Created and directed by Eylon Nuphar and Boaz Berman, the work began previews Feb. 23 and opened March 13 in its American premiere. By the end of its engagement, Be will have played 16 previews and 124 regular performances.
The show next resumes its international tour with stops as follows:
Mayumana (pronounced my-YOO-muh-nuh, from the Hebrew meaning "skill") was created in Tel Aviv in 1996 as "a purely theatrical event that combines elements from various art disciplines based on music, movement, acting, dance and Rhythm," according to production notes. "An ever-evolving performance piece, Mayamuna has gone through constant re-creation in its 10-year history, giving focus to the individual talents of its evolving roster of cast members, who come to the show from all parts of the globe." Be is billed as "an explosive new 90-minute production specifically created for its American premiere."
Co-creator Nuphar admitted, "It's not easy to classify this show. It's music, it's theatre, it's percussion, it's dance, it's wit. It's us being ourselves and basically, anything goes. Creativity and energy are our main themes. We put an emphasis not only on the technical skills of the performers, but also on their ability to play both among themselves and to the audience."
"These performers are artists who were carefully selected by talent, versatility and personality make-up," stated Berman. "Each contributes to the overall piece by creating specifically tailored singing, dancing and acting roles. With all of these elements coming into play and working in unison, every performance is usually somewhat different."
Mayumana has been experienced by more than 3.5 million people worldwide and is the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Theater Production by Israel's National Academy of Theater. Since 1996, Mayumana has performed over 5,000 shows in more than 30 countries worldwide.
Throughout the past six years, there has been a Mayumana show — usually two or more — performing somewhere in the world almost every evening, the creators said.
The multinational Off-Broadway premiere cast includes co-creator Boaz Berman, Sharon Ben Naim (Israel), Vicente de Andres (Madrid), Michael Feigenbaum (Switzerland), Alba Bonal Garcia (Barcelona), Silvia Garcia de Ves (Palma de Mallorca), Ido Kagan (Israel), Yael Mahler (Israel), Eva Boucherite Martin (Spain), Taly Minkov (Mexico), Reut Rotem (Israel), Ido Stadler (Israel), Aka Jean Claude Thiemele (Ivory Coast) and Hila Yaffe (Israel).
The production features scenic design by Nizan Refaeli, costume design by Neta Haker, lighting design by Eyal Tavori and sound design by Amir Schorr.
Mayymana's Be is presented Off-Broadway by Marc Routh, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, Roy Ofer, Mayumana Ltd., Annette Niemtzow and Pamela Cooper.
Tickets are $20-$60 and are now available by calling (212) 505-0700, or through Ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4100.
Tickets are also available in-person at the Union Square Theatre box office. For groups, call (800) 677-1164.
For more information, visit www.BeOffBroadway.com.
