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We now have a new wedding in the Yiddish
theatre. A couple of weeks back we came out to see a "Romanian
wedding" on the Yiddish stage; now there is being performed a new
"wedding," this time a "Russian wedding," in the Rolland Theatre.
A true blessing of weddings!
A "Russian wedding" put
together by William Siegel, the main supplier of tears and laughter
in the Yiddish theatre; the new "wedding" will be directed by
Michael Michalesko, and the music for it is from the composer Joseph
Rumshinsky.
This is not any opereatta in the ful sense of the
word, only one would call this a "musical comedy," which is also
quite a bit of light vaudeville and burlesque and is already an old
custom on the Yiddish stage. The answer is quite simple. A portion
of the public does not like melodrama. A second portion has held
comedy. A third portion has fun from burlesque. Why shouldn't you
shoot all three hares together with one shot? ...
Not always,
however, is the answer correct. Very often, in such cases, one part
of the operation interferes with the other. We are not used to a
uniform, elaborate operetta.
Stuck into the opertta are not
many melodramatic moments; instead there is more
vaudeville-burlesque stuff, which pleases the audience.
More
or less new in the introduction to the comedy, a scene of Jewish
painters who are working with the son of an up-and-coming
alrightnik, a former resident of Suffolk Street or Hester Street.
The wife of the alrightnik, a Lithuanian in ..., pravet [?]
aristocratic piece, becomes uncooked when they mention "Suffolk
Street" and shame on ordinary workers. That's why the young daughter
is very democratic, and she is just in love with teh painter, who
works around the house, mainly after he saved her from a thief who
broke into the house when she was alone. She is an ... excellent
soubrette.
A good impression was made by Michael Michalesko
in the role of the painter; I think that he succeeds more in all of
the dramatic scenes; True, he is very cold at times, but he is an
actor with good diction. With an elaborate gesture and natural tone.
In the last act he plays the role of a woman in an amusing, cheeky
way.
The gifted Yudl Dubinsky in the role of a boss-painter,
was very good, when not the old, "fete," couplets with
ambiguous hints.
Perhaps a certain part of the audience
enjoyed several couplets, also of Michalesko and from Diana
Goldberg, when they appear in their underwear on the stage; but for
them there are special burlesque theatres, why should they in an
entirely fine musical comedy be covered with such stains?
Also the able actress Bertha Hart had
got tired of the Tempe Kiffletloch and the awkward dances,
which are not suitable neither for her nor for Dubinsky, her
partner.
The young
daughter of the alrightnik was played by Betty Budanov.
Anna
Levine was the alrightnik, who is ashamed of Suffolk Street, and
Harry Hochstein, who was the alrightnik.
Gertrude
Silberkasten stands out as an ancient balabaste from the
cabaret who belongs to her, but she doesn't have much to play.
Dave Lubritsky quickly helped out his "partner" Diana Goldberg.
The ungrateful roles of two swindlers, the
father with his son, were played by Irving Honigman and Boris
Auerbach.
Alex Bolshakoff deserves a compliment for his
two successful numbers of lively Russian dances.
The "Russian
Wedding" is in general an entirely joyful musical comedy for the
audience, and the audience, it turns out, took to it.
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Michal
Michalesko |
Lucy
Levine |
Dave
Lubritsky |
Bertha
Hart |
Harry
Hochstein |
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Yudl
Dubinsky |
Boris
Auerbach |
Irving
Honigman |
Betty
Simonoff |
Diana
Goldberg |
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