Announcing
our NEW
casual dining menu:
Bye, Blumberg." Lowbrow was the
man's niche.
Yes, you'll laugh. It's as inevitable as
blinking during the show and perhaps
as senseless to ask why.
Eli Magid's costumes aid in the
high jinks, making, at one point, a
veritable hoop skirt of a bassinet.
Absorbing Kayla Gordon's direction
and Gregory A. Patterson's choreogra-
phy, scenes that easily could have had
less oomph visually become memo-
rable: A bed is displayed vertically so
its actors never need to leave their
feet; the Bargain Bazaar Square Dance
is also a highlight.
Christopher Carothers' sets evoke a
realm once owned by Sonny & Cher
Comedy Hour — or, at the very
least, The Dating Game.
The vocal renditions are strong,
especially those delivered as an
ensemble; the harmonies connect.
Under Martin Mandelbaum's taut
music direction and keyboard work
— and Brian Golden's strong per-
cussion — the pieces and traveling
music often bring you on board
despite yourself.
Perhaps that's what is at times so
difficult about Hello Muddah, Hello
Fadduh! While the laughs come
forth, Sherman's stock in trade often
feels anachronistic, tired, a joke heard
too many times, a punch line embar-
rassingly anticipated. (Then again,
popular culture also birthed Weird Al
Yankovic.)
The songs are, in themselves,
emblematic of a time that no longer
exists, a novelty spun until it wore
itself out. What remains a fascina-
tion is that by doing little more than
inserting rhymes about Jewish cul-
ture, practices and Yiddishisms onto
vinyl and taking his parodies on the
road, a man once fed his family. 11
er of Sasson Jeans.
However, he went bankrupt in
1986 because of a coke habit,
= changing styles and tax problems.
-A few years later, a religious
ewish 'businessman, knowing
Guez's bleak situation, challenged
him to make a large donation to a
group putting out a new transla -
tion of the Talmud.
Guez took a leap of faith and
made the donation commit -
ment. The businessman was so
impressed he decided to finance
Guez's new venture, expensive
"tush-lifting" jeans that are mar-
keted under a variety of names.
The tushie-lifters made Guez a
rich man, again.
Supporting Israel
Magician David Blaine, whose
mother is Jewish, recently
has been entertaining children
confined to bomb shelters in
northern Israel. His trip to Israel
was co-sponsored by the Jewish
• Jeremy Char-Grilled Burger
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich
• Chipolte Barbecued Duck Quesadilla
• Grilled Salmon Salad
OUTDOOR PATIO NOW OPEN!
Y
.ant & Bar
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
runs through Sept.17 at Jewish
Ensemble Theatre. JET's revised
schedule fbr the 2006-2007
season includes Arthur Miller's
The Price, Oct.17-Nov.12;
Eric Blau and Mort Schuman's
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well
and Living in Paris, Dec. 5-Jan.
6; Ted Herstand's It Should
Be, Jan. 23-Feb.18; and J.B.
Priestly's An Inspector Calls,
April 17-May 19. For more infor-
mation and tickets, call
(248) 788-2900.
Agency for Israel..
As you might have heard, 84
Hollywood - based celebrities took
out an ad in the Los Angeles
Times on Aug.16. The ad.regret -
ted the deaths of civilians in
Lebanon and Israel, but stated
that these deaths were due to
the terrorism of
Hezbollah and
Hamas, and that
they and other
terrorist organi -
zations must be
stopped.
Non-Jewish
David Blaine
signers included
Nicole Kidman, James Woods
and Bruce Willis. Jewish signers
included famous directors William
Friedkin, Richard Donner and Ivan
Reitman. (If you want a copy of
the ad, with the complete list of
signers, e-mail me at
middleoftheroad1@aol.com ).
(248) 681-2124 • 1978 Cass Lake Rd. • Keego Harbor
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:30-10pm • Sunday 5:30-9pm
• Weekend Reservations Suggested •
Bring in this ad for a complimentary dessert
when you join us for dinner
Sunday - Friday
*Limit one per table • Not redeemable on holidays • Expires 10/15/06
birected by Kayla Gordon
Featuring the hilarious song parodie
Hello Fadduh follows the life
to summer
loveNtdusa
ddraahh,
s a
course)- to
n -c
'Brect ess paced... live-wire comic exuberance tha -
crackles across the stager' -New York Times
248.788.296.
www.jettheatre.org • boxoffice@jettheatre.org
August 31 • 2006
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