M
andy Patinkin — singer, actor, activist —
will bring his musical talents to Detroit on
Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Fisher Theatre. His
30-city concert tour, Diaries, features a mix of classic
American tunes, material from recent recordings and
a little bit of Broadway.
“The name Diaries comes from a journal I was
doing of new songs,” says Patinkin, who is accompa-
nied by pianist/musical director Adam Ben-David
(see accompanying story). “These are songs that
speak to me on every imaginable level — from funny
and silly, to serious, to life lessons, to family. They are
songs by Sondheim, Randy Newman, Queen, Oscar
Hammerstein, Harry Chapin, Lyle Lovett and others
— and one that I wrote.”
Patinkin’
s new CD, Children and Art, was released
last October in conjunction with the beginning of his
music tour. Many of the songs he sings on stage are
taken from the CD.
At the time he was putting together his musi-
cal repertoire, he was filming the final season of
Showtime’
s hit show Homeland, in which he plays
CIA agent Saul Berenson.
“In January 2019, I flew to Morocco for seven
months and came back to Los Angeles for two
months to shoot the eighth and final season of
Homeland,” he says.
That season begins airing Feb. 9, and he admits
wrapping it up was very emotional. “It was an amaz-
ing time in our lives,” Patinkin says. “Homeland gave
me endless gifts and wondrous experiences, but it
was exhausting, and we were in need of moving on.
Yet, it was unexplainably emotional. When we were
done filming, I came back home to New York City
and met a friend for lunch. He said, ‘
You are free,’
and
I couldn’
t talk and started to cry. It was a huge part
of my life for more than eight years. I don’
t even have
a reference point — every other job I’
ve had was no
longer than two years. This was so special.”
JUDAISM AND ACTING
In Homeland, Saul is Jewish, and Patinkin was able
to incorporate some of his Judaism into the series.
“The first time it happened, we were in a safe house
and a Muslim fellow thought to be a terrorist was on
the floor dead,” he recalls. “I was standing there with
the cameras rolling and I started to say the mourners
Kaddish in Hebrew. The cameraman didn’
t know
what I was doing, and the director didn’
t say cut, so I
said the whole prayer. In another episode, there was
a huge incident where many people were killed, and
it ended with me walking among the bodies saying
Kaddish again. It was an improvised moment that I
did, and it became part of the fabric of the show.
“There was a plaque written in Hebrew on Saul
Berenson’
s desk that says, ‘
Save one life as though you
have saved the entire world. Take a life as though you
have destroyed the entire world.’
I tried to get that
plaque in every shot.”
Judaism has always been a part of Patinkin’
s life.
Growing up in Chicago, his family belonged to a
Conservative synagogue and, at age 7, he began sing-
ing in the choir. “Being Jewish has always been part
of the definition of my being,” says Patinkin, who had
gone two summers to Camp Surah in Michigan, a
Hebrew immersion camp that no longer exists.
By age 14, he knew he wanted to become an actor.
“I went to the Young Men’
s Jewish Counselor Youth
Center in Chicago and started doing plays,” he says.
“
After being in one play, I loved it and never looked
back.”
After a year at the University of Kansas, Patinkin
transferred to Julliard to study drama. After Julliard,
he started working at the Joseph Papp Public Theater.
While there, in 1979, he auditioned for the part of
Che Guevara in Evita. He got the role, played oppo-
site Patti LuPone and went on to win a Tony Award.
Since then, Patinkin has carved out a wonderful
career in theater, film, television and singing. He
MARK SELIGER/SHOWTIME
Claire Danes
(Carrie Mathison)
and Mandy
Patinkin (Saul
Berenson)
strike a pose
to promote the
final season
of Homeland,
starting Feb. 9.
JANUARY 30 • 2020 | 27
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