KlezNut Music

[ellenkushner]

rosefox asked me where she could sample some of the music for my Klezmer Nutcracker play, and it occurred to me that I should tell everyone here - and also explain its lineage:

Shirim Klezmer Orchestra's brilliant album of klezmer spins on classical tunes from Mahler & Brahms to the Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker Suite," "Klezmer Nutcracker" (sample trax also here)
begat
our 1-woman (me as writer & narrator)/1-band (Shirim) "spoken word" stage show, which was recorded as a radio special and then released as a whole nother CD, "The Golden Dreydl" (also available on Amazon): this is the one with me narrating the entire story I wrote.

Both albums are commercially available for all your gift-giving needs.

(Just to make things interesting - the guys of Shirim also record avant-klezmer-jazz-fusion music as Naftule's Dream on John Zorn's hip Tzaddik label ; their album Search for the Golden Dreydl gave me the idea for the title of our show. [Yeah, they said it would only confuse people - and they were right . . . ])

And then I wrote the book. Which became the play currently running at Vital Theatre (through Jan. 3).

Obsessively detailed FAQ with links on my site.

Comments

Just to let you know...

[bjohnson.livejournal.com]

Big fans of The Golden Dreydel and your show, way out here in the bay area. KXPR in Sacramento reaches us in th east bay.

Re: Just to let you know...

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

That is so cool! Thank you!

It was fabulous!

[isabelswift.livejournal.com]

Just saw the play last night & got to hear the explanation of how it was born live before reading it here--its an interesting story to see how ideas grow & develop and change as they touch others.

Loved the show, loved watching the children, who were totally enraptured. Loved the demons (so cheerful) and the peacock was truly amazing. Tante Miriam truly wove her magic, congratulations!

Re: It was fabulous!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Thank you! 4 days off (just time for a cold) and then it's 1-2 perfs every day for 8 days . . . I guess I'll see how the pros do it!

Holy Toledo--that's a lot of performances!

[isabelswift.livejournal.com]

Hadn't really thought about how much work a show is. But someone needs to make the magic....

Re: Holy Toledo--that's a lot of performances!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

No lie. I'm actually going to take a day or two off midweek; the kid who's understudying me would love a chance to do more shows, and I could use to put my feet up - or, more accurately, to turn them to other things I've been neglecting (including getting over this @#& cold). It means missing the chance to see what 8 straight days of performing is like, an experience I am unlikely to get again - and in a picking-at-scabs-like way I am sorry to miss it; but I think I get the picture.