My father used to call klezmer music hetsum ketsum music. I have absolutely no idea what that means, but it always sounded right.  So naturally, when a show called “American Klezmer” opened at the Egyptian Arena Theater in Hollywood, I rushed right out to see it.

 

I loved it.  Which isn’t to say you will, too.  But it had lots of “hetsum ketsum music” played by a 5-piece band, a leading lady with the most glorious voice I’ve heard in a long time, and a secondary character called Rose who alone was worth the price of admission.  Plus songs with very impressive, sophisticated rhymes, Cole Porter-ish, even Gilbert and Sullivan-ish, in their cleverness.  Kudos to Owen Kalt, who wrote the lyrics, and Joanne Koch and Sarah Blacher Cohen, who wrote the book.  The original music, by Ilya Levinson, however, left a little oomph to be desired.  The score dragged from time to time, and many of the ballads had a sameness to them: slow and not very memorable.

 

The story was Fiddler on the Roof Redux: predictable and unsurprising, but pleasantly delivered.  Director Herb Isaacs could have tightened it up a bit.  But for the most part, the cast of 13 brought the Russian village of Glinka to life, as well as 1910 “America, New York.”  The opening ballad, “Things Change” set the mood nicely, much like “Tradition” did for “Fiddler”.

 

After a boat trip in steerage the principals land in New York, full of hope that “Anything Can Happen in America”.  But their high hopes turn sour as they scramble to find menial work.   The story revolves around Leah, sung to perfection by Teressa Byrne, a young lady who wants to defy Jewish restrictions and sing with a band.  The band of choice is headed by Alex (Scott Facher), who plays a mean violin but sings like Rex Harrison.  He is an endearing character, nevertheless, and is well-paired with the headstrong Leah, whose voice is strong enough to carry the whole show all by herself.

 

She has wonderful help, though, from Jennie Fahn, who plays the much-married, much-widowed Rose.  Fahn is terrific bouncing around the stage, doing everything but cartwheels in her exuberance.  She is a wonderful comic foil for the dour, free-thinking, commitment-phobic Alex and the serious, practical Leah.

 

Of the rest of the company, Joshua Grant as Mendel, Alex’s sidekick, stands out as he sings of “The Lonesome Kosher Cowboy.”  Makinna Ridgway, who plays Leah’s sister, Shulamis, looks enough like her to be her twin.  Which helps to make their duet “Sisters” a special treat.

 

Zale Morris has done an outstanding job as costume designer, dressing everyone in the kinds of period clothes we’ve all seen in old family photo albums.  And choreographer Judith Rose has incorporated the traditional Russian/Jewish folk dances, but without any added innovations or particular gusto.

 

To sum up, this is a fun show, but it could be better.  There is a certain hesitancy in the acting that slows everything down.  Given the predictability of the plot, there should be a compensatory extra dollop of energy and enthusiasm, a more visible passion, to keep the action moving.  A little more hetsum ketsum.

 

This production of “American Klezmer” by the West Coast Jewish Theater is a world premiere.  It will run through March 19th at the Egyptian Arena Theatre, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave. in Hollywood.