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The Thomashefskys on KQED
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David Kaye
Mar 30, 2012, 7:09:12 AM3/30/12
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Michael Tilson Thomas, SF Symphony director/conductor, has put together a
remarkable play/revue about his family, the famous Thomashefskys of New York
Yiddish Theater. It's playing this week on PBS stations aroudn the country,
locally in SF on KQED.
It's an AMAZING program. The performance takes the viewer through the
history of the family in America and through their rise to fame as
performers and impresarios as they opened theaters and sponsored touring
troupes, etc.
The show is amazing in so many ways. First, it is extremely well-staged
with MTT taking on the role of narrator, talking about his great
grandparents, etc. Second, there are character actors who take on the roles
of his family members, with various singing and dancing. Third, MTT himself
appears to be a remarkable showman in his own right! (Who knew?) He plays
piano to accompany a singer. He sings, he dances. He shows a performing
side I'd never known.
I've never been much of a MTT fan, given that his symphony season choices
are mediocre and his orchestra lacks flair. But, I definitely hav e
new-found respect for Michael Tilson Thomas now that I've seen him in
action, and I've seen the orchestra he leads for this show.
I think MTT missed his calling. He should have been putting on Yiddish
musicals instead of leading a symphony, though I'll give him credit for
being one of the most well-known symphony conductors in the world today.
Anyhow, definitely must-see TV if you have any interest in the history of
American musical theater, vaudeville, and music.
Link about the show:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/the-thomashefskys-music-and-memories-of-a-life-in-the-yiddish-theater/about-the-program/1238/
Link to KQED: http://www.kqed.org
remarkable play/revue about his family, the famous Thomashefskys of New York
Yiddish Theater. It's playing this week on PBS stations aroudn the country,
locally in SF on KQED.
It's an AMAZING program. The performance takes the viewer through the
history of the family in America and through their rise to fame as
performers and impresarios as they opened theaters and sponsored touring
troupes, etc.
The show is amazing in so many ways. First, it is extremely well-staged
with MTT taking on the role of narrator, talking about his great
grandparents, etc. Second, there are character actors who take on the roles
of his family members, with various singing and dancing. Third, MTT himself
appears to be a remarkable showman in his own right! (Who knew?) He plays
piano to accompany a singer. He sings, he dances. He shows a performing
side I'd never known.
I've never been much of a MTT fan, given that his symphony season choices
are mediocre and his orchestra lacks flair. But, I definitely hav e
new-found respect for Michael Tilson Thomas now that I've seen him in
action, and I've seen the orchestra he leads for this show.
I think MTT missed his calling. He should have been putting on Yiddish
musicals instead of leading a symphony, though I'll give him credit for
being one of the most well-known symphony conductors in the world today.
Anyhow, definitely must-see TV if you have any interest in the history of
American musical theater, vaudeville, and music.
Link about the show:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/the-thomashefskys-music-and-memories-of-a-life-in-the-yiddish-theater/about-the-program/1238/
Link to KQED: http://www.kqed.org
Phil Kane
Mar 30, 2012, 3:20:50 PM3/30/12
to
On Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:09:12 -0700, "David Kaye"
<sfdavi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I think MTT missed his calling. He should have been putting on Yiddish
>musicals instead of leading a symphony, though I'll give him credit for
>being one of the most well-known symphony conductors in the world today.
Yes, and it's a pity that he has distanced himself from any meaningful
<sfdavi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I think MTT missed his calling. He should have been putting on Yiddish
>musicals instead of leading a symphony, though I'll give him credit for
>being one of the most well-known symphony conductors in the world today.
connection with the San Francisco Jewish Community. We tried......
---
Phil Kane
Beaverton, OR
spamtrap1888
Mar 30, 2012, 4:01:31 PM3/30/12
to
On Mar 30, 12:20 pm, Phil Kane <Phil.K...@nov.shmovz.ka.pop> wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:09:12 -0700, "David Kaye"
>
> On Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:09:12 -0700, "David Kaye"
>
> <sfdavidka...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >I think MTT missed his calling. He should have been putting on Yiddish
> >musicals instead of leading a symphony, though I'll give him credit for
> >being one of the most well-known symphony conductors in the world today.
>
> Yes, and it's a pity that he has distanced himself from any meaningful
> connection with the San Francisco Jewish Community. We tried......
I'm curious now how close the Menuhins were to the SF Jewish
> >I think MTT missed his calling. He should have been putting on Yiddish
> >musicals instead of leading a symphony, though I'll give him credit for
> >being one of the most well-known symphony conductors in the world today.
>
> Yes, and it's a pity that he has distanced himself from any meaningful
> connection with the San Francisco Jewish Community. We tried......
community. (Even though Yehudi moved away, his parents continued to
live in Los Gatos, AFAIK.)
As far as Tilson Thomas goes, often only with age and success do
people feel confident enough to reestablish ties with their roots. If,
coming up, he had wanted to publicly identify with being Jewish, he
wouldn't have chopped off the shefsky.
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