Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

A celebration of Jewish voices will also address the hard topic of antisemitism.

By: Nov. 16, 2022
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Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Monday night, November 21st, The Green Room 42 will present BROADWAY AND BORSCHT, a night of music celebrating Jewish artists working within the show business field. The program will be a benefit for two different organizations fighting antisemitism, which is a growing concern in the world during these troubled times. Featuring a cast of Jewish actors at the top of their game, Broadway And Borscht promises to be a great night of entertainment, both in person and via livestream.

With less than a week to go before the company of Broadway And Borscht takes their bow, producer Noah Marlowe took some time out of his rehearsal schedule to share some thoughts about antisemitism, the cast of his production, and what we allies can do on a year-round basis to support our Jewish family members.

This interview was conducted digitally and may appear with some edits.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Noah Marlowe, welcome to Broadway World!

Thank you!

You are the producer of an upcoming group show at The Green Room 42 titled Broadway and Borscht. You are also a performer with an impressive CV. Are you wearing two hats for this production, or are you staying in one lane?

I'm performing at this event, but I'm definitely trying on the hat of a producer as well. That being said, I am so lucky to have performers in this event who have produced and they've helped me so much. They've provided so much guidance for me in terms of coordinating, promoting, everything - I'm very grateful for them.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Now, I know about the Borscht part of your show title, but I've learned that, these days, it's a mistake to assume anything about the general public, so, for the benefit of any of our readers who might not understand the title of your program, will you break it down for us, please?

Well, for those who don't know, Borscht is a soup and holiday meal, eaten on Shavuot, Shabbat, and Passover. The title of this show was meant to not only intrigue audiences to learn more about the event, but it was also meant to symbolize how interwoven Broadway is with Jewish people and Judaism, in general. Broadway wouldn't be what it is today without Jewish people. Jewish composers and lyricists are responsible for all of the Broadway classics, such as Annie Get Your Gun, West Side Story, Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly!, Wicked, as well as so many others.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Your show is designed to highlight a positive and a negative, the first being the Jewish community that is also the show business community, the second being the ongoing systemic antisemitism in the world. How, as a producer, will you balance the glory with the gory in this program?

In my opening statement to the audience, I intend to talk about how this event is a celebration above anything else. We are celebrating Jewish voices in this community that we are so lucky to be a part of. With that said, we also will be talking about the antisemitism going on in the world and the antisemitism we've faced/are facing. It's important that we take advantage of this platform that we are given here. So often Jewish voices are silenced, and on November 21st, I want to uplift those voices. So to answer your original question, we will be discussing these matters while also looking broadly and recognizing that all of these Jewish voices are coming together to celebrate their identities.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st There are occasions throughout the year when Jewish artists are placed in the cabaret and concert spotlight, but it seems, unfortunately, to center around the month of December. How can our industry do better by our Jewish family, year-round, rather than just at Hanukkah?

People often don't care to take the time to learn much about Judaism and Jewish traditions. Additionally, the unfortunate truth is that people don't think Jewish people experience oppression and are constantly trying to silence Jewish people by not providing allyship. I really hope this event can not only shine a light on how deeply antisemitism is plaguing this country and the Jewish people in the Broadway community, but also can encourage people to learn more about Jewish traditions and holidays other than Hanukkah. We need to legitimize the severity of antisemitism, and then hopefully people will take the time to learn more about the history of Judaism.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st It is, widely and often, acknowledged that our Jewish artists are responsible for great corridors and rooms within the industry. Why do you think we still have such difficulty with representation, reality, and bigotry?

Antisemitism is as engrained in society as all other forms of oppression. The problem is that people don't see antisemitism as a real a thing, or they think it began and ended with the Holocaust. And it also doesn't help when people with massive platforms in the entertainment industry perpetuate antisemitism by getting on TV and making statements that are harmful to the Jewish communty. This makes it incredibly difficult to stop the spread of antisemitism, particularly in our community. I'll put it this way: we need to have entertainers who say that they "Don't condone antisemitism in any form" without a laugh track afterwards...

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Tell me about the show you are presenting and the cast you have chosen for this celebration of Jewish creatives working in the arts.

At this event, I've selected incredibly talented Jewish performers in the theatre and Broadway communities. They will be singing songs that they feel represent them as artists, with the opportunity to speak on what it's been like being a Jewish theatre artist, and how they've been impacted by everything that's been going on. I am so excited for everyone to see this unbelievable collection of talent we've got. These performers are perfect examples of why the Broadway community wouldn't be what it is without Jewish voices.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st There is a charity tie-in to the evening, as well. Now's your chance to give your beneficiary a good plug for our readers.

All money raised from this event will be donated to the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and StandWithUs. Both organizations are committed in their fight to end antisemitism.

When you were growing up and doing your training and studying, were you aware of the vast number of Jewish artists in the industry, or is that an interest that came to you as an adult, when a lot of our social convictions seem to amp up and become more vitally important than during our formative years?

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st I've always had a very strong Jewish identity and have been committed to combating antisemitism. I just feel so honored to be able to put on this event because this is the first time I've actually had the platform to do something this big. As I grew up, I learned more and more about how Jewish people played such a massive role in creating this world we live in as performers. As I grew older, I held onto my Jewish identity. And as an adult, I've witnessed first-hand people making antisemitic remarks and arguing with me when I call something "antisemitic." I've also noticed that people who are passionate about social justice issues always manage to leave antisemitism out of their advocacy work. With everything going on, I needed to do something. And I thought the best way and the most effective way to do something was through the community I hope to be part of my entire life. I've always been proud to be Jewish, but events like these remind me how lucky I am to be part of the Jewish community, and how lucky I am to be raised like I was.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Put me in the picture of your feelings for your family of Jewish artists in the show business community.

I am so grateful for my family of Jewish artists. When I turn on the news or read the news and see all of these things going on, I tend to jump to the negative. I often feel defeated. But at this moment, I feel the most uplifted I've ever felt. It was so liberating for me to choose to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought about how many Jewish people are in this community, and realized: "There has to be others who feel the same way I do." I am beyond grateful for Jewish people in the theatre community, and the team involved in this event.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Pretend we have just met at a party, you've known me for nine minutes of casual conversation at the snack table, and compel me to go on my phone and get a ticket to Broadway And Borscht.

When you open your phone, and swipe through your Instagram stories, what do you see? When you open pretty much any news article, what kind of headlines are you seeing? Antisemitism is plaguing this country. It's plaguing the entertainment industry. If you want to support your Jewish friends and colleagues, coming to Broadway and Borscht is the way to do it. By coming to see this benefit concert, not only are you making a direct donation to organizations that combat antisemitism, but you are uplifting the voices of people that often feel silenced.

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st Noah, you have just sold me. I'm getting a ticket and coming to your show.

Thank you so much!

Thank you for chatting with us today, and I'll see you on November 21st.

Bye.

BROADWAY AND BORSCHT will play The Green Room 42 on November 21st at 9:30 pm, with a simulcast livestream. For information and tickets visit the Green Room 42 website HERE.

The faces of the cast of Broadway And Borscht have appeared in this article by first name alphabetization, and continue below:

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st

Interview: Noah Marlowe of BROADWAY AND BORSCHT at The Green Room 42 November 21st



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