Arts & Entertainment

Nothing Sacred

Photo by Carol Rosegg

own. Topics covered in Jewtopia's Guide include:
• How to change tables and send your food back when at a res-
taurant
• Learning what not to touch in a hotel room so that you don't
die of disease (Rule #4: Lysol the toilet and alarm clock and never
sit on the furniture naked!)
• Conspiracy theories: Do Jews really control the world?
And, of course, the allegedly burning question that consumes
the two leads in the original Jewtopia: The importance of marry-
ing a Jewish girl, so she'll make all your decisions.

Sam Wolfson and Bryan Fogel

Jewtopia duo
bring new version
of the hit franchise
to Congregation
Shaarey Zedek.

Diana Lieberman
Special to the Jewish News

I

t sounds like a plot from an old Mickey Rooney-Judy
Garland musical: Two stage-struck kids from the sticks, try-
ing to make it big in the cutthroat acting biz, hit on an idea
that brings them unimaginable fame, true love and (they should
be so lucky) fortune.
For Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, that idea was Jewtopia.
Beginning as a 15-minute comedy sketch, Jewtopia, the totally
irreverent tale of two guys and their experiences on the Jewish
singles scene, morphed into a wildly successful full-length
play. After more than a year in L.A., the show moved to an Off-
Broadway theater in September 2004.
Striking while the iron was hot, our two heroes then created
Jewtopia: The Chosen Book for the Chosen People, a pop-cul-
ture introduction to Jewish life (Warner Books; $24.99).
But wait! There's more!
On Saturday, Feb. 10, you can witness Jewtopia in its fourth
incarnation — Jewtopia's Guide to Being All That Jew Can
Be! — at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. The show,
co-sponsored by Rita and the late Jerry Keywell and family,
features Fogel and Wolfson in person, doing what they do best
— riffing on the American Jewish experience.
"It's the two of us reading and doing multimedia from the
book:' Fogel explains. "Then we have a question-and-answer with
the audience, and then we do a scene from the show."
Like the play and book, this latest Jewtopia incarnation is not
for the serious-minded or easily offended, as the authors-per-
formers elaborate on Jewish stereotypes and invent a few of their

No Matchmaker Needed
Here's the latest update on Fogel and Wolfson's own love life: Both
say they have Jewish girlfriends from New York who plan to join
them in L.A. later this winter.
"No, we didn't meet them through JDate," Fogel says. "But we've
had a lot of marriage proposals among JDate couples that take
place during our show."
"And one of our first managers from our L.A. show is on record
as having one of JDate's first babies:' Wolfson adds.
The authors-actors, both 33 years old, say Jewtopia seems to
have universal appeal.
"Whether they are Jews or not, everybody sees their own fam-
ily in it;' says Wolfson, who was brought up in Jacksonville, Fla.,
in a family he describes as Reform in religious practice. "When
we do a show like the one at Shaarey Zedek, everyone, ages 12-80,
is hysterically laughing for 90 minutes."
The full-length show in New York has a similar response.
"It's certainly not offensive Wolfson says. "Recently, we had a
Holocaust survivor come up after the show and say it was the
most fun he'd had in years. If someone says that, we must be
doing something right."
Fogel, who was raised in a Conservative family in Denver, says
most Jews they know have a great sense of humor. "As opposed to
some other religions, where there's not a lot of laughter going on:'
Fogel and Wolfson have showcased the 90-minute Jewtopia's
Guide to Being All That Jew Can Be! in about a dozen sites
throughout the United States in the past five months, including
Philadelphia, Miami, Tampa, Houston, Atlanta, Cherry Hill, N.J.,
and Washington, D.C. They generally fly in the day of the perfor-
mance and depart the next morning.
"It's a great way to see the country's airports:' they say.
What's next for the Jewtopia pair?
"We did write a movie based on the play:' Wolfson says. "We
start filming in a couple of months."
Meanwhile, they are looking forward to their first trip to Metro
Detroit.
"That's where Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop came from,
where his partner got killed;' Fogel says. "And we're both huge
Lions fans — they are the greatest team in the NFL." I I

Jewtopia's Guide to Being All That Jew Can Be! will be
performed 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb.10, at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
Tickets are $75, $50 or $25, depending on seat loca-
tion, with student tickets (high school or college) at $18. A
dessert reception follows the show. For tickets and more
information, call Tobye Bello, Shaarey Zedek program
director, at (248) 357-5544.

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February 1. 2007

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