MONTREAL May 2007 – Don’t miss the close to the 2006-07 season at The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre with this highly anticipated production by The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre. The award-winning song and dance journey Those Were the Days brings to life the Yiddish theatre’s rich history with a multi-talented cast and a toe-tappin’ live band, led by Musical Director, John Gilbert, with Bryna Wasserman at the creative helm as Director.

In a high-velocity world that is often dehumanizing, Those Were the Days evokes an uncomplicated, pre-Lavalife and JDate time when holding hands meant something. In this musical journey following troubadour performers from turn of the century Europe to the dirty 30’s in New York City, the audience is compelled to appreciate the beauty, humour and compassion that lie in the small details of daily existence.

The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre continues to foster intercultural awareness and understanding, as was evident with this past November’s Those Were the Days European tour to Dresden, Prague and Vienna. Bryna Wasserman explains, “Like the Wandering Stars in Those Were the Days, we are the modern day troubadours, travelling from town to town, building on the foundations laid by those who have come before us.” Entertainment industry icons like Stella Adler, Sidney Lumet and Paul Muni gained valuable experience working in the rich training ground of Yiddish theatre.

Past Yiddish Theatre successes include Lies My Father Told Me, The Threepenny Opera, The Great Houdini, On Second Avenue (also by Zalmen Mlotek and Moishe Rosenfeld), God of Vengeance and Fiddler on the Roof.

The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre is broaching 50 years of moving, uplifting, enlightening, traditional as well as contemporary productions that are embraced by everyone.

Songs include: Mazel Tov, a wedding medley; Papirosn (Cigarettes), inspired by lonely orphans of WW I who survived by selling cigarettes on the street; In an Orem Shtibele (In a Poor Little House), where paradise resides side by side with poverty, and Vu Iz Dos Gesele (Where Is the Street?), a poignant description of a boy’s small village and the girl he loves when in reality, they exist only in his dream and his song.

The talented cast of nine is comprised of both longstanding Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre triple-threats as well as gifted newcomers: Mark Bassel, Billy Finkelstein, Aron Gonshor, Michelle Heisler, Karen Karpman, Richard Martz, Brad Picken, Andee Shuster and Sam Stein. Musical director and pianist, John Gilbert, heard last season in Cabaret, leads the live band with Stephane Allard on violin, Chet Doxas on reeds, Ben Gonshor on bass guitar and Liam O’Neill on drums.

Taking us back in time, the imaginative design team includes set designer extraordinaire, John C. Dinning, who has been part of the Yiddish Theatre for almost two decades; choreographer, Lorna Wayne, who has choreographed nine previous Yiddish Theatre productions; sound designer, Rob Denton, marking his 10th anniversary with the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre; costume designer, James Lavoie, who most recently designed Amadeus and lighting designer, Jacques-Olivier Dupuis, whose Segal Theatre work includes Major Barbara and Fiddler on the Roof among others. The stage manager is Amanda Corber.

88.5 CBC Radio One proudly presents Sunday-@-the-Segal with Nahma Sandrow

Sunday, June 3, 11am. Admission is free.
Join us for another season of intimate conversation and riveting lectures as we welcome author and playwright Nahma Sandrow. Ms Sandrow will offer a dynamic talk on her book, Vagabond Stars: A History of the Yiddish Theater.

Tickets and Media Information

Previews:
June 3 1:30 pm
June 4, 5, 6 8:00 pm

Sunday-@-the-Segal: June 3 11:00 am

Opening Night: Thurs., June 7 8:00pm

Run: June 3 – 28

Performances:
Monday-Thursday 8:00pm
Saturday, June 9 & 16 9:30pm
Sunday 7:00 pm
Matinées:
Sunday 2:00 pm

BOX OFFICE:
(514) 739-7944
5170 Cote St. Catherine Rd. The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre in the
The Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts

Admission 790-1245
www.admission.com