Life, Love and Laughter at The Labia starring special guest artist from New York, Shane Baker, and Caely-Jo Levy, introduce you to the magic of Yiddish Theatre. This warm & witty journey to Yiddishland is on Sunday 1 September 2019 at The Labia Theatre at 7:00pm.
The New York Times: ‘Shane Baker, is one of the most prominent proponents of Yiddish theater, language and culture in New York.’ Shane Baker, raised Episcopalian, has played Yiddish theater to acclaim on every inhabited continent. ‘If it walks like a Jew, talks like a Jew and acts like a Jew, it’s probably Shane Baker, the goy from Kansas City.” ” A character straight out of a Woody Allen film, Baker is a vaudeville performer, comedian, and most surprisingly, a Yiddish scholar.” – Haaretz.
Caely-Jo Levy rediscovered her Jewish identity through Yiddish song. Her appearance in the annual Yiddish Song Festival in Cape Town awoke a powerful yearning to reach back to the rich yerushe – inheritance – of this sadly forgotten treasure chest of memories. For her, sharing her newfound appreciation for her cultural heritage, yiddishkeit, with her own generation is paramount.
Shane and Caely-Jo make Yiddish – that remarkably resilient but fragile language – accessible to a whole new audience, while feeding into the nostalgia of those who love to hear it nog a mol – once more.
‘My 20-year-old grandson did me a favour by coming with me to hear Caely-Jo in Yid Dish. But he then insisted we stay and see the second show that same night. He was hooked”, reported a smiling granny.
WHERE: The Labia Theatre, Orange Street, Cape Town 8001
WHEN: SUNDAY 1 September at 7:00 pm
TICKETS: R150.00 through Webtickets (and branches of Pick n Pay) or Tel 021 434 9691. This is a fundraiser for the CAPE JEWISH SENIORS ORGANISATION – CJSA. Support them in their mission of “Adding Life to Years”
Shane Baker:
Shane Baker is the best loved Episcopalian on the Yiddish stage today. His translation of Waiting for Godot, of which The New Yorker said “Beckett’s play, originally produced in French, may finally have found its mother tongue,” has been staged Off Broadway and internationally with Baker himself in the role of Vladimir. He is known the world over as actor, comedian, magician, and all-around entertainer.
In addition to acting in, translating, and adapting works for the Yiddish stage, the multi-talented Mr. Baker also serves as director of the Congress for Jewish Culture, a Yiddish publishing and educational organization based in New York.
This is his second tour in Africa.
A character straight out of a Woody Allen film, Baker is a vaudeville performer, comedian, and most surprisingly, a Yiddish scholar. – Haaretz
Shane Baker, is one of the most prominent proponents of Yiddish theater, language and culture in New York. – New York Times. Shane Baker Video Clip and here and here
Caely-Jo Levy:
Caely-Jo Levy has been performing professionally as an actress, singer, dancer and choreographer for over 2 decades. Her love for Yiddish music started when she was invited to sing at the Yiddish Song Festival in 2009 and has since been immersing herself in the history and music of her ancestors and performed these jewels in Darlings Vooorkamefest; in celebration of 175 years at the Jewish museu;, and at the opening of the global congress for SAUJP.
Caely-Jo founded the band Yid-Dish and has performed to sold-out shows all over Cape Town.
In 2017 she was awarded a full scholarship to study Yiddish at the YIVO Institute in New York
Caely-Jo not only feels a deep artistic, spiritual and cultural connection to these songs but also feels a deep responsibility to restore and honour them and is very excited about sharing the Old World in this New World!
She has performed in The Seychelles, New Zealand and New York.
