The Divine Miss M seems to be recovering nicely from losing Jewish Celeb Madness.

Was there ever any question that Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! would be anything other than an Experience? And since I saw it one day before opening night, wouldn’t it be silly for me, a humble Standing Room Only patron, to join the parade of rave reviews and bandy about words like “legend” and “star charisma?” For months, the words “Bette Midler. Hello, Dolly! What more do you need to know? Oh yeah: Telecharge” haunted my waking hours. That damn black screen advertisement showed up every time I watched something on YouTube. But eventually, I managed to see it (chairs are overrated).

Bette Midler was really good, guys.

Bette aside for a moment, Hello, Dolly! is a 1960’s Broadway musical so of course its creative team (Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman) is Jewish. One would assume that Dolly, the meddler of Yonkers, widow of one Ephraim Levi, brought to screen by Barbra Streisand, is patently Jewish, too.

But she’s not (necessarily)! As Jesse Green points out, there’s a long list of Dolly actresses who were not Jewish themselves and did not portray her as Jewish. In that same article, Tovah Feldshuh and Carol Channing discuss their differing portrayals of Dolly Levi. Whereas the non-Jewish Carol Channing plays Dolly as Jewish, Tovah Feldshuh plays Dolly as a 12-sibling, Irish potato famine emigré who “learned some things about Judaism, but she’s as Christian as she was 20 years ago.” After all, Feldshuh points out, Dolly’s maiden name is Gallagher.

Channing disagrees: “See, from my own personal experience, I’ve found that you turn Jewish when you’re married to a Jew.”

Feldshuh also makes repeated references to how she could “not afford” to play Dolly as Jewish. Channing doesn’t understand what she means; after all, Of course, saying that Gallagher is an Irish surname would have been a sufficient explanation.

But I could wager a guess: Feldshuh might be suggesting that playing Dolly as Jewish and being Jewish herself would be too much of a risk, something about which Channing does not have to worry. She may be worried she would be “too Jewish?”— That she would alienate an audience by injecting too much Judaism in a not-explicitly-Jewish play.

However, whatever it may mean, Midler can sure afford to both play Dolly as Jewish and be Jewish herself. With the sheer force of her charisma, Midler could take a hatchet to the set and a blowtorch to the Shubert and still get thunderous applause.

As for the rest of the show: it was delightful, old-timey musical fun, with much the same spirit as last season’s She Loves Me, but even grander. Speaking of She Loves Me, Gavin Creel passed on his weird mustache from that production to David Hyde Pierce, who is hilarious in Dolly as the stern Mr. Vandergelder. Creel plays the 33-year old virgin Cornelius, and he and Taylor Trensch as Barnaby make a delightful pair. (Side note: wouldn’t Nicholas Barasch be a great Barnaby? Wouldn’t he?)

Kate Baldwin is a feisty Irene Molloy, and Beanie Feldstein is adorable as  Minnie Faye. I just found out that she’s Jonah Hill’s sister but I won’t let that affect my judgment. The sets are beautiful, and the stunning reveal of Harmonia Gardens elicited gasps. There is also a moving train car and a dancing horse. What more do you need to know?

The bare black-screen commercials are right, but at this point, good luck getting tickets through Telecharge. For what it’s worth, standing behind the back row of the orchestra is not a bad view.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes, via Playbill.

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After three rounds with some really close competitions, Round 4 was almost entirely landslides! Andy Samberg, Gal Gadot, and Steven Spielberg all did really well up to this point, but you wouldn’t know it from how hard they fell.

The only person who came even close to their opponent and lost this round was Daveed Diggs. Let’s raise a glass to the rising star.

And so, our remaining Top 4 are now all the heaviest of hitters: Mel “The Man” Brooks, Natalie “Natch” Portman, Bette “Beat You” Midler, and the Notorious RBG (OK, that last nickname is real).

Who will win? Who will lose? Who’s the best at singing the blues (OK, probably Midler, but still)? We need your help to decide.

(For your consideration, after polls we’ve added some relevant clips of the nominees being great.)

New subscribers to our email list will know who’s going to the finals before we announce the results:

You know the drill by now. Vote, and you have until Sunday, April 2nd, at 10 p.m. And the next day, THE FINALS BEGIN.

YOUR FINAL PICK FROM THE “ACTORS” SIDE:

YOUR FINAL PICK FROM THE “OTHERS” SIDE:

Image via Wikimedia.

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Round 3 of this bizarre tourney was harsh and unforgiving, like a 19th century schoolmaster before some Anne Shirley-type waltzes in and gently points out that you don’t need to strike children for them to learn in a classroom environment.

Anyway, what we mean to say is, Scarlett Johansson is gone. As is Daniel Radcliffe, Mayim Bialk, Lenny Kravitz, Rachel Bloom, Aly Raisman, Rachel Platten, and Mark Zuckerberg. A moment of respect for our fallen heroes…

OK, time to regroup. We’re voting to turn out remaining 8 into a Fab Four. That’s right; this is the quarterfinals. The competition is getting tighter. Choose wisely.

New subscribers to our email list will get the results of this round before we post Round 5:

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

Voting ends this Thursday night, March 30th, at 8 p.m. And you can still tweet us with why you think your fave deserves to go all the way to number 1!  For example here are a couple of reader arguments for (and against) two of our top competitors:

RBG is 84 but could beat up anyone else on that list. Also, she is basically standing between us and the apocalypse. She should win this award and also every other award.— Ayelet Parness

Mel Brooks will win. As great and awesome and Jewish as Ruth BG is, Mel Brooks’s career has done more for the culture, people, heritage, and world than any judge could hope to accomplish in a lifetime. — Dov Alpert

So how are you voting?

THE ACTORS:

THE MUSICIANS (For the last time!):

THE OTHERS:

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Well, that was exhausting.

Round One of our Jewish Celebrity March Madness had some predictable results (did anyone really think Jake Tapper could take the Notorious RBG?), but also some upsets, and some really close races.  Here’s a recap of just a few showdowns:

• Neither member of Broad City is making it past the first round! Abbi and Ilana won’t have to go head to head.
• Winona Ryder held a lead on Rachel Weisz until the last few hours of the competition, and then BOOM! Ditto a last-minute reversal taking the round from Paul Rudd and giving it to ScarJo.
• Bette vs. Babs? Dylan vs. Joel? Bette, and Joel, it turns out.
• In a stunning turn of events, Drake is out in the first round! Let’s hear it for Daveed Diggs!
• Bernie loses, yet again, though this was much closer than the 2016 primaries.

And so, we present to you, the Round 2 bracket:

Go ahead and vote below; you have until Friday morning the 24th, 9 a.m. Eastern Time. Also, keep tweeting us angrily (new hashtag— #JewishCelebs); you had the moral high-ground for Round 1, but now, these are your picks.

And is the anticipation killing you? Well, if you sign up for emails below, you’ll have the results of Round 2 emailed to you, before Round 3 is live:

THE ACTORS:

THE MUSICIANS:

MOVERS AND SHAKERS:

OTHER:

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Good news! After a relatively gentile 2016 scene, This Broadway season is looking to be mighty Jewish. Here are the Semitic-seeming shows scheduled for spring:

First of all, Sondheim. Second of all, Sondheim where Jake Gyllenhaal is taking on a role made famous by Mandy Patinkin. That’s right, the Jewish actor stars in a revival of Sunday in the Park with George, opening next month.

Onto March! What a gift— it moves The Price from previews to opening; it’s a revival of the Arthur Miller play that actually has some overt Jewishness, unlike many of his more coded shows. March gives us the Broadway transfer of Oslo— as in, the Accords; the play tells the story of the little-known key players behind the scenes of the 1990s Israeli-Palestinian peace process. And, perhaps best of all, March brings us War Paint, the musical that stars Patti LuPone as Helena Rubinstein (focusing on her lifelong rivalry with Elizabeth Arden).

April showers bring Bette Midler back to Broadway! That’s when the revival of Hello, Dolly! opens, and everyone is rightfully freaking out. April also brings Indecent to the Great White Way, the new play with music about the controversy of Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance playing Broadway in the 1920s (women kissing each other!? How scandalous!).

Also, hey, did you know off-Broadway (or even, God forbid, off-off-Broadway) is a thing? One such promising play is If I Forget, opening February. It’s a family drama about a liberal Jewish studies professor, set a few months before 9/11. Also, a new David Mamet play about a psychiatrist, The Penitent, opens around the same time (it may not be particularly Jewish; it remains to be seen. But Mamet sure is).

So the pickings are ripe! Whether you want a new family drama, or an old musical favorite, there’s something for you.

The post Upcoming Jewish Broadway Shows appeared first on Jewcy.

(OK, OK, it also stars David Hyde Pierce, and its director is the great Jerry Zaks. The Jerry Herman-written musical tells the story of a meddling matchmaker who turns the town upside down at the turn of the twentieth century. It’s also worth noting that Midler hasn’t been in a Broadway musical since the 1960s.)

But yes, with half a year to go, you’re going to be able to make a purchase for so far into the future you’ll think you’re seeing Hamilton. The Divine Miss M herself bestowed us with this amazing tweet:

Move over Wikileaks! Betteleaks! “Hello, Dolly!” tickets go on sale Saturday 9/17 at 10am!! RUN!!https://t.co/Hh2JsNtDw3

— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) September 14, 2016

Wait, Saturday? It’s annoying that Shabbat observant Jews won’t be able to sit at their computers the second virtual box offices open for a Jewish musical starring a Jewish performer, but that’s Broadway for you.

181 days until previews. 3 days to ticket sales. Take Midler’s advice, and don’t walk. Run.

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THE OSCARS. So many memorable/cringeworthy/hilarious/morally fraught moments! Let’s recap, shall we?

The big question in the lead-up to the ceremony was whether Cate Blanchett would thank Woody Allen if she won Best Actress for her performance in Blue Jasmine—as PR expert Howard Bragman pointed out in Slate, Blanchett was going to be “playing for history,” whether she liked it or not.

And play she did, in a speech equal parts sincere and savvy: first she praised her fellow nominees, then she graciously thanked Allen for casting her (cue brief applause), and then she segued into a rousing cry in support of films with female protagonists: “Audiences want to see them, and in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people!”

How could anyone take umbrage with Blanchett’s brief Woody Allen shout-out when she was using the most public platform in the world to advance the visibility of women? Exactly. It was the lean-in to end all lean-ins, and it succeeded brilliantly because it was was strategic, heartfelt, and true.

John Travolta famously fluffed his introduction of Broadway star Idina Menzel, and in half a second the internet was all over it like rash, with a parody account set up for “Adele Dazeem”:

THANK YOU, JORN TROMOLTO!

— Adela Dazeem (@AdelaDazeem) March 3, 2014

Menzel’s performance of “Let It Go” was still amazing, because as Shakespeare presciently noted, a Broadway star by any other name is still as sweet. (Side note: Travolta claims Scientology helped cure his dyslexia. Science!)

Bette Midler, looking stunning in Alaïa, performed “Wind Beneath My Wings” as part of the Academy’s tribute to members who died in the past year. (We don’t have video of the performance, but for old times’ sake, here’s the montage from Beaches.)

And in one of the best gags of the night, host Ellen DeGeneres ordered pizzas for everybody and hit up Harvey Weinstein for the bill: “No pressure, only a billion people watching. Whatever you feel is right,” she deadpanned. She took up a $300 collection in Pharrell’s hat, but no-one knows if the delivery guy actually got the tip. (TMZ is on it, though.)

What else?

Best documentary short went to The Lady in Number 6, which tells the remarkable story of the late Alice Herz-Sommer, a Holocaust survivor and virtuoso pianist.

Lupito Nyong’o was gorgeous and delightful and utterly unaffected and now everyone wants to be her best friend. (Watch out, Jennifer Lawrence?)

There was The Selfie That Broke The Internet.

Bill Murray improvised a lovely tribute to Harold Ramis.

Matthew McConaughey delivered one of the most narcissistic and entertaining acceptance speeches of all time, thanking God, and—in a you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up moment—himself, ten years into the future, for being his hero. (Time is an accordion, amirite or amirite, Detective Cohle?!) But in the paper-scissors-rock hierarchy of Hollywood, Weinstein still trumps the Almighty, so HALLELUJAH for that.

Until the next awards season: just keep living, everybody. Amen.

The post Alright, alright, alright: 2014 Oscars Round-Up! appeared first on Jewcy.

Here’s the news to brighten up your gloomy Tuesday: Bette Midler is starring as the one and only Mae West in Mae West, the story of the groundbreaking actress, singer, playwright, and sex symbol. William Friedkin and Jerry Weintraub are executive producers. While Harvey Fierstein is penning the script (of course).

The film is based on West’s autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It, which chronicles her rise to fame, all while battling obscenity charges for her provocative work. Deadline reports:

Midler’s career path resembles that of West — she too made a name for herself onstage in New York (she made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Fiddler On The Roof) before segueing to features in her 30s for a successful movie career, which has earned her two Oscar nominations. Midler just started a three-week engagement at the Geffen Playhouse of I’ll Eat You Last after a successful Broadway run. Midler has been earning strong reviews for her portrayal of larger-than-life Hollywood agent Sue Mengers in the one-person play written by John Logan and directed by Joe Mantello.

Watch some of West’s best moments, and visualize Midler perfectly in the role:

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Just as much as Chinese food on Christmas Day is a veritable Jewish tradition, so to is the movie you inevitably head to afterwards. This year, will you be seeing Judd Apatow’s latest man-child flick This is 40, or will it be the Barbra Streisand/Seth Rogen buddy comedy The Guilt Trip? You could always ditch both of those and go see Billy Crystal and Bette Midler as the ‘other’ grandparents in Parental Guidance—either way, your movie options are pretty damn Jewish this year.

Tablet’s movie critic J. Hoberman has some thoughts about the three films, all more Jewish than Chinese food on Christmas. Unfortunately, however, his diagnosis isn’t pretty:

But just what is a comedy? Their nominal happy endings notwithstanding, all three movies reek of male failure. Perhaps because they are played by beloved icons Streisand and Midler, the Jewish mothers in The Guilt Trip and Parental Guidance are wacky and endearing. What’s more, however annoying the advice, their wisdom is essentially right; the best that could be said for the Jewish men is oy vey. The Jewish father in This Is 40 (Paul Rudd) is in danger of going broke and having to sell his house, in part because he is helping to supporthis supremely feckless father (Albert Brooks); the Job-like Jewish son (Rogen) in The Guilt Trip can’t keep a girlfriend or successfully market his idea for a “green” household cleanser; the Jewish grandfather in Parental Guidance (Crystal) has lost his job and possibly his mind. Not a “Hebrew Hammer” among them.

A Jewy Little Christmas [Tablet]

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Sagittarius (Nov. 21-Dec. 20): Oif itlechen terets ken men gefinen a nei’eh kasheh: To every answer you can find a new question.

The archer always hits his mark. Sagittarius was the tribal symbol of Ephraim and Manasseh. The sign was also associated with Joash, king of Israel, shooting arrows out of the window eastward at the command of the dying Elisha.

Your astrological symbol is the Centaur, half-man and half-horse, exemplifying humanity’s dual nature. The archetypal explorer, Sagittarius is the sign of the bachelor: you are both a seducer and an upholder of wisdom and justice. Your mutable nature highlights the tension between the civilized human and the instinctive animal. Sagitarrians are often said to be tactless. More likely, however, like the archer, you know exactly what to target when you are angered—you have the ability to sense others’ weak spots

You see the world for what it is and want to explore it to the farthest ends. Most comfortable when you are doing things on your own, you have the courage of your convictions by your side and are adept at explaining anything with frankness and candor. Very analytical and patient, you make an excellent teacher.

The high social energy of the full moon lunar eclipse in Gemini, November 28 lights up your need to share your philosophies, while the new moon in Capricorn on December 13 encourages you to apply them to your own life. These energies are great for gaining perspective on the past. Broaden your horizons, and actualize the changes you’ve resolved to put in action. Az me zucht, gefint men: If you seek, you will find.

Famous Sagittarius Jews: Isaac Bashevis Singer, Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Woody Allen, Eugene Levy, Gary Shandling, Harpo Marx, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Baruch Spinoza, Sammy Davis, Jr., Rahm Emanuel, Mose “The Rabbi of Swat” Solomon, Eli Wallach, Harold Gould, Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, Jakob Dylan, Mandy Patinkin, Howie Mandel, Paul Celan, Randy Newman, Ira Gershwin, Nostradamus (either Dec 14 or 21).

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 21-JANUARY 20): Action-hero Mars will be in your sign from November 16 to December 25, encouraging you to gantseh k’nocker (put it all on the table). While these energies direct you toward things to come, keep an eye on the past: a historical artifact or philosophy may be the key to your future.

AQUARIUS (JANUARY 21-FEBRUARY 20): With your ruling sign Uranus turning direct on December 13, you have the opportunity to actualize the psychological exploration you’ve been doing since the summer. With the big pay off for all of your intuitive inner-changes around the corner, don’t be afraid to rock the boat!

PISCES (FEBRUARY 21-MARCH 20): Life seems to have been putting you through one trial after another, but how you come out of the wringer is up to you. Your ruling planet Neptune is finally moving direct, which should help you apply the lessons you’ve learned. Try not to feel farfaln (hopeless)—but remember: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 20): Your ruling planet Mars will be in earthy, practical Capricorn until the end of December. This gives you a chance to focus on your career and other worldly tasks, you gantseh makher (big shot). However, something may still be stuck in your craw. Before you get all broygis (pissed off), consider any minor adjustments you’ve been ignoring—maybe you need to take a page from Dr. Ruth and pay more attention to your love life.

TAURUS (APRIL 21- MAY 20): Your ruling planet Sweet Venus is in the intense sign Scorpio. You eingeshparht bulls may be fools for love, but staying grounded can help you combat the intensity. Keeping busy and listening to your heart is the first step to sharing it with someone else.

GEMINI (MAY 21- JUNE 20): Even if it’s true that Az men hot nit tsu entfern, muz men farshveign—If one has nothing to say, it’s best to shut up—you Geminis resent being told to bite your tongue. The Mercury retrograde was rough on you, but now that your ruling planet will be moving direct for the rest of 2012, your communications will ease. Use your powers of persuasion and your rich imagination more subtly: it’ll give you an air of mystery.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 20): The Lunar eclipse on November 28th in social butterfly sign Gemini gives you cause to criticize your fun-loving astrological neighbors, priding yourself on the fact that you don’t suffer fools gladly. But it might do you some good to take a look in the mirror before throwing any more stones. Before you start schvitzing, take a chill pill and focus that constructive criticism inward.

LEO (JULY 21-AUGUST 20): What gives light must also endure burning, and your bright Leo sun has burned you more than you’d like to admit. It may seem like you’ve been fighting a losing battle, but maintain some balance, you volatile beasts! The total eclipse of the heart on November 28 will give you a much needed boost.

VIRGO (AUGUST 21-SEPTEMBER 20): With your ruling planet Mercury mercifully direct for the remainder of 2012, channel your energy into a more creative direction. Profound mood changes may coincide with the Full Moon eclipse in Gemini. Ignore the impulse to give into the plotka-macher sitting on your left shoulder. Instead, let the socially astute maiden on your right guide you.

LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 21-OCTOBER 20): You may be swamped with responsibilities, misinformation, and money problems: oy gevalt! It may be difficult, since you Libras tend to be pisk malukheh—all talk and no action—but try to solve these problems on the New Moon on December 13. If you commit to finding a solution, it should pay off by the end of the year.

SCORPIO (OCTOBER 21-NOVEMBER 20): A ligner darf hoben a guten zechron: A liar should have a good memory. You not only play your cards close to your chest, you also play for keeps. With Lovely Venus is in your sign until December 15, you may experience an intense yearning for what’s far away. Look beneath the surface of things to determine what you really want.

What’s Your Sign?
Stinging Scorpio (October 21-November 20)
Lovely, Lawful Libra (September 21-October 20)
Virgo, the Anxious Maiden (August 21-September 20)
Leo, King of the Jungle (July 21 – August 20)

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