Episode Transcript
Fighting Antisemitism on Broadway with Seth Rudetsky & The Jewish Broadway Alliance
Why would I suddenly be on the side of the villain?
How quickly did you feel a shift within the Broadway community?
Oh my God, I'm getting anxiety thinking about it.
And your family allowed that?
Yeah.
That's a Shonda.
You've created this Safe pocket within the Broadway community for Zionist Jews.
Someone has to speak out.
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Do Re Mi Fa So.
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Speaking of shows, my guest today has put on a whole lot of them.
He's a Broadway actor, pianist, musical director, Emmy-nominated writer, cruise director, and beloved voice on SiriusXM's on Broadway channel.
But as much as he'd love to be just a singing and a dance in, well, maybe not a dance in, since October 7th, he has been not just a, but the leader of the Broadway Jewish community organizing Jewish performers around advocacy strategy and public celebration of Jewish joy.
This is a man who has taken go full Jew to heart in a way that is reaching and inspiring musical theater fans all over the world.
Please welcome the king of the key change, the Mensch of All Maestros, Mr.
Seth RedSky.
Two things.
That was really beautiful introduction.
I.
Second of all, I've always wanted to do this podcast and I've been seething for the last year that you haven't asked me.
We're just waiting for the right moment.
Thank you.
Third of all, um, I was, uh, in the Oberlin Dance Company, so the disparaging of my dance is not cool.
Not cool at all.
I was trying to give you like a, an out and mm-hmm.
Make a joke out of it, and I apologize.
Yeah.
I, I was amazing.
Like so many people I've had on this show.
Already, you know, Jewish identity, very much a part of who you are has always been, but October 7th is when you pivot and step into a role within the Jewish community.
Uh, seeing the need and the urgency there.
Like again, like so many of the people who've come out on the show, what was October 7th and those early days, like for you?
Mm.
Okay.
Totally.
Phil crying, like, I haven't talked about this at all.
Um, woo.
Okay.
So I had.
Really dedicated, you know, my life obviously to Broadway, which I love so much music, but really to social justice.
Yes.
And we're gonna, we're gonna get into your extensive career as an advocate for so many different causes and communities in a little bit, but I haven't really ever focused on anything.
Jewish 'cause, I mean, except for the gay lesbian synagogue, which I love, but I just haven't really faced any prejudice.
I was always like, I don't wanna figure out what Israel is.
I keep hearing negative.
I just didn't wanna deal with it, and I just never did anything.
Oh God.
Everything's making me cry.
Okay.
Anyway.
That's okay.
Um, so October 7th happened.
You mentioned I was a cruise director.
It's not called being a cruise director.
I know, it's hilarious.
No, I loved it though.
It was hilarious.
So I got off, I was running my Broadway cruise.
I got off it and I got an email.
Um, from a guy named Michael Rubin, who I don't know very well, but basically it was a couple days after October 7th, but he's Israeli, he is also American, but he's a big Broadway person.
And he said, you know, we have this horrible massacre and the Broadway community speaks out about so many things and no one is saying anything.
And he said, I've written a couple of organizations and no one is doing anything.
And he said like, have people forgotten that Jewish people have so much to do with Broadway?
And first I was like, I can't deal with this.
And then I just thought.
Wow, why hasn't anyone said anything?
And um, I guess that's what did it.
I just realized like someone has to speak out.
Were you on the cruise ship on October 7th?
I think I was.
And.
You know, you don't really get news.
And I didn't know it was that big of a massacre.
I was just like, oh, something happened.
It just seemed like, oh, another horrible thing happened in Israel.
But you know, there's always craziness in the Middle East.
But then when the guy wrote to me, I, it really hit, and the fact that no one was kind of responding to him made me very sad.
If you can remember, like what was your first step into, I need to fill this void?
I think I did maybe some social media posts saying, I, I don't understand why.
People aren't posting anything sympathetic.
I think that's maybe the first thing I did.
I got some nice responses, you know, but really the main thing that I can think of, 'cause I, I wish I, I wish I remembered better, but I know that Debra Messing got in touch with me and said they're, they wanna do, um, a video to help the hostages come home just to show support to them.
And she recommended me and I think someone else said, oh, there was a beautiful version of bring him home.
That someone saying in Israel.
I think I thought, oh well why don't we change to bring them home?
And anyway, because my husband and I had done what the world needs to know is love, after the, uh, post nightclub massacre, I was like, oh, this is something I can definitely do and I know how to do it.
So I started sending texts out to people and I organized it.
And um, Debra really helped and she got the funding.
'cause we needed, obviously not for me, but we needed money, like to rent the studio.
Studio.
Sure.
And had, and Shelly Williams who, um.
When we did the inauguration video for Joe Biden, she had directed that.
So I asked Shelley to direct this, and my friend Markowski filmed it.
So that was really the first big thing I did was put out this video.
I think I put it out maybe.
Oh, I know.
Okay.
So I was doing that, but at the same time I was talking to Shelley 'cause I said.
When Black Theater United was formed, they came on.
I had a live stream called Stars in the House, which still exists, but the main point of it was when we're raising money for the actress fund during the pandemic, and when they formed Black Theater United, after George Floyd was killed, they came on our show and they announced it and we did a lot of fundraising for them.
So I said to Shelley, said, you know, Jews are really struggling right now on Broadway and around the world, like, can you guys help?
And she said, the way we got help is we formed our own organization and we went to other organizations and we said, here's what we need.
So she said, you really have to form your own organization.
That's when I realized, God, there's no Jewish organization on Broadway.
So I said, we have to form our own, and that's why I formed Jewish Broadway Alliance and that kind of became the auspices for the hostage video that we did.
How quickly did you feel a shift within the Broadway community, which you know, is meant to be the most open and inclusive and diverse and sort of loving and as we've seen, has sort of been as susceptible, if not more so to some of the.
Propaganda and anti-Israel, anti-Jewish sentiment and rhetoric as as anybody else, again, as makes me cry.
I mean, really right away it's just, I, I saw just a lack of sympathy and you know, and not a hundred percent, but there was either a complete lack of sympathy or support posting, anything supportive or I saw flat out believing propaganda.
It's kind of, kind of the most traumatic thing I've ever been through, you know?
Yeah.
Even though, you know, I have a brother that died, it happens some horrible things that happen to me, but it, I've never, ever felt isolated from my community.
I never felt isolated from what I believe in, which is social justice.
I, I never, I always felt we had this unity and it was.
It.
It was traumatic and it still is, and my hope is that if people really separate the propaganda from reality, things will change.
How have you been experiencing this directly?
Is it in the real world?
Is it in rehearsal rooms or is it social media exclusively?
That's a good question.
Look, compared to other people, I really actually have it easy.
I try to be really careful with what I.
Post that it can't really be misconstrued into something that people can argue about, even though they still do.
But I try to be careful with what I post socially on social media.
Most of the responses they get are actually very thankful and happy that I'm writing when I'm writing for the hostage video.
Definitely, you know, I had at least one person that, you know, wouldn't do it.
It was just so shocking to me.
The House video literally just said.
Bring them home.
Like that was the point of the video.
It, it was so bizarre to me that this person FLA said, no, I got someone I know well, that I've worked with a job singing in Israel and they wrote back a crazy, like, why would I work in a country where, and just like the most horrible fake things were said, I'm not 21.
Like my history has been supporting social justice.
Why would I suddenly.
Not understand, you know, social justice and suddenly be like, I want people more.
I, you know, and I, maybe it is super, but I'm like, why would I suddenly be on the side of the villains?
Like, thank God I haven't, like lost friends.
Like I know people that have really been through hard things that I, I, I haven't, thank God and thank God my husband.
We were both sort of like Israel, why?
Like, we were both, we both didn't really know anything.
And by the way, I still dunno that much.
I really don't.
But we educated ourselves a little bit and, and we're definitely on the same page about stuff.
That's good.
Believe me, it's good because I, I mean, it, it would be like, I wanna be able to be married just like those people that are like James Carbo.
Like I, you know, I'm right wing, he's left wing, and it's like, no, like I'm not doing polar opposites.
It's cute.
Like none of that, like we have to agree on like.
Kindness.
Like, you know, that to me is about kindness.
It's not like I'm pro Obama, I'm for Hillary.
It's like, okay, like I understand both sides, like, you know, I'm for evil, I'm for good.
So anyway, we're, we're both for good.
Right.
Have you felt supported by your friends who you most expected to be supported by, like the inner circle?
Yeah.
Well, interestingly, my, my, one of my absolute closest friends, Jack Plotnik, who I wrote my Broadway show with disaster, we were both like super, super leftist.
We both become crazy pro Israel.
Like it's just hilarious because we support the oppress and that's what it just feels like.
It's like we're speaking out for the oppress, so we, we've really bonded over it.
There are other friends, I guess I don't talk about it that much with, but I don't think they're necessarily anti, so, um.
As long as, you know, I have James, my husband, I have Jack, and I have, um, there's, we have like a WhatsApp group basically for Leftist Zionist, which is what I am.
It's like pro prosocial justice and Pro pro-Israel.
Not necessarily Manhattan, Yahoo on any level.
But you know, just like, let's have a nice, safe place for Jewish people to live.
Shouldn't be that difficult.
No, ma'am.
You made, you made it sound very clear.
Thank you.
Okay, so let's get into the Jewish Broadway Alliance.
Okay.
Um, what exactly is it?
Yeah.
And who is it for?
Yeah.
And what have you tried to accomplish with it?
It's so in its infancy, which is crazy because it did begin after October 7th.
But it's basically me with a lot of people saying, how can I help?
And me going.
Oh, I don't know.
So like, if I had more, you know what I mean?
If I had more people really working on it, then it would be a lot further along.
The main reason I formed it is because I do believe all this anti-Jewish and anti digital bias is because of, um, propaganda and misinformation, right?
And I thought if there's just an easy way I can educate people and say, well, here are the actual effects.
I just think people's minds will be changed.
But then on top of that, in our WhatsApp group, or maybe in one of our zooms, everyone's like, oh my God, everything is so depressing Jewish wise.
And someone said, what about doing some Jewish joy?
And I said, you know, I've been wanting to do this.
Like Broadway, Shabbat, just like a fun thing every Friday.
So we just started doing this thing every Friday.
Thank you for being on it.
Yes.
Every Friday at 6:00 PM Eastern, we just do the brujas, the blessings, the candle lighting.
We do refu, Shama, where it's like a prayer to make people feel better.
We just kibbitz and tell funny stories.
I show like idiot video clips, and then we have a live song at the end.
That's also the thing is just bringing some Jewish joy.
Not everything, you know, it's sort of like when you're gay also, it's like every gay movie is like he came out to his family or like he died of aids.
Like, oh my god, is everything out to the same two horrible story.
So for Jews it's like we're oppressed, like I get it.
Can we also like have some fun?
So this, this Broadway Shabbat is fun.
Yes, it, and I, as you alluded to, I got to participate once.
I think I'm due for, for another round.
Yes.
But I need a full song with a full song and vibrato on the kiddish this time.
And yeah, he literally was like, oh my God, that made me crazy.
Yes.
Thank you.
Well, I I, I always feel weird about like performing the kiddish.
Do you know what I mean?
Did you ever hear my Bar Mitzvah tape?
No, you didn't.
But I was like, Hasha is the most like vibrato mask.
No, you're, when you got a voice, show it off, girl.
I know.
I feel, I feel awkward about it 'cause it's like, not.
Doesn't feel like the right venue for it, but maybe 'cause you grew up with the plat, maybe.
'cause everyone could out brought the other person, so you ought to, you had to straight tone it to be different Maybe.
But I, I was always the kiddish guy.
I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm the, the kiddish plat and you straight hone it.
And your family allowed that.
Yeah.
That's a Shonda.
Yeah.
Okay.
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I think you did a Hanukkah thing too, right?
Yes.
Okay, wait a minute.
So actually, by the way, I just remembered that, um, Amanda Lippes put together Broadway, Shabbat on Broadway, which by the way, Jewish Broadway launch was awesome.
Zimbabwe, which was amazing.
It was on Broadway.
It was all this great Jewish performers that was like a full amazing version of it.
We just do like a fun one at our house.
But Amanda Lippes, lemme just give her credit for that.
Amanda Lippes also.
I barely had anything to do with this.
Did this stunning Hanukkah candle lighting in Times Square with Julie Banko singing this arrangement of Tomorrow.
Oh my God, with cancer.
Ozzy Schwartz.
I did.
However, I forgot I did this, which was really fun.
Um, there's this, uh, really hilarious writer who did, um, eight days more was at the first.
Par anyways.
Uh, Rachel Streeter.
So she takes Broadway shows and she does parodies with them about the holidays.
So eight days more was Hanukkah.
That's great.
But the first one that I did, and I just did it last year, was everything's coming up Moses, which is the story of Passover told through Gypsy and it's, it's amazing.
It tracks really well.
Well, it's like, wait, like, um, some Hebrews wait up away come Hebrews can get a thrill, um, uh, uh, making pyramids.
Well, God, up a sandy hill.
God, I wish I remember it's so.
It is so brilliant.
I mean, it really is brilliant.
So we did a controversial of that where Chip Zion was, God, I was, um, Moses Tova Felcher played my mother.
It's so funny.
I wanna just do basically Jewish joy stuff and just education.
Like, but like this, she is lighthearted.
Who pays for those things?
Like how do those things come together where you're We've got a theater, we've got performers.
We're, we're streaming it.
My husband and I have a 5 0 1 C3.
Called United Voices for Change, which is basically, basically using the arts for social justice.
Amazing.
So as far as I know that was paid for, but it's like cost.
I mean, everything I do is like a dollar.
I don't know, it's like it was a couple hundred dollars, it was nothing.
But, but with JBA, like, we need a website.
So like I need, I'm gonna have to start raising money for.
Jewish Broadway alliance for specifically, really for the website and for some people when they do talks are gonna wanna get paid.
So I, I'm gonna need money for that eventually.
Okay.
Well I would imagine there's somebody watching or listening to this podcast who wants to come work for the Jewish Broadway Alliance, so that I would love, let us know.
We need some staff.
Let's, let's make it happen.
What does it mean to you to have this community, this Jewish Broadway alliance you've created this sort of safe pocket within the Broadway community for Zionist Jews.
Lemme just first say, Zionist has now become like a complete pejorative word.
Like I just got like anxiety with you saying it.
Like, to me what Zionism is is Jews are from Judea.
There's just historical proof that we are, and you know, we were kicked outta Judea and then like all these other people took over, including England, British, and then it was sort of like, oh, here's some of Judea back.
So it just means that like we get to go back to where we came from.
I mean, isn't that what Zionism is?
Yeah.
And yet it's self-determination is a non, I don't know what that means, you know, governing yourself.
Okay.
But, but you could say I'm governing myself to take over another country.
Like to me it could be misinterpreted.
I don't know if it means governing yourself to take over another country.
To me it means we are from this land.
And as far as I know that's historically accurate.
I'm not making that up.
Right.
Like we Jews from Judea, then we were kicked out, we were dispersed to like the Sephardic people were like Spain and Portugal, and then like Ashkenazi, like me, like Russia, Poland, and then after.
And.
Interestingly, after World War ii, you know, two of my friends that are totally pro-Israel, they thought just the UN felt bad for Jews and just gave them a random piece of land.
They didn't know Jews were from Judea, so they just thought, my friends were like, oh, weren't they just given that because they felt bad?
I said, no, it was because we were there originally, thousands of years ago.
So I just, that's what I feel about the education.
Like if people just knew Zionism doesn't mean like we're kicking out other people to give us land.
It just means we're finally getting land back.
And again, if I'm wrong, 'cause somebody's even like, that's not true, but I'm like, how is it not true army historically from Judea?
Like, right.
Yes.
Anyway, so all, all the, all the, you know, Arab monuments and things that are all built on top of the Jewish ones, right?
And it's like, I get it.
It's like things are thing people, other countries take over other countries, but the point is we got this piece of land back.
I guess I just always felt a hundred percent united with everybody on the left.
A hundred percent.
And I felt this army of.
Of people.
And it's weird.
It feels a little bit like when I go being gay and I go to a state where I feel gays aren't welcome, and I look around and I'm like, are, did any of you vote?
You know, for the GOP?
Like I get, and I kind of feel that way a little bit on Broadway.
I look around and I'm like, are you, did you post something horrible?
Like.
So it's nice to have this group.
It's a very warm feeling, but it's scary that I am not, I don't feel safe like I used to feel.
I don't think people hate Jews 'cause they wanna hate Jews.
I don't think, I just think they really believe that Jews came in and colonized and kicked people out and that I, that, I don't know.
I think they just believe bad things and, and I can understand if I were told that because I was always sort of like, Israel sounds annoying.
Like I wasn't necessarily pro Israel because it just.
I, I'm not religious.
Religious people have unfortunately been not really good to gay people at all.
So I've always been like, oh God, they're annoying.
So I can understand why.
You'd be like, oh, wow.
They, they sound like, like not nice people.
But if you kind of knew what was happening, I think people would feel differently.
So that's what I'm trying to do.
How are you trying to do that?
So like you, you mentioned, you, you did, I saw a video with Oz Rothstein, you did the video with, um, Richie Tores.
Richie Torres.
But how are you ensuring that the people who actually need to see those videos.
Are the ones seeing them and not just, you know, you're not just preaching in the choir.
Right, right.
No, a hundred percent.
I'm, I'm not, I mean that's something that's where I feel like it's a lot of people saying, how can I help?
And me not actually being specific.
'cause those videos I think are great and at least they live online.
So that is, you're right.
Something that I should be sharing out a lot more.
'cause I think they're, I think we got people that are very fair-minded that are just giving facts.
Second of all, and I spoke to you about this a while ago, I really think it's important to go to Broadway shows and, and really.
Talk to the actors about the prejudice.
I have a friend that's in a major Broadway show right now, and he's the only Jewish guy in his dressing room and there's some really anti-Jewish stuff being said.
And he said, I can't even go to hr.
He goes, because everyone's gonna know that I'm the one who did it.
He feels very alone.
It's a major Broadway show, so I feel like I wanna be able to go to Broadway shows and go like, just so you know, like you may say, oh, you could be anti-Zionist and I'm Jewish.
But it's like you really can't, anti-Zionist means you don't believe Israel has a right to exist.
The point is, I wanna, I wanna talk to people and I just wanna give facts.
I don't wanna give hyperbole and gray areas.
I wanna give facts, and I think that will hopefully help people.
So more advocacy?
Yes.
Uh, you've done dozens of concert musicals to raise money for the actors fund.
Yes.
Um, that's a lot of work.
No.
Are you kidding me?
I love that.
I love ca.
My favorite things is casting.
He's being like, oh my God, this person, I mean, dream Girls I always think of, it was like such an unknown cast that was like my friend Norman Lewis.
I mean, he had done Broadway, but like William Porter, like all these people were such newcomers in a sense.
And, um, yeah, I loved, I mean, it's just my.
It's the most fun thing ever.
Listen, it's stressful.
It's these one night events.
But as an a DD person, I think you also know, like there's also, you have so much focus and so much energy when it's like you've gotta get it right that one time.
Yeah.
But it's, um, it's just fun.
I, I really, I can't, it wasn't hard.
It was fun.
I did dream Girls, I did hair, um, whorehouse Chests, which is back on Broadway.
But anyway, yeah.
I love doing those concerts.
They're so fun.
Are, do, are there any more up your sleeve?
I wanna do.
Best of, because I'm like, I would love to bring the three Dream girls, you know, Lius, Heather and Audra.
I'd love to do five numbers from that.
I have, um, do my funny girl have like, you know, Sutton and Idina.
I'm thinking of doing a best of the s that I did.
I also wanna do a day in Hollywood Night in Ukraine.
Um, there's a great role that I've always wanted to play 'cause I did, they're playing our song with Sutton, so I want to do a day in Hollywood with Sutton.
Yeah, I have, I have ideas.
What about one for the Jewish community?
Listen, the reality is.
It's still scary to do anything for the Jewish community.
It's like, I don't know if I could deal with the, with whatever quote unquote backlash I'm gonna get.
I dunno if I have isn't like 90% of all shows are written by Jews.
Yeah.
You know what's funny though?
'cause I was also thinking, you know, about how there a lot of Jewish roles are not played by Jewish people and I was thinking, I was like, 'cause I do think it's important, like, you know, in the heights you have actual, you know.
Latinx people.
Then I was like, well, maybe it's because Jews had been on Broadway so long, and then I saw that they think like Jewish people created a lot of Broadway.
But really the Broadway stars haven't been Jewish.
I was thinking, I was like Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, like Pat of Theone, Betty Buckley.
Like there actually aren't a lot of Jewish Broadway stars at all.
So really it would be nice if one Fiddler is done, like we give it to some Jewish people.
But yeah, it's interesting.
We don't, we don't have that many Jewish stars, but you're right, the creation.
For Chisel.
And by the way, I don't know if you know this, but I just found out recently that West Side story was based on the shofar.
Did you know that?
What?
That's, that's a shofar.
Oh.
And so much of the show is Boy, boy, crazy Boy or Maria or the other way.
Could be.
It's ba 'cause Leonard Bernstein was so Jewish.
So, um, but yes, you were saying, isn't it crazy?
Well, look, because Jewish stuff now is tied in.
To Israel and there is such hatred towards Israel that yeah, it's, it's, I would be unfortunately scared to do something.
Don't we have to, to teach folks that, that they're, they, they shouldn't be conflated that like we can do a Jewish night of honoring Jewish composers that has absolutely nothing to do with Israel or politics or current events or anything.
Yeah, I mean, interestingly, my dream girls.
Really my proudest achievement probably.
But Juko is one of my proudest things happened because of Judaism, because, so I went to the gay lesbian synagogue.
I went there for Yum, yum Kippur, Yom Ki.
And um, they do it at the Jacob Javit Center and they don't charge any money.
And I was like, this is the one time a year that all synagogues charge money.
'cause every Jew is like, I have to go.
And the fact that they weren't charging money, it's beautiful, the Javit sensor.
And it was by the way, tons of.
Straight people.
It's a game lesbian.
But I was like, wow, this is like amazing.
They do this.
So I was like, I wanna raise the money.
So I did a benefit 1997 where I said, I'm gonna raise you guys money and I'm gonna honor gay Jewish composers.
'cause that's what the synagogue is.
And I.
Honor David Friedman who wrote, you know, the song, um, places You Dunno About Today.
Dunno, it's a, oh my God, it's gorgeous theme to the East Shabana competition.
They do it every year.
He's a brilliant composer and I also honored Henry Krieger who wrote Dream Girls and Lily White was in tech rehearsal for the Life and I said, can you play Effie?
And she's like, I'm in tech thinking that would mean she can't do, but she's like, I'll come after tech.
So like she literally did Tech All Day for the Life, came and did Effie at Don't Tell Mama this little fundraiser for the Gay Lesbian Synagogue.
And I was so freaked out by how brain it was.
I said, I have to do the show on Broadway with a full orchestra.
And that's why I did my Dream Ghost concert.
So my point is, yes, I have raised money for some Jewish stuff and it led to even greater things.
You're right.
I feel like if there was a, here's our concert honoring Steven Sand Heim and Leonard Bernstein.
And Bernstein Bernstein.
Yeah.
I gotta remember that.
I know.
It's so complicated.
No it's not.
'cause it's like, you know, it's Einstein Bernstein, the Hammer, the good ones are all steins, but he was he Jewish?
Yes.
Hammer, Hammerstein.
Yes.
And Rogers.
They're both Jewish Rich Roger.
Yeah.
I mean it's, it's based Irving Berlin.
I mean, almost every famous composer was Jewish Urwin.
Yeah.
Oh my God.
Do you mean this 2017 in the wake of the Donald Trump election, you start doing Concert for America series?
Yes.
Benefiting a number of organizations like the naacp, the National Immigration Law Center, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Yes.
Really going to bat for your fellow Americans in Social Justice.
That happened because Jesse Mueller texted me and James when we were in London, and she was like, how can we help out these organizations that are gonna get hit by the new administration?
'cause it was, it was really nonpartisan.
It wasn't about, um.
It wasn't anti-Trump, it was more just, we were nervous that laws were gonna be kind of anti-environment and laws were gonna be, you know, maybe hate crimes were gonna rise.
So it was nonpartisan concert.
Um, and we did, and we raised a lot of money for them.
You did several of them, right?
I mean, oh, we did 'em all over the country.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Which brings me back to my, my previous thing.
And do you, if you did, uh, concerts to support the Broadway Jewish community or whatever, don't you think some people would be like, thank I'm glad you're asking me 'cause I wanna stand by you and support you.
I just dunno how to do it.
The fact that I.
Wanted to make that video just to say, please release the hostages.
And it was polarizing to many people.
I mean, it literally was just, please release the hostage.
Like, what, how is there two sides to that?
And yet it was so in one sense, I don't really wanna know the, I don't wanna ask people and have them say no, because it's gonna, I'm, I'm not, I'm a, I know, I'm like sass and whatever, but I'm, I'm such an emotional, sensitive person.
I can't really take it.
So I don't know if I can deal with someone that I love, um, saying no, emotionally, I don't think I can take it.
I understand.
Okay.
So you've mentioned it a few times, but now we're gonna get into it.
Stars.
Stars in the house.
Oh, this, this is a good one.
This is a fun one.
Your live stream, COVID Time Entertainment series.
Over 500 episodes.
Wow.
You're s tell about research.
You know, I was up till 3:30 AM last night.
I didn't know this thing together.
I about, it's really more than hundred DH, ADHD style.
Didn't do it till the night before.
You know, triage, you've raised over $2 million for organizations like the Actress Fund, the Trevor Project, the Humane Society of New York, and the the coolest stuff you really doing.
Again, it's this sort of, this power you have to bring folks together and getting people to say, yes, you have all these cast reunions of original Broadway companies like a Chorus Line and Ragtime.
TV cast like Taxi and the West Wing movies like Night At the Museum and Disney's Hercules.
Like, those are awesome things.
I bet.
Uh, there are a lot of people who are like, oh, I didn't know that exists and are about to go Google Stars in the house.
You got a great YouTube channel.
How much work was that?
And how much of it was just like rewarding and you're sitting at home and we didn't have anything to do anyways.
So basically my, it was my idea in the sense that I thought, oh my God, when Broadway shut down, I thought.
No one's gonna have work and we live check to check.
Anyway, the actors fund is gonna be inundated now.
It's called the Entertainment Community Fund, right?
But that the Actors Fund is gonna be inundated.
So I said to James, we should do some kind of online fundraiser.
So before we shut down Thursday.
So I came up with the idea on Saturday and then James sort of took it away.
'cause I thought I didn't know anything about Split Streamy Yard, so I thought I was gonna call Kelly O'Hara Nut.
Do a Facebook Live with Kelly O'Hara on my phone so that I would hold the phone up on Facebook Live.
And I was like, this is amazing.
So James called our friend David Katz, and they found out what Dreamyard was, that you could do a split screen like, and you see our first episode with Kelly.
I'm like, it works.
Um, so it was a ton of work for James.
Every he had, because we did shows, it was every day at two o'clock and eight o'clock every day.
Um, so he had production meetings all day long.
He, I mean, he just did all that work, whereas.
Because I have a longer connection with Broadway, I'd be more like texting the friends to do stuff.
So who gets Ben Stiller and Sean Levy?
Like who?
Who gets the cast of Grey's Anatomy?
Like the, that was all from connections.
You know, it's like Ben Stiller, I found out, was like a fan of mine from the radio, Chandra Wolf, like, you know, it's all because.
That's where SiriusXM really pays off because I never know who the hell is listening to me.
That's awesome.
Tina Faye for Fred Rock, the 30 Rock thing.
Yeah, but it was great.
It gave us an incredible focus.
And then after George Floyd, we dedicated the whole month to the naacp.
Uh, LDF Legal Defense Fund.
Again, people wanted to do something, so it was so nice that like, okay, here's a way that we could raise money for them.
And you, you still have done sort of some one off Yeah.
Versions of were you, were you this still exist?
Were you happy when it came to an end and we were back where you're like, now I don't have to, you know, create two live streams every single day?
Or was it sad?
I still have a lot more ideas.
You know, we started doing sink throughs like after, um, there was that fire, um, in Hawaii.
Anne Atu from Hawaii, we got together the Cas of Avenue Acuity and he did a sink through.
Like that was so incredible.
First of all, we raised great money.
Second of all, it was so fun.
So I wanna start doing more of those.
And actually, one of the things I'm most proud of, we, when the almost famous record came out, the cast came over to our apartment.
They sang through some numbers.
Tom Kit lives near me, so in the middle of the podcast I was like, Tom, can you just like walk over and play for this cast?
So we played for them and Cameron Crow was watching.
We were in this little tiny room, they were all singing.
It was amazing 'cause it was, talk about being inside the music.
I was, James and I were just in the circle of the singing and Cameron Crow was watching and it made him realize that the Broadway production was much bigger than he ever wanted.
He wanted to do a scale down production.
And that's what they're doing Lilly right now.
And it was inspired because Star's in the house 'cause he watched how small it was.
And now there's a production happening right now that Cameron Crow and Tom Kipp put together that scaled down.
So where's that?
It makes me happy.
Where's that?
Um, I wanna say AR two b.
I don't know if that's possible because the ar t's in California, it's very close to here and we're gonna go see, we're gonna put it on the Chiron right here.
There we go.
It's um, but my point is, yes, I still wanna do it.
And of course there's so many causes that I wanna support.
I guess I'm a little like.
Aren't livestream is annoying.
Like, don't we just wanna be in a theater?
So that's the only reason why I.
Don't wanna do it every day.
'cause I'm like, I just wanna be in a theater without worrying about the sound quality and the this and the that.
So that's the only reason why I'm sort of like, uh, let's talk about another project, something you're involved with right now.
What, uh, where, where you put your producer cap on to help support a one man show from Tony Winter.
Ael Stelle.
A Jewish actor of Israeli Yemeni and Ashkenazi descent, who himself has been extremely vocal against anti JW bigotry.
Amazing videos online.
Uh, it's currently playing off Broadway at the Greenwich House Theater.
What is the show about and how and why are you involved?
I knew about the show.
I heard it was great.
I didn't know that much about it.
Then Lash, who I've known for 8,000 years, and now she was producing it and.
I researched more of it and I texted her and I was like, I'm so happy you're doing this.
I just love that she's producing it.
And I was talking to her about it and I said, I wanna be involved.
And so did my husband, James.
I did an interview with her and Ariel and more potential investors and I brought Debra Messing and that.
She said, I wanna be a producer too.
Anyway, the show's about, it's really fascinating.
He grew up with a lot of anxiety.
Unlike other Jews.
Just kidding.
Like all Jews, but actually super anxiety.
And because he's Yemeni Israeli, Arab Jew, he looks very Arabic and after nine 11, classmates were calling him a terrorist.
So he was mortified.
And then someone, someone randomly thought he was black, so he started pretending he was black 'cause he fit in that way.
So.
Completely pretended he was black.
And then his father, who looks very Israeli Yemeni, he basically denied having a father.
He like got his father outta the picture.
And this went on for years.
And of course it built up all of his anxiety and OCD.
And it wasn't until he was at NYU, he admitted he was not black.
I mean, it's a fascinating story.
Wow.
And then.
He kind of really acknowledged the, the, the really the Yemeni aspect of himself.
But then after October 7th, he had to grapple also with the Jewish aspect.
So it's just about sort of, that's why it's called other, it's like where the hell do you fit in?
And people really can be all things.
It's really funny and I just love that I sat right back at Leslie Odom Jr.
Um, at opening night.
It was just, it was very exciting and I love Ari.
He's such a great guy and he has great videos online.
He's much, even though he's an anxious person, he's a much calmer suite of presence.
Whereas I just feel I'm an anxious person online, whereas I feel he's a very calming presence.
Yes, certainly very deliberate when he speaks on camera about this stuff.
Very kind.
Who, who's this show for Who?
Who is the audience for this show?
This is my example.
When Donna MCC Hackney did a chorus line about an older dancer who wants to be in the ensemble to be a star.
Everyone was like, oh, all these, I guess, older dancers would identify.
Donna McKenney told me that the people that wrote her the most were men over 50 who'd been fired from their jobs that wanted to go back to the workforce.
Meaning the more specific a story is, the more universal.
So even though Ari's story is about, you know, pretending that he's black, it's just about not fitting in and, and the pain of denying who you are.
And I feel we all have done that.
I equated it Lash's Broadway style, because if you're a dancer.
Oftentimes you're just disregarded as an actress and a singer, and you kind of have to deny that 'cause Lash's an amazing dancer, but you have to deny that you're a dancer in order to be respected.
'cause she's a her color purple.
She's a brilliant actress.
But if people thought she was a dancer first, I don't think they would respect her acting and singing.
Just like a lot of times when someone has a horrible voice on Broadway, they're like, but she's a great actress.
I'm like, but Betty Buckley has an amazing voice and is a great actress.
Like, I don't know if people fully respect you when you have an amazing voice.
Whereas if you have a bad voice, they.
They tout your acting Anyway, my point is, to me it's for everybody.
'cause I think we've all pretended to be people we're not.
But of course, also it's, you know, great if you're Jewish.
'cause you're like, yeah, you know, like we all love Paul Newman.
We all love somebody Jewish that's out there doing something.
But I think everyone seems to identify with it and there are a lot of videos of people after the show saying, oh my God, that was my story.
Even though they're nothing like Ari, let's talk briefly about your Jewish upbringing.
Oh, we both went to Jewish sleepaway camp.
You and I both.
No, no.
You didn't go to Jewish sleepaway camp.
Are you kidding me?
I didn't go to sleepaway camp.
Gina, I feel like I read about you gonna sleepaway camp.
I went to camp, not sleepaway.
I never sleep away.
I, oh my God.
I'm getting anxiety thinking about it.
No, I have to escape.
I don't wanna be around other kids that are gonna torment me.
No.
Oh, never.
So where did you learn?
I went to Jewish day camp.
Oh, okay.
Hillel.
So Jewish day camp.
Okay.
Jewish camp.
So we both went camp to Jewish summer camp.
Camp.
We went Jewish summer camp.
Yes.
Which is funny 'cause my parents are not, definitely not religious.
I think it's just that sort of like when you're Jewish, you're like, oh, Jewish.
So I even went to Yeshiva for two years, but I.
Beg to leave because there was no music, there was no creativity.
It was really, actually, it's shocking when Jews really are about creativity in many ways, that's such a part of our culture.
But I was so depressed and I begged my parents, so I went to public school by third grade.
Um, but anyway, I went to Halel Jewish summer date camp and that's where I got my first role.
I was the Lion of The Wizard of Oz.
And um, I had loved Broadway anyway 'cause my parents took me to see.
My first Broadway show naturally was hair, what spent the next three years completely naked.
But anyway, I saw, um, Broadway when I was four years old in the seventies when I saw hair.
But the point is, I, your parents took you as a 4-year-old to go see hair.
Yeah, and you know what?
I always make fun of them, but the reality is it's a really.
Uplifting, joyous show about peace and Well, my problem wasn't the drugs.
Mine was a, you know, the full cast of naked people on stage.
It's only during the end of act one, and literally they could cover your eyes.
I guess one of the only memories I have is my mother's hand going like that?
Yeah.
Okay.
I a hundred percent remember that.
Even though it's not even sexual.
I think it was just like, right.
You don't need to see, remember a giant.
Mother hand, but also it's like there's not really a story.
No, but it's good.
As a, as a kid, I would imagine, like you, you, especially with a DH, adhd, like I have memories of going to my, my family took me to Fiddler on the roof when I was, I don't know, six or seven, and my memory is crawling around on the floor.
Being so bored and like couldn't sit through the show.
No hair has a thousand songs, right?
So it's really fun to listen to the music.
So maybe as a kid it's better.
However, the Raul Julia version of Three Penny Opera, I was gonna kill myself.
Mm.
I was like, it has a lot of songs.
They're all atonal Mac you up here again.
Okay.
So that was horrible, but hair was fantastic.
My point is, hello Jewish number Day camp.
I paved the lion.
And that's what gave me, um, the really the comedy acting bug.
I was so, it, oh my God, it was one of the best memories of my life.
And then after that.
I went to, um, just musical theater camp.
I went to use Dan, U-S-D-A-N and that was also the first time I'd been around, you know, there's no internet back then.
I was around a bunch of kids that were obsessed with theater.
Like, I'd never been around that before.
So it was like, you know, I was playing anybody to think that I, man, I was playing like Avita and having people sing along.
I was like, you know, AVIT Like, no.
I remember calling my friend Michael Smith on the phone, not a theater kid.
Holding up the phone to ain't misbehaving and the end when she goes, um, uh, get some cash for your trash, and going, oh my God.
Ne Carter's belting an E, she's belting an E.
And I'm sure he was like, I don't know what belting is.
I dunno what an e, where's my Atari?
So the point is I'd never been around theater kit.
So you, Dan was like the most amazing experience of my life.
You got a special present for your bar mitzvah?
Oh, that, you know, I got like a big CD player with speakers.
I got a bunch of silver yards, which are the pointers for the Torah.
You got something very different.
Oh, my friend Alan Han.
So my first professional job was Oliver at the North States, uh, north Stage Dinner Theater.
It was the most amazing experience I ever, 'cause I got paid to.
Performers with Cheney Wallace, who played Nancy in the movie.
It was like, I couldn't believe my life then I couldn't believe the clinical depression after the show closed, couldn't leave my house or take a shower.
Mm-hmm.
Part two.
But the point is I became friends with this kid named Alan Hahn from my Bar Mitzvah.
He got me the two album set of Avita.
Is that what you're referring to?
Sure is.
Oh God.
I remember sitting on my couch opening it up.
There were included lyrics.
There's that crazy beginning, uh, what is it?
Oh my God.
It's was so eerie and weird and I just, oh my God.
Look at just so much.
I loved it so much.
Not to the point where Mo Rocka loved it.
Mo Rocka memorized the role of Che because he thought, what if Manna Patinkin gets sick?
So he thought that if Manna Patinkin was sick.
They would know that he had it memorized and would call him to go on.
I don't dunno how kids' brains work, but just you should ask him that story.
It's totally true.
So I wasn't that cuckoo Bird McGee, but I was obsessed with Avita.
God, I love that score.
And then you, you know, you admired Patti Lone and then one day you're playing piano for her.
Basically every single person I grew up obsessed with I got to perform with and make them sing the songs I was obsessed with like.
Patty would always sing.
Don't Cry from me, Argentina.
But she never sang Rainbow High like in 30 years.
But I was with her in private town and I was like, we have do Rainbow High.
And I'll never forget the most like insider moment.
We finished our first concert.
They were, they wouldn't stop applauding.
And she looked at me and she said, do wanna wanna do ba.
BA is what?
Enos Aris.
I couldn't believe she was calling it the nickname with me.
What's new?
Oh my God.
So yeah, I mean, I played for Andrew McCardle.
I got her.
She always used to do tomorrow.
She never used to do.
Maybe I got her to do.
Maybe I was telling me before I worked with She Rivera, I had her do the Tonight Quintet every single.
Almost every single person I grew up with I got to perform with and have them sing it.
'cause by the way, you also may not know this, but my mother would give me tickets for Broadway shows, but only after the original cast had left.
So I saw Andrew Ricardo's replacement.
I saw a pat of the poems, not only replacement her matinee cover, I saw the entire new cast of a chorus line.
So basically, I've now been able to get all these cast members.
Make them perform for me.
What I never got to see them perform when I was a kid.
You have really manifested all your greatest dreams.
And I keep thinking, thank God I learned the piano.
What if I had been like a trumpet player?
I'd be like, Patty sing for me.
I mean, thank God I can play for everybody.
I've been really lucky.
I mean, except for Barbara.
I still haven't gotten her to sing, but she did come see my comedy show, which was unbelievable.
Which Jimmy Brolin.
Yeah.
And she came backstage.
It was, that was.
Amazing.
Yeah.
Unbelievable.
Okay.
She's Jewish.
I dunno if you know Barbara.
Yeah.
Streisand.
Streisand.
What was my mother called?
Streisand like, she's like from that, from that pop song, Barbara Streisand, that one.
That is so weird.
You know that song?
I just heard that recently in Orange Theory.
I'm like, what is this song that's, it's, it was like a very popular song.
It's weird.
However, when it came out now, like five, 10 years ago or something, wait, I literally thought it was a new Fang song that just came out this year.
I'm so, no, no, no.
I'm so out of it.
Like, how do you know that hip song?
Okay.
Have you heard of Carly Simon?
Right.
Okay.
Go on.
Okay, so now we're gonna jump into, uh, a new segment on our show called Five Deep Questions.
This is something that is only for folks in the Keillah.
So if you're not in our community yet.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the show.
What?
Turn off the camera.
No, you gotta, it's gonna get, it's gonna cut.
Okay.
You're gonna cut.
You're not gonna hear it.
If you want to hear it being Jewish podcast.com/community, sign up and join.
This is the bonus exclusive content that's just for, uh, I know, but I never said, I would only fans.
It's freaking me out.
What do I have to do?
Well, the only fans is after, after, oh, this is the next level.
Okay.
That's, that's the premium too.
That'll lose like 20 pounds for that.
I always like to end the show, generate through some kinda lightning round.
I've got a special one for you specifically.
I'm gonna call it OneNote Wonder.
I'm going to sing one note, one lyric, see if you can guess the song, and then I'll continue to give you more.
Okay.
If you need that.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
And you'll also notice there's a theme.
Okay.
Who am I?
Yes.
2, 4, 6.
Oh, nailed it on the first one.
And I'm, and I'm also gonna stylize them to give you, yeah, that was good.
Some hint.
So that's one.
Okay.
Who.
That's so mean.
I dunno.
Keep going.
Who will buy this?
That was my solo.
I was the milk.
Milk made chain to milk boy.
But I was milk boy.
Um, all right.
Who Keep going.
Who loves you?
Pretty baby.
Boom.
All right.
Wow.
I love your placement.
Keeps changing.
Okay, now I'm moving around.
Okay.
What?
Wait, hold.
What do you do?
Yes, with a BA in English.
Oh my God.
Jonah, you're so good at this.
Um, what do you get when you fall in love?
No, good one.
Thank you.
What is, what is this feeling?
Yes.
I think it's a little more What is, what is Yes.
What is this?
Yeah, it's a little more fun.
What is this feeling?
Feeling so sad and new.
Yeah.
It's more, yeah.
I didn't give you enough there.
He was backstage changing his fear.
What more, what did, what did I, what did I, what did I have?
What did I ever see in him?
Yep.
Well, it's more, no, I didn't give it to him.
What did I, it's okay.
What did I ever see him?
I'm just going into like female sounding voice, but I gotta, okay, so we did who and what.
Let's get to the, wheres she's really good.
Where?
I know one of 'em has to be where, no, that one was too easy, so I didn't do it too much Melisma.
Okay.
Okay.
Um, where do, where do I, oh, oh my God.
Where do I go?
Follow the river.
Yes, sir.
Dream me's version of my hair album is unbelievable.
Yeah.
Amazing.
When, when you, when you say Vegas honeymoon in Vegas.
When you see, oh my God, when you, you see a guy reach for stars in the sky, you can bet that's doing it for another guy.
We're gonna do a, Hey, there you go.
A version of the guys and guys.
Guys.
And guys, you heard it here, folks.
All right.
When, mm-hmm.
When, uh, when a thing called wick.
When a thing is wick.
When a thing is wick, I don't know.
Secret garden.
When a thing is wick, it has a light about it.
We did the national tour, Roger Bart.
Oh, interesting.
I can see it.
Okay.
Who was in the ensemble, but they wrote an extra moment for Elger McDonald.
Amazing.
As the Aya and that she made her Broadway debut in that show.
All right.
We gotta Okay stars.
Sorry.
Here we go.
I love trivia.
Why?
God, why?
Yes.
Wow.
Brava.
But I should have sung it.
Hawaii.
God, why this?
Okay, mama.
Mama.
Um, okay, last we've done who, what, where, when, why here comes.
How.
How.
Mm-hmm.
How to, how to, how to apply for a job.
Yep.
I did that with Matthew Broderick.
How.
How do, how do you, oh, of course.
How do you walk to the audience with a cap on me On rent?
Yes.
Yeah.
And I know where that other other part went, but Okay.
I should, blocking me on walking forward.
Me on last one.
How?
Wow.
Nice placement.
Yeah.
How do, no, how do you solve?
Oh, but it's higher.
Oh, do you?
Lemme just say the one you, you know that when she effing gets married, that's the music that's playing.
So as Maria's getting married, her music is, you're an annoying person.
She's like, I don't need to hear about how annoying.
That's literally watch the movie.
Incorrect motif.
It's so passive-aggressive.
Liberty Chip, we used to sing, she climbs a tree and squats to pee.
Her dress has gone.
Anyway, that's what we sing in piano bar.
That was one note wonder with Seth Rudetsky.
That was really good.
Thank you.
Alright.
I told you we were gonna be doing something special at the end and we're about to do it.
Let me first just thank my friend Seth here for taking a break out of his insane life to join me.
Remember, if you want to hear today's five deep questions with Seth Rodsky and join Monthly Hangouts with me.
Join our private community forum and more.
Head over to beingjewishpodcast.com/community and sign up.
Now to finish off a little stage magic.
I couldn't let legendary musical director, Seth Rodsky, come on my show and not sing with him.
So we decided to spotlight a song by a Jewish artist whose message really embodies what I hope this show and the wonderful people on it mean to all of you.
(Jonah sings ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ while Seth plays piano)
Spin at the end.
Not bad for our first time ever singing that song and your first time ever playing and our first time ever doing it together, beginning of our concert tour.
Thank you so much, everybody.
I'll see you.
All right.
Back here for the next musical episode of Being Jewish with me, Jonah Platt.
Today's episode is brought to you by Berkeley Mosha, a Jewish cohousing community being built in California.
Visit berkeleymosha.org to learn more.