'The Immigrant' Sings with Authenticity

REVIEW CONTRIBUTED BY:  Caroline Cobrin

The Immigrant: A New American Musical made its West Coast debut Saturday at The Colony Theater in Burbank.  It opened to a full house and an enthusiastic crowd.  The Immigrant is an autobiographical telling of the playwrights' (Mark Harelik) grandparents' immigration to rural Texas from Russia.  The show, originally penned and performed as a play was given a musical twist.
 
The show is a touching story of Harelik's grandparents and how they struggled as the only Jewish family in the town of Hamilton, Texas. Many times it is easy to forget the truth behind an autobiographical story.  However, in this show they intertwined real pictures of Mark's grandfather, their children, and images of the successful dry goods store that they eventually started.  This added a true authenticity to the show that made the characters that much more vulnerable. 

With a small stage, simple yet effective settings and props, and a small cast of four The Immigrant is not your usual musical.  Christopher Guilmet, who plays the lead character of Haskell Harelik, gave a poignant performance and carried nearly the entire weight of the show.  His voice was powerful yet simple and reverberated through the audience. 

Monica Louwerens, who plays Haskell's wife Leah, also played her role beautifully, showing her struggle with old traditions versus the new environment that she finds herself in.

The score of the show, lyrics by Sarah Knapp and music by Steven Alper was inspired by the setting, simple yet touching. 

Overall The Immigrant is an enjoyable new show, filled with authenticity, laughter, and a talented group of actors.   

Directed by Hope Alexander with musical direction by Dean Mora, The Immigrant plays at the Colony Theatre through May 4.  Tickets ranging from $37 - $42 can be purchased by calling 818-558-7000 ext. 15.  The Colony Theatre box office is located at 555 North Third St. in Burbank.  For more information visit www.colonytheatre.org.

Photo by Michael Lamont - (1) Joe J. Garcia, Cynthia Marty, Monica Louwerens and Christopher Guilmet.

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