A Joke to Start the Week - "The Frog Princess"

It's Monday again, so here we go with another Joke to Start the Week. If we're counting correctly, this is our 178th joke in our start the week series. 

If you want to see them all, just go to the left column and scroll down until you see "Keywords." Scroll down the alphabetical list of keywords until you see "Joke to Start the Week." Click on it and you'll be laughing for at least three hours.

Today's joke comes from the archives of Old Jews Telling Jokes and the joke teller is pianist Leon Arp. 

Here's the setup:  There's an old guy sitting on a park bench. A frog jumps up onto the bench and starts to talk to him. And then...

Enjoy!

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"Amerike - The Golden Land" - A Must See Musical Off-Broadway Now Through August 20

Last Wednesday we attended the best example of off-Broadway theatre in New York City. The musical play was Amerike - The Golden Land by Moishe Rosenfeld and Zalmen Mlotek, staged  by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at its new home at the Museum of Jewish Heritage at Manhattan's Battery Park.

Amerike is an expanded version of the play that was originally staged in 1982 and updated in 2012. The acting ensemble has grown from six to twelve, and the new play is entirely in Yiddish with English and Russian supertitles.

As the authors explain in the shows playbill,

We unearthed gems from Yiddish theater and the folklore that brought these experiences to life in a moving musical chronology. We interlaced the songs with dramatic moments that gave the program a theatrical context.

The show includes 41 songs and runs 90 minutes without an intermission. Originally scheduled to run from July 4 through August 6, it has just been extended through August 20. We recommend it highly.

As David Finkle wrote in The Huffington Post,

Before the hour-and-a-half has elapsed, 12 excellent cast members, directed by Brynna Wasserman (with Merete Muenter covering movement), 41 songs by any number of songwriters float by. There’s much pertinent dialogue written by Moishe Rosenfeld and the always-expert music director Zalmen Mlotek.

As the best Manhattan musicals on view these days are listed, Amerike The Golden Land should—and will be—among them.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Kol Esperanza Sings Shlomo Carlebach Medley with Guest Dudu Fisher

Kol Esperanza is a new young operatic pop trio, founded as a power-vocal group to perform classical songs, opera great hits, standards, Broadway hits and music that can bridge different generations and audiences around the world.

Nimrod, Nadav and Omer joined forces under the direction of musical director Tomer, working on a rich concert program.

The group started performing on 2014 and have been touring worldwide. We saw them last February during our winter tour of South Florida. They will be performing again in South Florida next winter.

In this video clip, Kol Esperanza goes onstage with a medley of Shlomo Carlebach hits, joined by singer Dudu Fisher on the big screen.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Jack Benny, Mel Blanc, and the Tijuana Troubadors

One of Jack Benny's funniest sidekicks was Mel Blanc, the man of a thousand voices who went on to become the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, and the Tasmanian Devil.

Blanc made frequent appearances on Jack Benny's TV show. In this video clip he's the leader of the Tijuana Troubadors, a musical group from Mexico whose vocabulary is limited to Si, Sy, Sue, and Sew.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

 

#Throwback Thursday #TBT

Comedy Showcase: Al Katz on Doctor's Office Visits

Al Katz is a classical comedian with a cynical twist who observes the hostilities in life and turns them into humor.

Katz has headlined comedy clubs for over twenty years, which includes Zanies, The Funny Bone, The Improv, The Comedy Zone, and many more as well as developed a demand in corporate, college, and cruise ship performances. He has worked with many greats like Jay Leno, Dennis Miller, and Robin Williams.

In this video clip, Katz focuses on the indignities and annoyances of waiting in doctors' examining rooms. Enjoy!

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Jon Stewart Crashes Jimmy Kimmel's Interview with Bar Mitzvah Kid

When kids have their Bar or Bat Mitzvah they often have some kind of theme. Last week fans of the late night show Jimmy Kimmel Live were treated to an inside look at the Bar Mitzvah of a young man from Media, Pennsylvania named Will Rubin. 

Will's Bar Mitzvah was Jimmy Kimmel Live themed, so Jimmy invited Will onto the show where he was surprised by none other than former TV host Jon Stewart.

Stewart's walk-on was warmly welcomed by the studio audience as he added an extra Jewish dimension to the proceedings.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

A Joke to Start the Week - "Sidney the Lumberjack"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Here's another one from the archives of Old Jews Telling Jokes. We know you've probably heard this one but we can't stop laughing every time we hear the good ones repeated and reinterpreted.

Today's joke teller is MTA employee Larry Greenfield. Here's the setup:

Sidney, who's almost 90 years old and weighs maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, walks up behind the head lumberjack, taps him on the shoulder, and says "Excuse me, but I'd like a job chopping down trees." And then...

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Have You Ever Heard "The Star Spangled Banner" in Yiddish?

Last week we posted a Canadian chorus singing O Canada, the Canadian national anthem, in Yiddish.

It's not a matter of competition, but we think it's only fair to point out that America's national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, was performed in Yiddish three years ago by the Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus 

The Chorus is part of a modern Yiddish renaissance -- more than forty members strong, from students to retirees, a good number of whom speak or are learning Yiddish. Their repertoire spans a century -- exciting oratorios and operettas, labor anthems, folksongs, and popular tunes -- all in Yiddish. Committed to strengthening Yiddish as a living language, they have commissioned and premiered new Yiddish choral works by half a dozen composers.

The JPPC shares the rich legacy of Yiddish song by performing year-round for old and young of all faiths at community centers, universities, K-12 schools, museums and places of worship throughout NYC's 4-state region. They have also performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, at Ground Zero and the West Point Military Academy, as well as at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. 

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam/Sound of Silence by Ottawa Cantor

Since we started Jewish Humor Central in 2009, we have posted 26 versions of Adon Olam, the hymn that ends the Shabbat morning service in most congregations. 

But we haven't stopped searching for more renditions, so here is a new one from Cantor Daniel Benlolo of Kehillat Beth Israel, a Conservative egalitarian congregation in Canada's capital of Ottawa.

Cantor Benlolo harmonizes with Michael Malek as Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence is intertwined with Adon Olam, accompanied by Aviva Lightstone and Ken Kanwisher.

The first 40 seconds are the original English words of Sound of Silence, and the Hebrew kicks in for the rest of the 3 and a half minute song. 

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Actress-Comedian Annie Korzen Opens Month-Long Comedy Show Tonight in California

If you'll be anywhere near Los Angeles between today and August 13, you should head over to The Braid, a performance space in Santa Monica which will be featuring Annie Korzen Famous Actress, a one-woman show by actress-comedian Annie Korzen. 

Annie, a childhood friend of ours from The Bronx, has been writing and performing one-woman shows about her life for many years. We have featured video clips from her solo show Yenta Unplugged, some of her storytelling performances, and a joke from Old Jews Telling Jokes.

Annie achieved national attention from her role as Doris Klompus, the annoying Boca Raton neighbor of Jerry Seinfeld's parents on Seinfeld.

As Broadway World Los Angeles reported last week about Annie's new show Annie Korzen Famous Actress,

The show begins when Annie learns of her son's plan to adopt a baby. The event is sure to be a disaster, plus Annie is not thrilled about being demoted from the "leading lady" to a "bit player" in his life. She then takes her audience on a hilarious journey through her resentment of the world's most neurotic mothers, to her "crap" acting career, to her rocky relationship with Judaism, and to her traumas with childbirth which led to a bizarre stay in in a Danish psych ward.

Annie guides us through her bumpy career where each audition leads to new anguish. She tells how one director was looking for "an Annie Korzen type," then hired a perky little blond. "I am too Jewish to play myself," she cries. "When they make a movie out of this show, my role will probably go to Reese Witherspoon!"

If we get video clips from this new show, we'll share them with you. In the meantime, here's a video clip from one of her previous shows, The Yenta Cometh. Enjoy! 

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.