Rena Strober's SPAGHETTI AND MATZO BALLS Comes To The MBAR In LA 7/27
A nice Jewish Girl from New York finds herself singing at the famous Italian Restaurant Rao's, hosting the Ms. Italian-American pageant, dodging bullets, becoming a member of the exclusive Friar's Club, touring the country with Les Miserables and torturing her eighty-nine year old grandma because she's still not married. Friars, Famiglia and a Yiddish "My Way" (Mein Veg) - it's in there!
SPAGHETTI & MATZO BALLS! tells the story of how Ms. Strober found her inner Italian, with music ranging from Italian Pop Opera to Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell to Yiddish favorites, Tom Waits to Broadway standards and includes original music by Jeff Blumencrantz (Urban Cowboy) and Brad Alexander (Just So Stories). This musical explores what it means to find home again. Highlights from her journey include traveling the country with Les Miserables, her performance for Bill Clinton and Bill Joel at Rao's and the struggle of being true to both Sonny Grosso (the French Connection cop and movie producer) and Sunny Strober (the Jewish grandmother).
SPAGHETTI & MATZO BALLS! Was most recently performed at the Leeds International Jewish Theatre Festival as well as to sold out crowds in NYC.
Rena Strober made her Broadway debut 8 years ago in Les Misérables and went on to perform leading roles at Playwrights Horizons, Goodspeed Opera House and the Long Wharf Theatre. Rena is currently playing the eldest daughter Tzeitel opposite legendary star Topol in the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof. Strober also originated the role of Tonya in Zhivago at the LaJolla Playhouse directed by Des McNuff (Jersey Boys) for which she won the Craig Noel Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She has sung at Lincoln Center, Town Hall and Westbury Music Fair, and has performed for such luminaries as Bill Clinton, Regis Philbin, Don Rickles, Nikki the Vest and Johnny Roastbeef.
The creative team for SPAGHETTI & MATZO BALLS! includes musical director William Hindin (who has worked with Rosemary Clooney and many others) Dean Strober (Die Hard: The Puppet Musical), who co-wrote the show with Rena, will direct.
Rena has also recently released her debut album entitled Finding Home which contains most of the music from Spaghetti & Matzo Balls. For more information about the show visit www.renastrober.com.
|
After the Blast The Broadwater Second Stage (8/05-8/13) |
|
E=MC² Einstein The Musical Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center (7/03-7/26) |
|
Fool for Love Santa Monica Playhouse (7/23-7/26) |
|
Gershwin and the Golden Age Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (10/11-10/11) |
|
The Marvelous Miss Gender Starring Bosco The Plaza Theatre (7/28-7/28) |
|
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour with Barry Bostwick The Wiltern (10/26-10/26) |
|
Ventura Music Festival Summer Concert Series Multiple Venues (7/20-7/26) |
|
Brightwork newmusic Performs Game-Inspired Chamber Music Sierra Madre Playhouse (8/22-8/22) |
|
Little Shop of Horrors 40th Anniversary Tour with Ellen Greene (the Original Audrey) Patchogue Theatre (8/30-8/30) |
|
|
Water for Elephants Hollywood Pantages Theatre (9/08-9/27) |