Arts & Entertainment
A Sweet Turn
Southfield-bred
performer Eddie
Sugarman
discovers his
niche as a creator
of musicals.
Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News
T
he new year is getting off to a sweet start for
Eddie Sugarman.
After graduating from the University of
Michigan as a musical theater major and spending 10
years trying to build a New York performance career,
Sugarman has turned to writing, and two of his musi-
cal productions soon will be staged.
The Gospel of Goliath, a short opera written with
composer Jihwan Kim, will be performed Jan. 26 and
Eddie Sugarman: "These are the first big things to happen to me as a writer."
28 by the One World Symphony in New York City.
Meet John Doe, a musical adaptation of the Frank
Sugarman, the son of Mary and Arthur Sugarman of
Capra film, which Sugarman co-wrote with Andrew
Farmington Hills, has been active in theater since elementary
Gerle, will be presented March 16-April 29 at Ford's Theatre in
school. He cemented his interests at Southfield-Lathrup High
Washington, D.C.
School, performing in many of its productions, including West
"I certainly would like to have people from Michigan go to
Side Story, Little Shop of Horrors and Our Town.
these performances:' says Sugarman, 34, who works at his home
The theater enthusiast, whose religious education was con-
outside Chicago, which he shares with his wife and two children.
tinued after celebrating his bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth
"It's all very exciting. These are the first big things to happen to
Achim, also went to Interlochen Summer Arts Camp.
me as a writer, and it's like the cherry on the top of the sundae'
"I performed with the Peanut Butter Players:' Sugarman recalls.
Writing the libretto for The Gospel of Goliath came at the
"My dad helped me hammer out an independent study program
invitation of Kim, who is very involved with One World, a non-
with the principal at [United] Hebrew High School so I could fin-
profit New York City-based orchestra that often champions new
ish religious studies and still do shows."
music by living composers. The new opera, a companion piece to
While living in New York, Sugarman found bookings at region-
a concert production of Samson and Delilah, is part of a season
al
theaters and appeared in Guys and Dolls and Brigadoon. His
devoted to the Old Testament.
one
Broadway experience placed him as a stuntman in Ragtime.
"Jihwan was asked by the conductor to do a piece based on the
"When
we were pregnant with our second child and couldn't
life of King David:' Sugarman explains. "He asked me if I would
make
it
work
with child care, we moved close to my in-laws near
be interested in collaborating with him, knowing I had a lot of
Chicago:'
says
Sugarman, who looks after Sam, 4, and Lucy, 14
Hebrew school.
months,
while
his wife, Kara, manages communications for an
Twilight
Zone
twist
"We went ahead with what I call a
accounting
firm.
because it refocuses the story on Goliath as the agent of God. It's
"Since I spent 10 years in New York, I made professional con-
a `what-if — what if Goliath had a whole lot more to do with the
tacts
and have an agent and collaborators. With this technological
miracle than just David?"
era,
I
can do a lot of my collaborating online and on the phone.
which
is
about
repercussions
The idea for Meet John Doe,
I'm in New York about once a month."
from a bogus newspaper story questioning the state of society,
Being in Chicago also means that Sugarman has an easier time
developed as a result of a bout with insomnia. Five years ago,
returning to Michigan. Last Rosh Hashanah, he brought his son
while unable to sleep, Sugarman watched lots of old movies and
to celebrate the holiday and go to services.
became enchanted with the Gary Cooper-Barbara Stanwyck
"It's very nice that Chicago has a lot of theater because I love
Depression-era tale.
going to theater and the movies:' Sugarman says. "I bopped
The script was a Sugarman-Gerle collaboration. Sugarman
around here and there as an actor, but I've had a lot more satis-
went on to write the lyrics, while Gerle gave his attention to the
faction and success as a writer."
music. As the production developed, they assembled a creative
team and cast with Broadway experience for a concert version
of the musical and won the Jonathan Larson Award. Larson, who
The Gospel of Goliath will be performed 8 p.m. Friday,
was Jewish, composed Rent and died of an aneurysm just before
Jan. 26, at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157
the Tony Award-winning musical's Broadway premiere.
Montague, in Brooklyn, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at
"There's a very tender love story and quite a moving ending
the Ansche Chesed Synagogue, 251 W.100 St., in New
in Meet John Doe says Sugarman, who has been developing
York City. $30-$40. www.oneworldsymphony.org .
it in New York, California, Ohio and Connecticut. "The score has
Meet John Doe will be performed March 16-April 29
14 songs, cut from some 30. My favorite is 'I'm Your Man; a hot
at Ford's Theatre, 51110th St., in Washington, D.C. $25.
number about a woman reporter demanding her job back.
Curtain times are listed at www.fordtheatre.org . (202)
"When we first started working together, we mostly did the
347-4833.
lyrics first. Now we've gotten to the point where we play a lot of
`ping-pong; going back and forth and back and forth."
January 25
•
2007
49