime (Heyward, George and Ira Gershwin) ........................ The Chazzen Two Hebrew Melodies (Traditional) .................................................. The Chazzen It Ain’t Necessarily So (George and Ira Gershwin) ...................... The Chanteuse There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York ................................... The Griot (Heyward, George and Ira Gershwin) Oh Lawd, I’m On My Way (Heyward, George and Ira Gershwin) ....... Ensemble Life of a Rose** (George Gershwin and Buddy De Sylva) ..................... Ensemble I Got Rhythm (reprise) ............................................................................. Ensemble *“Vodka,” music by George Gershwin and Herbert Stothart, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach **“Life of a Rose,” music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Buddy DeSylva 4 651.291.7005 | parksquaretheatre.org Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Songs from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin Created and Written by Joseph Vass Director Peter Moore Musical Arranger Joseph Vass Musical Director Joseph Vass Scenic Designer Dean Holzman Sound Designer Jacob M. Davis Costume Designer Jason Lee Resler Lighting Designer Michael P. Kittel Stage Manager Megan Fae Dougherty* Assistant Stage Manager Samantha Diekman CAST George Gershwin Michael Paul Levin* Chanteuse Maud Hixson Griot (Storyteller) Geoffrey Jones Chazzan (Cantor) Maggie Burton KLEZMERICA Drums Jay Epstein or Nathan Norman Woodwinds Doug Haining Trumpet Adam Meckler Violin Carolyn Boulay or Gary Schulte Bass Chris Bates Piano Joseph Vass SETTING: Time: Now. Place: Park Square Theatre. America’s greatest composer George Gershwin tells a story of his music… PERFORMANCE TIME: The performance will run approximately two hours with one 20-minute intermission. The worldwide copyrights in the works of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin Family The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited. As a courtesy to our actors and those around you, please DEACTIVATE all PHONES and ELECTRONIC DEVICES. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Park Square Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre. 5 AUTHOR’S NOTE Michael Paul Levin photo by Petronella J. Ytsma FROM THE AUTHOR, JOSEPH VASS: I first heard George Gershwin’s music as a child. I loved it immediately. Much later, when I began to listen to traditional Jewish music, I made the connection. To me, Gershwin’s music is Jewish. At first, I knew this merely in a purely subjective, spiritual sense. It sounded Jewish to me. Then I learned that Gershwin himself labeled his own melodies as Jewish “according to the deep emotional element that flows in them.” But, back in 1997, when I proposed to the Of course, once I tagged Gershwin with the Jewish Community Center of St. Paul a con- provocative label “klezmer,” I complicated cert entitled Gershwin the Klezmer, I confess the issue. Not all Jewish music is “klezmer.” that’s about all I knew. I did not yet know: The Jewish musical tradition extends over thousands of years and styles, including • The extent to which other Jewish- not only Torah chant and cantorial singing American songwriters (and at least one but also the music few American Jews rec- gentile, Cole Porter) attributed their ognize, like Bukharan and Ethiopian. These inspiration to the Jewish tradition; days, the word klezmer usually signifies a th • The depth of Gershwin’s natural immer- few 19 -century Eastern European dance sion in the Jewish culture from which he styles. Any association with purveyors of came; and American “show tunes” like Gershwin’s will horrify some folks. Most klezmer • The astonishing degree to which bands routinely perform show tunes – but Gershwin music sings in the melodies only from the Yiddish theater. Apparently, and dances and in the rhythms of the being sung in Yiddish certifies these songs Jewish tradition. as “authentic.” 6 651.291.7005 | parksquaretheatre.org THE AUTHOR & BAND But originally, a klezmer is a person; in the almost-lost music 19th-century Eastern Hebrew, an instrument of song – in other European klezmers played at Jewish words, a musician. Klezmers play all kinds events. Then people began to use the word of gigs. They play their own core klezmer as an adjective to describe Jewish styles, but also perform a musical style. other music an audience will pay to hear, whether polkas, Romany So, a klezmer is a person. So (so-called “gypsy”) music, or for what? Does that make George that matter, show tunes – just as Gershwin a “klezmer?” I’m not rock bands at weddings play Hava Nagilah going to repeat the show here. Enjoy, and and The Hokey Pokey. In our generation, judge for yourself. —Joseph Vass American musicians began to reconstruct JOSEPH VASS conceived and wrote The Soul of Gershwin: The Musical Journey of an American Klezmer, for which he won the Twin Cities’ prestigious Ivey Award. Vass also wrote the play and the music for Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Great Nome Gold Rush, recently a record-setting hit in its world premiere at the North Coast Repertory Theatre, as well as Words By Ira Gershwin / A Musical Play By Joseph Vass, which has been performed across the U.S., including at Park Square Theatre in 2013. He created the book, music and lyrics for the stage musical Mishegass! produced by the Actors Theater of Minnesota. He has composed, performed and recorded the dramatic music for stage productions