The Klezmatics Come to SOPAC This Month

The foremost and best-loved Klezmer band, The Klezmatics, offer a program from their Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Woody Guthrie's lyrics for Hanukkah. The Klezmatics bring their hip, East Village sensibility to the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Thursday, November 29 at 7:30PM.

On their Grammy Award-winning 2006 album Wonder Wheel, The Klezmatics set a dozen previously unsung Woody Guthrie lyrics to music, widening their stylistic base by largely diverging from Klezmer. They have also recently served as the subject of a feature-length documentary film, The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground.

Since their emergence more than 30 years ago, The Klezmatics have raised the bar for Eastern European Jewish music, made aesthetically, politically and musically interesting recordings, inspired future generations, created a large body of work that is enduring, and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture. Often called a "Jewish roots band," The Klezmatics have led a popular revival of this ages-old, nearly forgotten art form.

They have performed in more than 20 countries and released 11 albums to date-most recently the album Apikorsim (Heretics), produced by Danny Blume (who helped the band win a Grammy Award in 2006) and the first of the band's albums to feature only the 6 members.

During their third-of-a-century existence The Klezmatics have collaborated with such brilliant artists as violinist Itzhak Perlman, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and Israeli vocal icon Chava Alberstein, plus many other prominent artists working within multiple genres

Celebrate Hanukkah with The Klezmatics - Happy Joyous Hannukah on Thursday, November 29 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $19-$45 (child ticket is $19) and can be purchased online at http://www.sopacnow.org/klezmatics/ or by calling the box office at (973) 313-2787.