Arts & Entertainment

Tribe Tummelers

The cast of Jewiscal! The Musical including Oak Park native Mike Shreeman
satirizes all things Jewish.

Suzanne Chessler

will take him to appear in some
improv theater in Maine and Second
City shows on Norwegian Cruise
Lines.
ike Shreeman's parents
In the last two weeks of the Novi
were area teachers who
production, Shreeman and the other
encouraged their son's
cast members will be joined by T.J.
attention to Judaism, culturally at
Shanoff at the piano. Shanoff helped
home and academically through
put Jewsical! the Musical together.
bar mitzvah studies at Adat
"This show was the brainchild of
Shalom Synagogue.
Second City's executive producer, Kelly
Those experiences apparently
Leonard:' says Shanoff, 34. "We wanted
made a strong impression because
to see if we could do a production that
Shreeman is thoroughly enjoy-
was better than another company's
ing his skit roles in Jewsical! The
earlier touring show dealing with
Musical, a touring show presented
similar Jewish comedic themes. That
by Second City Theatricals.
other show was panned critically
Shreeman, selected by a division
while drawing huge audiences."
of the comedy ensemble based in
Shanoff, selected as part of a cre-
Chicago, can be seen Wednesdays-
ative team, wrote music and lyrics
Sundays through Sept. 7 on the
and took over direction from Sheldon
Second City stage in Novi, where
Patinkin, who teaches and writes
archival and new material satirize
about theater.
what it can mean to be Jewish at
A graduate of Emerson College in
different ages and in varying per-
Boston, Shanoff started at Second City
sonal situations.
as a pianist. He advanced to assign-
"My favorite scene is about two The cast of Jewsical! The Musical:
ments for the public productions
Knute Horwitz , Sara Fox, Andrew Ritter, Vanessa Bayer and
college roommates, one Jewish
Mike Shreeman.
as well as commissioned corporate
and one not:' says the 40ish
shows.
Shreeman, who also is enjoying
"This show allows us to laugh at our-
Shanoff, known around Chicago
home-cooked Jewish meals pre-
selves in a unifying way:' says Shreeman,
for his comedic sports programs heard on
pared by his mom, May Bodzin
settled in Chicago for some 15 years.
radio, has launched a social networking
of Oak Park. "I play the non-Jew
"Second City has a long history of irrever- Web site, www.MyCampFriends.com , to
inspired by a Christian broadcast
ent humor, and I think that's very enter-
reunite people who had known each other
to give my friend a religious gift
taining."
through summer camps.
that doesn't turn out as planned."
Shreeman began pursuing an acting
"Being a Jew and comedian, I'm as
Shreeman, also in a skit about a
career after graduating from Berkley
proud of Jewsical! The Musical as anything
kosher Thai restaurant, describes
High School. When his luck ran out in
I've ever done says Shanoff, who also was
other parts of the show, including
California, he returned to Michigan and
part of the creative crew who worked on
a monologue he especially likes; it
found some work in industrial films.
the musical comedy Sex & the Second City,
deals with the reasons comedy is
The actor's next move, to Chicago,
which has been performed in Michigan.
inherent with Jews and has been
turned out better — essentially because
"I'm a Reform Jew and cherish that iden-
delivered by Martin Short.
of Second City. To supplement that, he
tity." LI
LIEBERM"
Other segments explore J-Date,
also works with Novel Ideas, which brings
FOR
a marriage counseling session
PRESIDENT
improvisational theater into schools to
shared by Joseph and Mary, an
encourage creative writing.
Jewsical! The Musical continues
improvised talk show connected
After the Novel Ideas troupe does a
Wednesday-Sundays through Sept.
to the use of Yiddish and what
presentation, students write stories. The
7 at Second City, 42705 Grand
One skit explores what it might mean if Joe
it might mean if Joe Lieberman
troupe returns to perform the stories in
River, in Novi. Show times are 8
Lieberman were president.
were president.
different styles.
p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 9 p.m.
Other ensemble cast members
"I've done another Second City show at
Fridays, 7 and 9 p.m. Saturdays
include Vanessa Bayer, who also does
improv and sings seriously while calling
Meadow Brook:' says Shreeman, who is
and 4 and 8 p.m. Sundays. $15
standup comedy and has interned for
upon his classical training; and Andrew
single and has taken up golf as a hobby. "I
Wednesdays-Thursdays and Sundays,
Late Night With Conan O'Brien; Sara Fox,
Ritter, who has performed with Chicago
get back to Michigan to see family about
$20 Fridays-Saturdays. (248) 348-
who has acted in The Secret Garden and
theater companies. All the performers are
every other month:'
4448.
Seussical; Knute Horwitz, who performs
Jewish, with the exception of Ritter.
Shreeman's professional traveling soon

Special to the Jewish News

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August 7 • 2008 Cl