Pirates of Penzance [in Yiddish] – 25 October 2026
A raucous concert production of Pirates of Penzance fleetingly set sail at Symphony Space. The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene put on two back-to-back performances of Pirates of Penzance or, as they called it, Di Yam Gazlonim on October 25, 2026. Though concert in that it skipped over the scenes, this production featured a cast that was completely off book, costumes (Bex Jones), and artistic supertitles (Annabel Parker). Complete with a fun Jewish spin on the lyrics and concept (or as we in the Jewish community call it, khokhma), the adaptation kept the audience smiling and laughing the whole way through.
By far the most impressive performer was the only non-Equity actor in the show— Annabel Parker. Currently studying Yiddish vocal performance, her Mozart Barber of Seville moments were sublime, as was her charming onstage presence. Though there were other talented members of the cast, Parker eclipsed them easily with her combination of musical and acting talent. Unfortunately, most of the rest of cast was only able to do one of the two, with which varying by role. Though Allen Lewis Rickman had us in stitches with his rendition of “Modern Major General”, it was clear that he hadn’t thought much about the rest of the performance. Though he was a large part of the production, Rickman didn’t seem to have thought much about the characterization or musical nuance in his other songs. Drew Seigla (Fayvl) delighted vocally but failed to give a strong acting performance. Jackie Hoffman was hilarious, but her singing abilities have noticeably deteriorated. The ensemble (men in particular) seemed committed to their acting and able to cary a tune but not really able to deliver much in the way of vocal performance. All this to say, not everybody can speak Yiddish and that filters out a lot of potential players for a show like this.
Still, the production held up because of its humor and wit. There were a couple of technical housekeeping notes— for example, the supertitles were not always located near the people speaking— but, for the most part, the show was easy to follow and engaging to watch. It was twice as funny for those who knew a little Yiddish. Yiddish as a language has words that are enriched by their connotations and specificity. Mishegas. Farshtukener. Dafka. The Yiddish concepts enriched the piratical ones in new, unexpected combinations. The night show, which I attended, was full of mirth and spectacle that brought people joy and levity. It was delightful to see the Yiddish language simultaneously honoring something old and creating something new. Well worth a trip, this swashbuckling production certainly earned its sea legs, as did The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
I attended this performance on a press pass from Shira Dicker & Beck Lee.
