The classic advertising campaign put it this way: “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s real Jewish rye.”
And when it comes to food for the soul, you don’t have to be Jewish to love klezmer music.
Syracuse’s homegrown klezmer ensemble — JD and the Wandering Klezmorim — will perform music reminiscent of the ancient dance music of the Bohemian shtetls at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Carman Community Room at Liverpool Public Library. The performance is free and open to the public; for more information, call 457-0310 or visit lpl.org.
The combo showcases Jonathan Dinkin’s original compositions such as “JD’s Freylekh” from the CD “Lily’s Hora.” He also wrote the title song for the docudrama “Prisoners of Freedom,” about the Jewish refugees housed at Oswego’s Fort Ontario during World War II.
‘Mazeltov!’
JD’s new band showcases three talented horn players: clarinetist Ken Frieden, an internationally known expert on Judaic culture who’s a professor at Syracuse University; trumpeter Ethan Urtz, who also plays with Symphoria; and the Wandering Klezmorim’s newest member, trombonist Ryan Zawel, leader of the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble. New accordionist Bob Alexander is an accomplished painter and also plays music with avant-garde songwriter Leo Crandall.
Vocalist Aveeya Dinkin performs a cute version of “Oy Mama,” a hit in 1936 for NYC Yiddish Theatre starlet Molly Picon, and Aveeya recreates a joyous wedding scene with the sing-along “Mazeltov!”
Sure enough, we’ll be frolicking to the freylekhs Sunday at the library. See you there.
Parental pride
The night of Friday, Feb. 6, is a date that will long be remembered by the family of musician Paul Davie who lives in Liverpool, on Cypress Street. That night at the Landmark Theatre down city, Paul had produced an all-star tribute concert called BeatleCuse.
“Personally speaking,” Paul said afterwards, “I’ll always cherish sharing the stage with my son, Connor, who played a lovely trumpet on ‘For No One,’ and my daughter, Ciara, who sang sweet backup vocals on several songs. ‘Proud’ isn’t a strong enough a word to describe how I felt.”
Billed as Fab Five Paul, Davie will rock out solo from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 17, at the White Water Pub, 110 S. Willow St. While you’re there, consider the Friday special, Guinness soup and a draft beer for $7 or order the fish and chips for a sawbuck.
Then at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 18, Paul plugs in downtown at Kitty Hoyne’s, before returning to the White Water at 7 p.m. April 30; WhitewaterPubLiverpool.com; 314-7398.
Mary pops in
It’s 1910 London. The Banks family, Winifred and George, and their children, Jane and Michael, are in search of the perfect nanny. The search is stalled because they can’t agree on what kind of person their nanny should be.
The winds carry Mary Poppins – a young woman who is mysterious, stern and magical – to their doorstep on Cherry Lane, and their lives begin to change for the better.
So starts the stage musical version of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins” being performed by Liverpool High School students at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, and at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the LHS Auditorium, 4338 Wetzel Road.
Directed by Nancy Dutelle, the show stars Katherine Skafidas as Mary Poppins, Anthony Lotito as Bert and Amanda Hebblethwaite as Miss Andrew.
For tickets — which cost $10 — visit liverpool.k12.ny.us and click on the scrolling photo of Mary Poppins, or call 622-7986.
Sharon calls it quits
Longtime Retreat employee Sharon Hartman, who lives in Liverpool, retired Friday, March 27, as assistant restaurant manager. She and her friends and fellow workers celebrated late that night with a pizza party down the street at the Cobblestone Tavern.
Donna Benjamin, whose restaurant credits include a stint at Borio’s, will take over where Sharon left off at The Retreat.
Gull getting ready
The Barking Gull, at 116 S. Willow St., is set to reopen at the end of April…we hope.
Name change
Meanwhile The Castaways is changing its name. The landmark eatery, located at 916 County Route 37 in Central Square, will now be known as the 916 Riverside; 668-3434.
The columnist can be contacted at [email protected].
