You might not think of Temple Beth Jacob as a local hotspot for laughs and entertainment, but for at least two nights this weekend it will be.
For the last two decades, (this will be the 21st straight year), it is the place to see the temple’s Purimshpiel. Now if you’re not familiar with a Purimshpiel, it’s a comical play depicting the biblical story of Queen Esther, one of only a handful of strong female figures in the Bible.
But the folks over at Temple Beth Jacob do it in a very unique and funny way. They take the story of Queen Esther, which dates back 2,500 years and fuse it with a community musical theater style.
Since the story is biblical, it doesn’t change, as evil and wickedness are still punished, goodness is rewarded, and everyone gets to celebrate at the end.
“Nothing changes about the story,” said director Gary Sobelson. “The play on it is what makes it very funny and different.”
This year’s performance is set in New York City with the king portrayed as the CEO of a major company and his princes are his board of directors. It blends in elements from shows like American Idol and The Bachelor as they search for “Persia’s Perfect Queen.” And it’s all centered around the music and lyrics of Billy Joel entitled, “In A Purimshpiel State Of Mind: The Megillah According To Billy Joel.”
Each year, the writer of the Purimshpiel takes a musician or band and creates a script. This year’s Purimshpiel opens with an ode to “Piano Man.” You’ll also recognize lyrics from Joel’s greatest hits “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “In the Middle of the Night” and “Only the Good Die Young.” But don’t expect to hear the actual songs, because this is an original creation by Cantor Shira Nafshi.
In previous years, writers of the Purimshpiel have paid tribute to Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen (last year).
The first Purimshpiel was done in 1988 and was purchased from Norman Roth, who created the idea.
“It was extremely popular and we had a blast,” Sobelson said.
But after doing a number of shows written by others, members of the Temple expressed interest in writing their own. And since 2004, most of the shows have been written by members of Temple Beth Jacob.
“The writer can change the setting, change the songs,” Sobelson said. “And there are certain lines that we use all the time.”
It usually takes about seven months to write and rehearsals have been held for the last four months.
This year’s show even includes an eight-piece orchestra.
“The thing has grown to now there are 40 or 50 people involved,” Sobelson said.
There are limited tickets ($15) to the performances on Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7).
Call 228-8581 or email office@tbjconcord.org to inquire about tickets.
