Choreographer Yehuda Hyman’s solo show, The Mad Dancers was performed in the first JFest. His latest piece, The Dancing Room is a theatre tale about the award-winning playwright/performer’s dancer's life: from the first rhythmic steps his Polish and Russian immigrant parents taught him, to his teenage obsession with the legendary Nijinsky, to the winding road that led to his initiation into the ecstasy of Hasidic dance. In this 20 minute excerpt directed by Michael Leibenluft, Yehuda mixes memoir, humor and pathos in search of levitation of the feet - and the heart. Followed by a Q&A.
San Diego dance company LITVAKdance opens the concert with an excerpt from their new work, Light, composed by Yale Strom and choreographed by Sadie Weinberg.
The concert offers a tribute to the communities of Ukraine with Efim Chorny (vocals) and Susan Ghergus (piano) from Chisinau, Moldova and jazz singer Petra Ernyei and Adam Tvrny (guitar) from Prague, Czech Republic.
13th Annual Women of Valor
Written by Sarah Price Keating, Rebecca Myers, Todd Salovey and Ali Viterbi
Directed by Ali Viterbi
Thu Jun 9, 7:30pm - in person event at San Diego Repertory Theatre, Lyceum Theatres
Sun Jun 12, 2pm - in person event at Leichtag Commons, Encinitas
$25 Premier, $18 Standard
Book now Thu Jun 9 Book now Sun Jun 12
Performed by some of San Diego’s finest local actors, Women of Valor seeks to answer the immortal question from Proverbs: A woman of valor, who shall find? Enjoy six new short works that honor six San Diego Jewish women who are jewels of our community: Phyllis Epstein, Ellen Fox, Rabbi Susan Freeman, Betzy Lynch, Perla Myers and Edith Palkowitz. Through theatre, music and visuals we celebrate their accomplishments, passions and challenges.
Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, and Jewish Family Service Center for Jewish Care. Co-sponsored by the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Temple Solel, and Jewish Community Foundation San Diego. Proceeds from this year’s program will benefit: Hebrew Free Loans of San Diego, Joint Distribution Campaign’s Emergency fund for Ukraine, Jewish Gift Closet – San Diego Gmach.
The Art of Shtisel
Michael Aloni and Ori Elon in conversation with host Todd Salovey
Sun Jun 19, 12pm
Online event
$18
Book now
Audiences worldwide binge-watched the award-winning Israeli series Shtisel on Netflix. With incredible acting and writing, Shtisel provides an intimate glimpse into unapologetically Jewish lives in a Jerusalem neighborhood. Series star Michael Aloni plays artist-seeking-soulmate Akiva Shtisel, and is one of Israel’s most sought after actors and television personalities.Michael joins Shtisel co-creator and award winning writer Ori Elon for a live-stream conversation with JFest artistic director, Todd Salovey.
Co-sponsored by Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative.
Joel Grey’s Favorite Plays
Joel Grey in conversation with Todd Salovey
Sun Jun 19, 6pm
Online event
$18
Book now
Joel Grey’s Academy and Tony-Award winning performance as the Emcee in Cabaret, the Broadway musical and movie with Liza Minnelli, is one of the most iconic in musical theater history. His remarkable production of Fiddler on the Roof won Drama Desk and Outer Critics awards as Best Revival of a Musical, and re-discovered the intimacy and emotion of the beloved Jewish story. In this exclusive conversation with JFest Artistic Director Todd Salovey, Joel Grey will share his unique perspective on 3 of his favorite plays: Fiddler on the Roof, Paul Osborn’s On Borrowed Time, and of course, Cabaret.
Angelina Reaux Sings love, liebe, l’amour
The Love Songs of Kurt Weill
Produced in partnership with San Diego Opera
Thu Jun 23, 7:30pm and Sun Jun 26, 2pm
In person event at San Diego Repertory Theatre, Lyceum Theatres
$50 premiere, $36 standard
Book now Thu Jun 23 | Book now Sun Jun 26
Angelina Reaux is a lyric soprano who performs opera, theatre and cabaret to glowing reviews across the US. She has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein, mastered works by composers ranging from Gershwin to Puccini - but there is one artist that she is associated with more than any other - Kurt Weill. In this concert, Reaux celebrates the love songs of Weill in German, French, and English, accompanied by Scott Dunn, pianist.
"Réaux is America's most dramatic singer. She can sing with a disarming sweetness, gentle longing, passionate regret, deep anguish, white-hot rage, engaging wit, high hopes, worldly-wise cynicism, the voice of experience - often in the course of a single soing." The Boston Globe
“Réaux brings a better voice to Weill than anyone has ever heard and a degree of identification with the material no one has matched since Lotte Lenya herself.” The New York Times
The Whole Megillah
Jewish New Play Festival
June 14, 20, 22 and 26
Times vary
In person events at San Diego Repertory Theatre, Lyceum Theatres, and available online
The Whole Megillah is JFest’s 2nd annual festival of new Jewish plays. Throughout June, be the first to experience staged readings of four brand new works from four female writers. Each distinct work explores different facets of the contemporary Jewish experience, and is coupled with panel discussions featuring renowned Jewish artists and speakers. Join us to be part of developing the next wave of outstanding theatre from Jewish writers. The Whole Megillah is produced by Rebecca Myers.
World to Come
By Ali Viterbi
Jun 14, 7pm
In person and online
A coming-of-age story set in the SeaBreeze Hebrew Home for the Aging, The World To Come asks how do we as a society care for our elders? And at the end of the world, what comes next?
Committed
Written and performed by Lisa Robins
Jun 20, 7pm
In person and online
Committed, written and performed by Lisa Robins, reveals her complex journey to understand and find meaning in her brother’s suicide. This healing “Ritual for Robbie” has no rules, unearthing questions of faith, art, mental illness, and personal responsibility while using dark humor to explore the meaning of life.
These and Those
By Ruth Geye
Jun 22, 6pm
Online only
October 27th, 2018. Six college students pile into a small basement apartment for Shabbat lunch, but they can’t keep the outside world from showing up uninvited.
Shanghai
By Linda Alper
Jun 26, 6pm
Online only
Shanghai follows Eva Broder, an adolescent girl from Berlin who grows to maturity in one of the most colorful, crowded and unruly cities on the planet. Eva discovers how her life is interwoven with that of others and what kind of responsibilities she has the courage to embrace.
Hershey Felder’s Sing-Along
Featuring music by Jewish and Jewish-American composers
Jul 11, 7:30pm
In person fundraising event at San Diego Repertory Theatre, Lyceum Theatres
$180 donation, including post-show wine and dessert reception
Book now
This special event supports JFEST and San Diego Rep. Join Hershey’s well known audience sing-along of tunes by great 20th-century Jewish American songwriters, including George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers and others. Virtuoso Felder has dazzled audiences with live shows and live-streams of beloved composers – Beethoven, Chopin, Bernstein, Gershwin, Berlin and so many more. He returns to JFEST for a musical trip through 100 years of the yiddishe bochers who had a large hand in creating America’s songbook.
Hershey Felder’s Music in the Jewish Ghetto of Venice
Musical film premiere
July 12 - 19
$50
Book now
Venice, Italy, 1516. The first Ghetto in the world is created. The origin of the Venice Jewish Ghetto, is not what one might think. In this world premiere program, Hershey Felder is joined by internationally renowned cellist Amit Peled, singer, writer, and Tony nominated director, Eleanor Reissa as well as renowned Italian quartet, Klezmerata Fiorentina. Filmed throughout one of the still-vibrant post war Jewish communities in Venice, Italy, Hershey Felder explores how music has reflected Jews’ changing roles in society.
Support JFest
Jest is committed to celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of the Jewish community. Thanks to an incredible $50,000 matching offer, you can double your impact by making a new or increased JFest gift by May 15. Click here to support JFest today.