Purimshpiel

Our annual Purimshpiel is always a big hit!  In 1999, Linda Whipple wrote our first show, enlisting the help of the Kornhausers and Stameshkins, and as they say, “the rest is history.“  Today, congregant David Stameshkin creates a one-of-a-kind depiction of the Purim story each year.  Based on everything from The Mikado to West Side Story, and with a cast of over 30 congregants, some even dressed in drag, the show is always extremely entertaining.  Of course, this is preceded by the annual reading of the more “traditional” Megillah for our younger congregants, complete with costumes and groggers.

In this year’s production, “My Fair Esther, “ the great 1956 Lerner and Loewe musical, “My Fair Lady”, meets the Book of Esther.  Esther wants to apply to be the new queen, but she learns that her lower-class accent will disqualify her from consideration.  She convinces Mordechai, a former professor of speech at the University of Shushan, to prepare her for the royal ball, at which time King Ahasuerus will choose a new Queen to replace the deposed Vashti.  You can guess what happens!  Eighteen songs such as “Get You to the Shpiel on Time,“ “With a Little Bit of Purim Luck,“ “I Could Have Davined All Night,“ and “I’ve Grown Disgusted With Your Race” move the story along.

Past Purimshpiels include:

1999 - “Purim: The Real Shpiel”
2000 - “The Real Shpiel: Not Just Another Bad Sequel”
2001 - “The Tragedy of Hamanlet: Prince of Shushan”
2004 - “Music Ha-man”
2005 - “Kiss Me Esther”
2006 - “Bye Bye Haman”
2007 - “Goys and Dolls”
2008 - “The Sound of Purim”