According to the theatre's program statement, "We are pleased to pay tribute to Abe Oster's philanthropic devotion to Jewish institutions and it is particularly appropriate to hold this event at the museum that he and his wife, Ann, were so devoted to creating. His memory and Ann's continued work inspire us all to preserve Yiddish culture for future generations."
Featured performers include Tony-nominated actress and director Eleanor Reissa, cantor Robert Paul Abelson and acclaimed Yiddish-Klezmer performer Zalmen Mlotek. They will be joined by the Voices of the Next Generation - featuring Daniella Rabanni and Sarah Mlotek.
Reissa received a 1991 Tony nomination for her direction of the "English-Yiddish Musical Revue" Those Were the Days, in which he also performed. She also worked on the 1993 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady.
Abelson is an operatic and concert baritone who serves as cantor of Temple Israel. He spent multiple seasons as a member of the New York City Opera and has performed concert work with the Philadelphia and Dallas symphony orchestras and at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival. Having shown a special devotion to Yiddish song in various forms, he sang a lead role in David Schiff's opera Gimpel the Fool and performed on the Great White Way alongside Ms. Reissa in Those Were the Days.
Mlotek is an internationally recognized authority on Yiddish folk and theater music and a leading figure in the Jewish theatre and concert worlds. Having studied at Julliard, the New England Conservatory of Music and Manhattan School of Music he lists Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta and James Levine among his teachers. Notably Mr. Mlotek conceived and musical directed the first All Star Klezmer Extravaganza at Lincoln Center which was filmed by PBS for Great Performances. He served as co-creator, music director and conductor of Those Were the Days.
Produced by Larry Adelman, the 4th Annual Cabaret Benefit will be held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (36 Battery Place).
Performance tickets are priced at $200, with various benefit levels up to $18,000.
For further information visit The National Yiddish Theatre Online.
