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February 6, 2004
Comedy, drama, music and more
This year, 10 of the 19 different Chutzpah! shows are from out
of town and the variety offered is impressive.
JÁNOS MATÉ AND RAY SCHACHTER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH
BULLETIN
Chutzpah! 2004, the fourth annual Lisa Nemetz Showcase of Jewish
Performing Arts, is fast-approaching. In only two weeks, the Jewish
and general communities will be treated to a superb selection of
comedy, music, theatre and dance by local and out-of-town performers.
This year, 10 of the 19 different shows coming to Chutzpah! are
from out of town, beginning with the festival's Feb. 21 opening
night act. Marc Maron, a witty, fearless, intelligent and neurotic
stand-up comic from New York, headlines the beginning of this nine-day
event that takes place at various venues in the Jewish Community
Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC).
Maron has appeared on many major TV shows, including the David
Letterman Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and
has landed roles in several feature films. He is considered one
of the hottest alternative comedians in the business.
The opening night show also includes a cocktail reception featuring
the Saul Berson Trio – Saul Berson (alto sax), Kim Darwin (piano/accordion)
and Paul Blaney (bass). The trio's music embraces a broad range
of styles from Middle Eastern influenced melodies to tango, klezmer
and bebop.
For cutting-edge theatre-lovers, Chutzpah! presents, in association
with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, the world première
of The Trials of John Demjanjuk, a Brecht-style cabaret about
the man who was put on trial in Israel in 1987 for allegedly being
Ivan the Terrible of Treblinka. Written by Jonathon Garfinkel, The
Trials has been workshopped at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa,
but Vancouver audiences will be the first to see it performed on
stage.
As a lighter fare, back from rave reviews at the Fringe, is Trick
Boxing, which tells the story of a young immigrant in 1920s
America through a novel tapestry of storytelling, puppetry, dance
and boxing. Written and performed by Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan,
Trick Boxing is a send-up of Hollywood movies of the 1930s
and '40s.
Another "Pick of the Fringe" show coming to Chutzpah!
2004 is Job: The Hip Hop Musical. Montrealers Jerome Saibil
and Eli Batalion have updated the Job story. They rap their way
through the tale of Job Lowe (aka Joe Blow), who works in a hip-hop
record company and who slowly loses his work benefits one by one,
finally losing his job.
In a completely different musical vein, Cuban-born, internationally
acclaimed pianist Mirta Gomez will give audiences a guided tour
of Latin Jewish music from medieval Spain to 19th-century Cuba.
She will perform on the festival's closing day.
Closing night, Feb. 29, features From Both Ends of the Earth. This
group, comprised of five of the most versatile and dynamic musicians
in Canada, presents a program of traditional Yiddish and Ukrainian
melodies, infused with elements of jazz, folk music, rhythm and
blues.
Chutzpah! is a celebration of Jewish culture and artistic creativity
– it is a performing arts festival for our community and the
only annual Jewish festival of its kind in North America. Several
out-of-town artists who have performed previously at Chutzpah! have
been amazed that Vancouver's relatively small Jewish community could
stage this annual festival, a feat that has eluded much larger communities
such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Toronto and Montreal.
Many ingredients are needed to make Chutzpah! happen: a great venue,
the continued support of donors and sponsors, the commitment of
the JCC board and, of course, the hard work of the volunteers and
paid staff. All these factors have blended to produce this festival
which has proven itself over the past three years with award-winning
shows, great reviews and enthusiastic audiences.
But Chutzpah! still faces a major challenge. It needs to increase
its audience. Several brilliant performances in past years simply
did not have the size of audience they deserved. The ultimate proof
of whether or not Vancouver's Jewish community is embracing Chutzpah!
is the size of the audiences, which will also determine the festival's
future. Again this year, Chutzpah! has an incredible line-up of
talent. So, check out the program, come to the shows and enjoy yourself.
Chutzpah! The Lisa Nemetz Showcase of Jewish Performing Arts is
named in honor of Lisa Nemetz, who passed away in 1997. Nemetz was
a dancer, a lawyer, a lover of the arts and a committed advocate
for the treatment and care of women with breast cancer. The showcase
celebrates her love of life and her dedication to the performing
arts.
This year's festival runs from Feb. 21-29. For more information,
pick up a Chutzpah! program guide at the JCC or visit the Chutzpah!
Web site, www.chutzpahfestival.com.
Tickets for the shows can be purchased at the Chutzpah! box office
at the JCC, by phone at 604-257-5145 or online at the festival's
Web site.
János Maté and Ray Schachter
are co-chairs of Chutzpah! 2004, the fourth annual Lisa Nemetz
Showcase of Jewish Performing Arts.
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