Aleichem Sholom returns to Santa Monica Playhouse
Aleichem Sholom: The Wit and Wisdom of Sholom Aleichem returns in October! Presented by the Santa Monica Playhouse Jewish Heritage project, this musical, now in its third sell-out year (after an 18-month lockdown hiatus). performed in English with just a taste of Yiddish, follows the life of the beloved Yiddish story-teller Sholom Aleichem and his mespoche, spinning tales of his loves and losses, his fame and his failures, his travels, his travails and the tremendous joy and optimism that kept him going against all odds. This celebrated production with "Brilliant performances!" (Tolucan Times), having played to sold out houses since it's world premiere in March 2018.
Based on Sholom Aleichem's letters and stories, the controversy surrounding his stories and plays, and his passionate involvement in the creation of a new homeland coupled with the personal recollections of those who knew him first hand, Aleichem Sholom is written by the internationally acclaimed duo of Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie, with lilting songs by Emery Bernauer, E. Rudie and Sholom Aleichem himself. Audiences are treated to an in-depth look at the joyous and poignant events that inspired the foolish philosophers, philosophical fools, comical shtetl folk and not-so-comical scoundrels that populated Sholom Aleichem's world.
Aleichem Sholom stars veteran performer Chris DeCarlo, who once again assays the role of the beloved author, a characterization which has been enjoyed by more than a quarter of a million audience members, and Evelyn Rudie, who has created and portrayed more than three dozen Sholom Aleichem characters in over two thousand performances to date.
It is said that Sholom Aleichem wrote from dawn till dusk, his pen never still, the characters swirling and whirling about in his mind, dancing from his thoughts to the page to the hearts of readers all over the globe. In addition to being the "father of modern Yiddish literature" and one of the most widely read authors of all time, he was also a great lover of music, a lyricist, a poet, a speaker, a mischief-maker, the class clown, a romantic in spite of himself, and a consummate mimic.
Aleichem Sholom is presented by the Santa Monica Playhouse Jewish Heritage Project, a program that supports the creation and presentation of productions and experiences that keep the unique richness of Jewish theatre alive, honors the historical and cultural importance of Jewish heritage, and insures that new generations of theatre-goers appreciate and celebrate the life experience of Jewish ancestry, literature and tradition.
Aleichem Sholom will play Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:30pm, October 2 to October 30, 2021. Tickets are $35.00 with discounts available for students, seniors and members of the military. Great group rates are also available. For tickets and information, call the Santa Monica Playhouse Box Office at (310) 394-9779 ext. 1 or purchase online at SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com/aleichem-sholom.html.