Oy vey, is it funny!
By Judd Hollander Created: August 30, 2012 Last Updated: August 30, 2012
(L?R) Audrey Lynn Weston, Marilyn Sokol, Lenny Wolpe, Todd Susman, and Billy Army appear in the hilarious off-Broadway revue 'Old Jews Telling Jokes.' (Joan Markus)
NEW YORK?Politically incorrect humor, especially if it has a specific ethnic bent, needs three things to really work: It has to be funny; it has to be based on elements of truth; and, most importantly, it needs to be universal enough to translate to any other section of the populace.
The cast consists of five actors, all of whom deliver their lines and accompanying physical action flawlessly.
The wildly funny off-Broadway work Old Jews Telling Jokes, now at the Westside Theatre, does these three things?in spades.
Conceived by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent, based on material from the website oldjewstellingjokes.com, the piece means just what its title says. It is a series of sketches, setups, and one-liners, delivering some of the classic Jewish jokes of all time.
Some are familiar, some may be completely new to the listener, some may be hilarious, and some may be complete groaners, but all work wonderfully in the setting presented.
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The cast consists of five actors, all of whom deliver their lines and accompanying physical action flawlessly. Marilyn Sokol, Todd Susman, and Lenny Wolpe are the elders of the group, with Billy Army and Audrey Lynn Weston being somewhat younger.
Fortunately, Army and Weston don?t allow their youth to be any kind of a stumbling block. They get into character perfectly when necessary and kvetch and kvell with the best of them.
The jokes and stories presented cover a wide range of topics, starting off with one about a Russian, a Frenchman, and a Jew lost in the desert. There are also doctor jokes, psychiatrist jokes, rabbi jokes, business jokes, jokes about intimate relationships?before, during, after, and way after marriage?jokes about retirement, and about being marooned on a desert island.
This reviewer?s personal favorites include one about a pickle slicer and another concerning a grandmother, a dolphin, and a hat.
There?s also the one about a woman and her unmarried daughter in Miami Beach who see a handsome man at their hotel. When the mother asks the man why they?ve never seen him around before, he says because he?s been in jail for killing his wife. The mother?s response: ?So you?re not married??
Some of the jokes have a lot of innuendo, others have four-letter words, and a few may walk the line on being offensive in different circumstances, but in this situation all work perfectly (if audience reaction is any judge).
There are also a couple of songs thrown in for a change of pace. There is the title tune, as well as the holiday classic I?m Spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica, with the audience joining in on the latter by following a bouncing dreidel. Said dreidel appears on a video monitor.
At times the video monitor helps set the tone of the moment and is also employed for a wonderful joke about the hardware business. The monitor also allows the audience to be treated to some film clips of the late Alan (?Survived By His Wife!?) King.
(L?R) Lenny Wolpe, Billy Army, and Todd Susman as cowboys. (Joan Marcus)
Just as interesting are a series of quiet, reflective moments where the cast members, as various characters, recall the importance of humor in cutting across age and religious barriers. In many cases, oral history is kept alive not through moments of great tragedy or historical significance, but rather through ones filled with laughter.
It?s also pointed out that there?s never a time when humor is inappropriate, even in the most painful or personal circumstances.
The entire cast is excellent, working together well as a cohesive whole. Musical accompaniment by pianist Donald Corren also fits in nicely.
Marc Bruni expertly handles the directing chores, keeping the emphasis on characterization and humor and making sure each punch line lands directly on the funny bone for maximum effect.
The show is very tightly constructed and never overstays its welcome, either in a single joke or the revue?s entirety.
The set by David Gallo, basically a few doors, chairs, and props, is fine. Costumes by Alejo Vietti are both simple and quite appropriate.
Old Jews Telling Jokes opens a door to a time sadly now almost forgotten. It?s a show older people will enjoy with a feeling of nostalgia, while younger folks will get a kick out of it for its look at what has come before and how such humor has helped shape certain trends and connections in the here and now.
Old Jews Telling Jokes
Westside Theatre (downstairs)
407 W. 43rd Street
Tickets: 212-239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Open run
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/theater-review-old-jews-telling-jokes-285999.html
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