"The Sound of Goosesteps" - at the Khan Theatre Jerusalem, Eyal Sherf discusses anti-Semitism in American musicals and performs numbers from them

Photo: Ziv Hadash

Taking place at the Khan Theatre Jerusalem on March 28th 2019, singer/actor Eyal Sherf presented “The Sound of Goosesteps”, a lecture-recital addressing the subject of anti-Semitism in three American musicals. It was accompanied by several film clips and by Alla Dantsig at the piano.

 

Eyal Sherf opened by saying that American musical theatre had been considered by many to be too light-hearted and “fluffy” to address the heavily loaded issue of anti-Semitism. His lecture would prove otherwise, with each of the musicals he discussed dealing with the subject in a variety of different manners. Sherf talked of the various versions of “The Sound of Music” - as a stage play (1959), a television play and, of course, the 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews. When the latter was first released, there were already two widely popular German films about the Von Trapp family: “Die Trapp-Familie” (1956), which provided the original inspiration for the Broadway musical, and its sequel “Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika” (1958). Critics deemed the hugely successful Hollywood film “saccharin”. At a time when many survivors were not ready to talk about their experiences, the main point of contention was about actually showing Nazis and if so, with or without swastikas (in the stage show the producers felt that showing Nazis on stage would be risky); this element varies from version to version, even to the point of historical inaccuracy. In the movie, Rolf Gruber, the 17-year-old Nazi delivery boy who is in love with young Liesl, turns the family in and the nuns feel guilty about having supported him. But the movie is ambiguous in its avoidance of political discussion, with. Elsa (Captain von Trapp's would-be fiancée) and Max (von Trapp's friend) trying to persuade von Trapp to be pragmatic. Sherf gave moving performances of some of the marvellous songs from this show (the last collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein) concluding with “Edelweiss”, written expressly to be sung by Theodore Bickel.

 

Sherf reminded the audience that “Cabaret”, appearing after the Eichmann trial, was based on the novel “The Berlin Stories / Goodbye to Berlin” (1939) by Christopher Isherwood and the 1951 play “I Am a Camera” (adapted from the same book.) The material got into the hands of the prominent, politically-minded director Harold Prince, who engaged composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. Prince felt that the subject of Nazism had been trivialised, that “Cabaret”, set in Berlin of 1931, was indeed about the rise of Nazism and he wished to present it as a cautionary tale, warning of the dangers of white supremacy in the USA, of decadence and vulgarity. The Kit Kat Klub (its title conjuring up an association with the the Ku Klux Klan) served as a metaphor for ominous political developments in late Weimar Germany, with its Emcee a metaphor of Germany -.inviting, but rotten inside. The 1966 show, featuring Liza Minnelli (Prince felt she was too talented for the role!) includes comment songs, such as “The Money Song”, which refers to decadence and financial downfall. The audience finds itself singing a Nazi propaganda song, with the Kit Kat’s unnamed Emcee singing love song with a female gorilla “If You Could See Her”, perhaps reflecting the heartbreak of the broken engagement between the Jewish greengrocer Herr Schultz and his landlady Fräulein Schneider (giving up on love in order to be pragmatic):

“I understand your objection

I grant you the problem's not small

But if you could see her through my eyes

She wouldn't look Jewish at all.”

Sherf, skilfully portraying the Emcee, claims that this song is the moment where the show’s entertainment turns to pitch black. “Cabaret” is a daring musical with no happy end, with fate closing in on both the Emcee and Herr Schultz.

 

The third musical discussed by Sherf was “The Producers”, written and directed by Mel Brooks.  When timid accountant Leo Bloom reviews the books of down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock, the two hit upon a way to make a fortune by creating a play and using the worst actors and producers to ensure a sure-fire flop. The play, which is to be their gold mine, is to be called "Springtime for Hitler." It becomes the craziest musical ever, ridiculing Nazism and bringing down Hitler with ridicule; going all the way, with Brooks manages to offend all.  A woman addressing Brooks in an elevator said “I have to tell you, Mr. Brooks, that your movie is vulgar.” Brooks replied, “Lady”, he said, “it rose below vulgarity.” Sherf draws our attention to the fact that the quintessential American musical l form draws heavily on Jewish nostalgia, with many moments in the genre echoing melodies from synagogue, as does this musical. He adds that all musicals include an “I want” song. Here, Leo Blum sings:

“I wanna be a producer

'Cause it's everything I'm not.”

With a mix of borscht belt humour and altogether so much Jewishness, Brooks goes to town placing swastikas everywhere - on pigeons, even on Jews - with Hitler portrayed as effeminate. And, as the dictator loses power, it is all about making you laugh.

 

Eyal Sherf closes the event with a nostalgic song in Yiddish. Songs from the musicals discussed were beautifully presented, polished and musically rewarding, each in the appropriate role, style and accent, his voice flexible, vibrant and well suited to this medium. Articulate and informed, Sherf presents the information in an interesting and communicative manner. He did a second performance the same evening in Hebrew. Eyal Sherf has performed in several productions in New York City. and is currently appearing in “Gebirtig” in Israel’s Yiddishpiel Theater. He has appeared in a number of Israeli television series. He served as cantor of Temple Beth-El, Cedarhurst, New York, continuing his cantorial work at various other synagogues. An outstanding and versatile accompanist with a flair for jazz and improvisation, Alla Dantsig added much colour and musical interest with her playing.