Mitch Greenberg and More to Star in NOVEMBER 4 Musical at Voices Festival Productions

Voices Festival Productions has revealed the full cast for its World Premiere production of November 4, an urgent, timely musical play about a political assassination that changed the course of history. A work revealing the polarized heart of a country that once stood on the brink of a momentous peace treaty, the production anchors VFP's internationally-acclaimed "Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival," now in its 25th year this year, this season devoted to exploring, "How We Got Here | Where We Go Next."

The 5-person November 4 ensemble is headed up by Broadway & TV veteran, Mitch Greenberg (Bartlett Sher's production of Fiddler on The Roof, Laughter on the 2rd Floor, Three Penny Opera starring Sting at DC's National Theatre before coming to Broadway, along with the episodes of Law & Order, Kate & Allie and many others) who plays the 73 year old Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, felled by a fellow countryman, 25 year old Israeli law student and right-wing ideologue, Yigal Amir (played by Helen Hayes Award nominee, Noah Mutterperl (national tour of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical; and the Arena Stage production of Age of Innocence).

2024 Helen Hayes Award winner, Nicole Halmos (for her role in The Cake at Prologue Theatre and NextStop Theatre, and ensemble member at the OBIE Award winning Target Margin Theatre Company) plays Yael Rabin, the prime minister's wife, we well as Shoshi, a close advisor who moves into the present to reflect on the traumatic changes that have befallen her country side Rabin's assassination.

Chris Daileader (Paper Dolls at Mosaic; Treasure Island at Synetic) plays Haggai Amir, the assassin's brother among other roles and Emma Wallach (This Play Isn't About Brian at the Kennedy Center, and Tiny Lights at Theater J) plays Prime Minister Rabin's granddaughter, Noa Rabin, as well as Yigal Amir's love interest Shalhevet, who also steps forward in time to reflect on the impact of the assassin's actions - and her own.

Director Alexandra Aron (Founding Artistic Director of Remote Theatre Project) returns to DC after staging Grey Rock at The Kenney Center and Imagining Madoff at Theater J. Other new play directing credits for Aron include The Mulberry Tree at La MaMa Theatre and the OBIE winning King of the Jews at HERE.

Assiduously-researched and told with an up-to-the-minute frame of reference, November 4 explores the personal and political landscape of 1995 for Rabin in 19 stylistically-ambitious songs. The musical collision-course between the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister and the Talmud quoting law student takes us to the final month of Yitzchak Rabin's life, ping-ponging between his office and family, and the world of the assassin.

Tensions build to the rousing peace rally in Kings of Israel Square, Tel Aviv on November 4, 1995, when a crowd of over 100,000 sang "Shir L'Shalom" (Song of Peace) together with the often gruff war-hero-turned-peace-making prime minster, only moments before he was gunned down. That murder changed derailed a peace process and forever changed history.

Musical co-creators Danny Paller (Jerusalem-based composer of The Geography Of Night and Eli The Fanatic) and Myra Noveck (25 year veteran of the NYTimes Jerusalem bureau and prolific screenwriter) are keen to have their work performed in the US as they reflect on the play's message during dark times:

"Israel must reclaim its identity not just as a nation of military resilience, but as a people capable of moral imagination and political courage. We need to bring statesmanship back. The play November 4 reminds us of this imperative; how this can - and must - be done."

The production boasts VFP's a top-flight, all union (United Scenic Artists) design team with OBIE Award winning set designer Lauren Helpern working with Costume Designer Deborah Caney, Helen Hayes Award (HHA) winning lighting designer Alberto Segarra, HHA nominee for sound design Justin Schmitz, properties designer Chelsea Dean, and choreographer Amber Mayberry.

As part of its overall Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival, VFP Founding Artistic Producing Partner, Ari Roth and Artistic Producing Partner A. Lorraine Robinson have programmed two additional workshop presentations.

Following the close of November 4, the festival continues with Palestinian actress/author Najla Said (daughter of Edward Said) and Jewish-American performance artist Judith Sloan performing their new work-in-progress, Imperfect Allies: Children Of Opposite Sides, running December 11-14 and directed by Suzanne Agins.

Through performance, memories, dialogue, images, poetry, and humor, Sloan and Said explore how their Jewish-American and Palestinian-American histories have shaped them and compel them forward. They come together as colleagues and friends in this soul-breaking moment to find tangible ways to have increasingly difficult conversations while steadfastly denouncing Israel's obliteration of Gaza. These two women take a journey - often a bumpy road - in a collaboration that challenges even the strongest relationship.

Performances will be followed with an opportunity for audience members to practice the art of listening to one another.

The Festival concludes with the English language workshop premiere adaptation of Colum McCann's 2020 National Book Award winning "Apeirogon" about the inspiring relationship between Rami Elkhanan and Bassam Aramin who each lost daughters to terror, then remade their lives to be at the center of Arab-Israeli peace building efforts. Running January 8-11, 2026, Israeli creatives work with American actors on Avner Ben-Amos' adaptation and will be directed by Sinai Peter who first staged the world premiere at the Jaffa Theatre in Israel this September.

The play, inspired by the capacious, internationally acclaimed novel by Irish-American author Colum McCann, has been described as "a work of incredible magnitude"... "A masterpiece with a broad horizon"... "This beautiful, deeply felt book is first and foremost an extraordinary act of listening"...

Like Imperfect Allies: Children Of Opposite Sides, Apeirogon: Rami & Bassam is presented at UNMC, 1810 16th Street, in DC.