A Jew Grows In Brooklyn, Broadway Nostalgia Comedy Hit, Now On National Tour

 

A Jew Grows in Brooklyn has been a smashing success in 15 cities in the U.S. and Canada since it first appeared on Broadway and off-Broadway in 2007.  Now Jake Ehrenreich, creator of and the man performing in the one-man show, is taking it on tour to Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Cleveland.

 
If you're anywhere near these cities in the next few months, you might want to consider seeing this funny, poignant musical.   A Jew Grows in Brooklyn is an “engaging, poignant and hilarious” (Palm Beach Post) comedy musical about the search for identity and meaning. The highly acclaimed show chronicles the life of Jake Ehrenreich, a uniquely talented American born child of Holocaust survivors.

From the streets of Brooklyn and struggle with his family’s past, to the laughter and rebirth of Catskills summers, to his mother and sisters heartbreaking early Alzheimers disease, this “tour de force performance” (Las Vegas Journal Review) is “a delightful journey that speaks to anyone hoping to live out the American Dream" (ABC TV).   [Image] The New York Times raved,  "A Jew Grows in Brooklyn is funny, touching and beautiful... you don’t have to be Jewish or Brooklynish…Jake Ehrenreich is Dazzling!”   The Philadelphia Inquirer called it “An uplifting treasure with universal appeal—in the same elevated company as Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, and Chaz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale.”

Through stories and comedy and music, performed with a live band and multi-media video and photos – including a classic Rock Medley (California Dreamin’, Secret Agent Man, Sunshine of Your Love), a multi-instrumental version of Louis Prima’s Sing, Sing, Sing, and even a selection of Yiddish songs – Jake mesmerizingly recreates his unforgettable journey of discovery and lessons learned. From the stoops of Brooklyn to Rock n’ Roll days--from the comedy and musical stages of the Catskills and Broadway to the bedsides of ailing parents and siblings, this show “has a glow all it’s own” (Chicago Tribune) and is “one of the most touching, soulful, and laugh out loud shows you’ll ever see!”   (Jazz FM 91).  

Jake’s story is personal and universal at the same time, and has now spawned a book by the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Publishers, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn, the Curious Reflections of a First Generation American, a TV documentary (due out 2012) and a related feature film.

If you can't see it live, here's a five minute sampling of the hour and a half show, followed by a PBS interview with Ehrenreich and his wife Lisa, who is the show's creative consultant and costume designer.  Enjoy!