Jewish Gag Song in "Spamalot" Sparks Cast Discussion About War's Effect on a Joke in the Show

Spamalot, the Monty Python musical spoof of Camelot, King Arthur, and his knights, is back on Broadway.  

The war triggered by Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, and the open antisemitism of the last two months has led to an 'in-depth' backstage cast discussion about how to handle a joke about Jews in the entertainment business in the current climate.

As Nicki Gostin wrote in the New York Post,

There’s a song in the second act of the Monty Python musical called “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway.” It’s sung by Michael Urie and he brings down the house with the line, “We won’t succeed on Broadway if we don’t have any Jews.”

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, who plays “The Lady of the Lake” in the show, told Page Six in an exclusive interview that producers were aware that the war in Israel, as well as the rising tide of anti-Semitism in the US, would affect how the gag lands.

They concluded that the best way to proceed was to infuse the number with joy and celebration. And the celebration of the Jewish contribution to the arts, which is huge.

Here's a subtitled video from the 2005 original cast production with David Hyde Pierce singing the song. Enjoy!

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Continuing a New Series: The Great Jewish Movies - "Chariots of Fire"

Today we're continuing our new series The Great Jewish Movies on Jewish Humor Central. Each post will focus on one of the movies produced in the last century that had a Jewish theme, including comedy, drama, and musical genres.

We'll include a brief plot summary, a video clip, and tell you how and where to watch the full movie. Some will be free and others will require a small rental fee.

Today's focus is on Chariots of Fire, the 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice. 

Ben Cross and Ian Charleson star as Abrahams and Liddell, alongside Nigel Havers, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Brad Davis and Dennis Christopher in supporting roles. Kenneth Branagh makes his debut in a minor role. 

Chariots of Fire was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score for Vangelis' electronic theme tune.

The full two hour and four minute film is available to watch free on YouTube.  Enjoy!

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Hasidic Comedian Mendy Pellin Shows His Magic Kippah to Ward Off Anti-Semitism

Mendy Pellin is our favorite Chasidic comedian. We've been running his shtick for ten years, and he keeps inventing new routines, from his Mendy Report on Chabad TV to the comedy midrash he created on the Jewbellish site that he co-founded.

In this episode, Mendy shows off the Magic Kippah, a new attempt to ward off anti-Semitism. It's made of hair and is designed to give you a gentile appearance without removing your head covering.

It comes in different sizes: Small for Modern Orthodox, Large for Ultra Orthodox, and Extra Extra Large for Chasidic.

It's a typical Jewbellish news report, with Mendy gently touching some hot buttons among Jewish denominations. But it's all in fun, so 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 Comedy Showcase: Archie Bunker Gets Another Comeupppance for His Anti-Semitism

It's another Throwback Thursday and we found another classic episode of All in the Family in which Archie Bunker displays his anti-Semitic side and gets a Yiddish comeuppance in return.

Edith goes shopping in a department store and leaves without paying for an item. Archie goes to see the store manager to explain that it was a misunderstanding and that the store should not press charges against her.

In his explanation he makes derogatory comments about the names and ownership of the big department stores in town. Archie is taken aback when he discovers that he was wrong to assume the manager will go along with his assumption of common ethnicity to establish common ground.

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