DVD
REVIEW: THE THOMASHEFSKYS
4/22/12
“Tonight we’re here to tell you a story. It’s the story of Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, two kids from little shtetls in the middle of the Ukrainian nowhere who came to America and became the founders and pioneers of the American Yiddish Theater… they also happened to be my
grandparents.”
So begins MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS: THE THOMASHEFSKYS, written, hosted and conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. A live performance recorded in April 2011 at the New World Center in Miami with the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, THE THOMASHEFSKYS presents the life stories of Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, founding members of the Yiddish Theater in America. The Thomashefskys owned theaters, published their own magazine, wrote columns in the popular Yiddish newspapers, sponsored and encouraged generations of young artists, brought countless Yiddish artists to America, tirelessly raised funds for progressive social causes and, through it all, were adventurous
trendsetters.
Created in association with The Thomashefsky Project, THE THOMASHEFSKYS stage show has been performed to sold-out houses in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, at Carnegie Hall in New York, and at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts. Directed by Broadway veteran, Patricia Birch, who created the work with Tilson Thomas, it features music reconstructed from the original Yiddish theater repertoire interwoven with projected images and dramatized stories from Bessie and Boris’s lively memoirs. Tilson Thomas hosts the performances with personal affection and wry humor that brings his grandparents back to life and salutes their remarkable spirit and
legacy.
The story is woven together through the music and songs of the Yiddish theater, showcasing a musical sound that assimilates Eastern European klezmer and cantorial modes with American tones and rhythms. Over time, as the Jewish American music theater writers became absorbed in their new surroundings, they greatly influenced the American Songbook and this legacy is also captured in this stunning performance.
VIDEO:
Widescreen
AUDIO:
English
5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Deleted
Scenes
Celebrity
Interviews
Tribeca
Film Festival Panel with Elon Musk, Dan Neil, Carlos Ghosn,
David Duchovny and Director Chris Paine
Additional
Footage
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