Yiddish Theater
At Shaarey Zedek . . . .82

A Toronto festival celebrates new Yiddish culture through the arts.

CHESSLER
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News

shkenaz '99: A Festival of New Yiddish Culture" is not
just the largest event of its kind in the world. The
eight-day entertainment marathon at the Harbourfront
l.;;L:L? Centre in Toronto — featuring more than 175 artists
from 10 countries between Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 — has the
unbeatable attraction of being predominantly free.
Like ethnic music?
Try the premiere of the Ashkenaz Orchestra Project, with 20
international Yiddish music artists. New York trumpet great
Dave Douglas and his newest group, Charms of the Night Sky,
introduce a new work in homage to Yiddish clarinet great Dave
Tarras. Also from New York, Brave Old World and David
Krakauer's Klezmer Madness entertain. Canada serves up the
Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band and Medina's Arab Yiddish fusion.
The edgier side of new Yiddish music takes the stage with
Marty Ehrlich's Darkwoods Ensemble and Greg Wall's Hasidic
New Wave. The Klezmer Conservatory Band represents Boston,
and Israel's Emil Zrihan contributes a dose of world music.
Enjoy the visual arts?
There are theme exhibits — from "Rediscovering the
Yarmulke" to "Streetlife," a reflection of urban reality past and
present.
How about dance and theater?
Holocaust Stories, inspired by the writings of Bertolt Brecht
and Cynthia Ozick, has its Canadian dance premiere, while

8/13
1999

Detroit Jewish News

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