National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Announces Winter-Spring 2019 Season

On the heels of its spectacular, sold-out run of the Yiddish language presentation of Fiddler on The Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) has announced the upcoming Winter-Spring 2019 season, which will include the civil-rights era inspired concert Soul to Soul, restored gems from the golden age of the Yiddish theater in From the Yiddish Rialto to the Silver Screen and the world premiere of the jazz opera Dear Erich, being presented with the New York City Opera.

"The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene has flourished for more than a century because the range of artistic work transcends language and birthright, and resonates with audiences across the spectrum. The amazing success of last season's Fiddler on the Roof proved that, as does being named Theater of the Year by the National Theater Conference. This season's offerings are among the most diverse we have ever created - from jazz, to a new Russian-themed dramatic work, to the classics of Yiddish theater," said NYTF's Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Massimine. "We look forward to engaging new audiences while we delight our most loyal theater goers."

"The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will honor its tradition of superb theatrical experiences next season with old and new dramatic and musical work," said NYTF's Artistic Director, Zalmen Mlotek. "Promoting Yiddish language and culture are our thematic core, but it is the highest standards of excellence that have kept us relevant. We are thrilled to partner with the New York City Opera to present Dear Erich in its world premiere."

The 2018 U.S. premiere of Fiddler on the Roof was a smash hit with audiences and critics. Directed by Academy Award-and-Tony Award winner Joel Grey, the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof received universal positive praise, including landing a place as a New York Times' Critic's Pick. Cindy Adams of the New York Post wrote the Yiddish Fiddler was "Marvelous. Magical. Magnificent." Edward Rothstein of The Wall Street Journal called it "thrilling," and Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast declared the production "a moving triumph" and "piercing delight." "Fiddler in Yiddish unfolds with majestic simplicity," Barbara Schuler said in Newsday. Ted Merwin wrote in Jewish Week, "Anatevka crackles with a new, more authentic energy." And, Time Out NY's Raven Snook wrote, "Here's hoping that Yiddish Fiddler becomes a new tradition." It was extended four times prior to its upcoming move to a larger off-Broadway theater in February 2019.

Additional programming will be announced in 2019. And mark your calendar for City Parks Foundation SummerStage on June 12, 2019, a free event in Central Park that showcases the best in Yiddish music.

On tap this season are signature events, most held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, Battery Park, Lower Manhattan. Tickets and information are available at www.nytf.org.

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The Winter 2019 Season includes:

DEAR ERICH (World Premiere -- Presented with New York City Opera)
January 9 - 13

The New York City Opera is proud to present the world premiere of renowned jazz pianist Ted Rosenthal's first opera, Dear Erich. This jazz opera is based on his family's story - letters written by Rosenthal's grandmother in Nazi Germany to her son in Chicago, where he was studying, having left

Germany only a few months before Kristallnacht. In English with supertitles. Tickets start at $25

SOUL TO SOUL (An Annual MLK Jr. Day Tradition)
Sunday, January 20, 2019, at 2 PM

An electrifying concert exploring the intersections between African-American and Yiddish musical traditions during the Civil Rights Era. It includes Yiddish theater songs, songs of Jewish immigrants, jazz and classic spirituals. Conceived and directed by NYTF Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek, it stars Lisa Fishman, Cantor Magda Fishman, Elmore James and Tony Perry. In Yiddish and English with English supertitles. Tickets start at $25

FROM THE YIDDISH RIALTO TO THE SILVER SCREEN
Sunday, March 10, 2019, at 2 PM

Back by popular demand, this concert features rediscovered songs from jazz-infused Yiddish musical hits made popular on the Yiddish radio and the Yiddish musical cinema of the 1930's and 1940's with restored orchestrations and original film clips, courtesy of the Center For Jewish Film. In Yiddish with English supertitles. Tickets start at $25

PURIM SIMKHE
Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at 7 PM

Join NYTF for a festive reading of Megiles Ester in Yiddish with food, fun and libations for the whole family. In Yiddish with English supertitles. Tickets: $25

THE GOLEM
Sunday, April 28, 2019, at 2 PM

A dramatic reading of H. Leivick's classic 1921 retelling of the legendary Golem of Prague delves into the world of mysticism as a meditation on the effect of violence on the Jewish soul. In Yiddish with English supertitles. FREE

WHEN BLOOD RAN RED
Sunday, June 16, 2019, at 2 PM and 6 PM

An exclusive look at this production in development, chronicling the darkest era in the Soviet Union when former wartime heroes of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee were persecuted as enemies of the state for daring to report on the truth of the Holocaust in the German-occupied East. This play was the winner of the NYFT David and Clare Rosen Memorial play contest, written by Ben Gonshor. In English. Tickets: $25

Invite the Folksbiene Troupe to your community! These young performers are passionate about bringing Yiddish language performances to audiences everywhere. To find out more about having the Folksbiene Troupe perform at a venue near you, contact Motl Didner at mdidner@nytf.org.

For membership call 212-213-2120 Ext. 204. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit NYTF.org.

Now celebrating its 104th season, Tony Award-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) is the longest consecutively producing theatre in the US and the world's oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company. Dedicated to creating a living legacy through the arts, connecting generations and bridging communities, NYTF brings history to life by reviving the lost and forgotten gems of the Yiddish stage through its global restoration project, commissioning new work, and adapting pre-existing work for the 21st Century. Serving a versatile audience comprised of performing arts patrons, cultural enthusiasts, Yiddish-language aficionados and the general public, the company presents plays, musicals, concerts, lectures, interactive educational workshops and community-building activities in English and Yiddish, with English and Russian supertitles accompanying performances. NYTF provides access to the hundreds of years of cultural expression, aiming to inspire the imaginations of the next generation to contribute their own stories to this valuable work. More information can be found at www.NYTF.org.