Producing a musical or a dramatic presentation has been particularly challenging for theater companies this past year.
The audience’s depressed temperament, the scant number of available actors, and the ongoing threat of being called to duty during a rehearsal period or a production run all imposed formidable obstacles.
The selection of a play that was suitable and appropriate during this crisis period required much thought. Offering some joy was a high priority in the decision-making process.
Last year, with that aim in mind, the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop elected to produce last season’s Fame, the Musical.
As the current situation has become even more severe, the need for respite has led the workshop to the iconic musical comedy Guys and Dolls as this year’s Hanukkah presentation.
The Beit Hillel Theater Workshop at Hebrew University, Mount Scopus, merges experienced actors and novices, Israelis and Anglo-Saxons, high school and university students, and older adults in a community theater experience that is educational, professional, and fun.
Michael Berl, founding director: Why Guys and Dolls?
“This show allows audiences to escape the current reality for a few hours and places them in an arena where comedy and fun are the main components,” says Michael Berl, founding director of the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop.
“With everything and everyone in a state of high alert, this show is pure entertainment void of intense messages. It takes us back to less threatening, simpler times. It is a great Hanukkah gift for the entire family. The cast consists of both veterans and newcomers who are committed to entertaining audiences in need of a few hours of respite.”
Set in the 1950s in New York, Guys and Dolls is the humorous story about gamblers and the women who love them. It tells the overlapping stories of high-roller Sky Masterson, who falls in love with mission worker Sarah Brown; and lovable rapscallion Nathan Detroit, engaged to Adelaide, a headliner at the Hot Box Club.
The history of Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls premiered on Broadway in 1950 and ran for 1,200 performances. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical that year and has since had 10 revivals around the world.
Guys and Dolls was a 1955 motion picture starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine. The film was based on the Broadway musical by composer and lyricist Frank Loesser, with a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows.
Gabriela Mischel, co-director
“Choosing the show for this year’s production was no easy task. This year came with so many challenges. We wanted something that would allow our audience to have fun [and] laugh, and we wanted to bring a little joy to everyone this Hanukkah,” says co-director Gabriela Mischel.
“After much deliberation, we found the perfect show. Guys and Dolls has all the makings of a great show: comedy, love, and some good old gambling.
“These past few months, on days when it felt overwhelming to put one foot in front of the other, I would walk into the theater, surrounded by music, lights, and incredible people, and for those two hours, I was able to forget everything outside those four walls.
“So when I say everyone owes it to themselves to take a few hours off in the theater, I mean it. We could all use a little more music and light these days, and we’d love to offer that to our audieneces this Hanukkah. Let us give them a bit of the light that Hanukkah is all about.”
The Guys and Dolls 20-member cast includes Etti Mosenkis, Howard Metz, Netanya Mischel, Dooby Harvey, Jordan Zell, Rafi Swidler, Rafi Serfaty, Rivital Singer, Peter Abelow, Molly Cloutier-Farhi, and Bryan Friedland.
The production, directed by Michael Berl and Gabriela Mischel, is choreographed by Batya Feder, with musical direction by Shelly Binman and Shira Elissar.
Some personal observations from the Guys and Dolls actors Etti Mosenkis, who plays Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls: “I previously took part in Beit Hillel’s Oliver! in 2022, where I played Bet. During that experience, I discovered a wonderful community/family that I knew I would be joining again. And what better way than to return for Guys and Dolls, a show that is pure fun, joy, and escapism!
“I’m particularly thrilled to be playing Sarah Brown, my first leading role in the Jerusalem theater scene, and a character in whom I can see some of myself. You know you have a great show when you find yourself constantly laughing during the rehearsals. This show has been around for ages, but the lines are still fresh, funny, and exciting.
“The actors are all just right for their individual roles. They are a vibrant team of passionate actors and a pleasure to work with. The professional staff is creative and caring. Looking forward to our premiere on December 25.”
Howard Metz, who plays Nathan Detroit, is perhaps the most veteran actor in the amateur theater world:
“I have been in a long list of shows with several companies over many years, including several at Beit Hillel. This is my second appearance as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls with Hillel. It may be my all-time favorite musical comedy.
“So many great lines, scenes, and songs. Endless fun. I have worked with some of the cast before, and am excited to share this experience with the newcomers. It’s the right show at the right time. Looking forward.”
Netanya Mischel, who plays Adelaide, is a veteran of several local stage productions. She comments, “I am incredibly excited to be back on stage at Beit Hillel. I have been in Jerusalem community theater for many years. My credits include Fame, Fiddler on the Roof, Heathers, The Sound of Music, and Avenue Q. For me, Guys and Dolls is the complete musical. Performing the role of Adelaide in Guys and Dolls is my dream role.
“The acting, songs, comedy, and dances are perfect for me. And the cast and staff of Guys and Dolls are so much fun to work with. Even the rehearsals are great fun.”
Jordan Zell, who plays Nicely Nicely, is making his Beit Hillel debut: “I am thrilled to be performing in my first Beit Hillel production and being part of the wonderful cast of Guys and Dolls. They are dedicated, talented, and completely absorbed by the show. Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, and I hope that we bring some light to all those who come to see us.”
Dooby Harvey, in the role of Sky Masterson, is a veteran actor and Beit Hillel set designer:
“I joined Beit Hillel in 2007, during my studies at Bezalel when I saw audition posters for My Fair Lady. I came to the auditions and was immediately taken in by the magic of the Hillel theater and by the amazing friends I made along the journey.
“I have been involved in every Hillel production since, as an actor, set designer, or both! I joined the cast of Guys and Dolls in 2024 because after a year of miluim [reserves], I wanted to maintain a sense of camaraderie and meaning in my life and to be among the people and the place I love.
“I am so pleased to be reprising the role of Sky Masterson, the role I portrayed many years ago at Hillel. The cast is superb, and working with Etti Mosenkis, Howard Metz, and Netanya Mischel is a particular treat.
The lines just flow, and there is so much chemistry on stage.
“My favorite line? ‘I am not putting the knock on dolls. It’s just that they are something to have around only when they come in handy... like cough drops.’”
Rivital Singer, who plays Arvide Abernathy:
“I have always loved being on stage. This is my second production with Beit Hillel, and I love working with so many talented people and the strong sense of community that is formed among the cast. I have always loved Guys and Dolls, especially the music and the humor. Working with the Hillel professional staff is particularly rewarding, and my experience has been exhilarating.”
Bryan Friedland, in the role of Big Julie:
“This show marks the beginning of my third decade with the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop. Together with Howie and Dooby, this is my second appearance in this hilarious musical. The workshop is my second home.
The actors, staff, and directors provide me with a comfort zone and a setting where I can realize my skills, relax, and enjoy,” he says.
While there is no way to escape the agony, tensions, and concerns of these days, the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop aims to suspend that reality, if only for a few hours.
Celebrating 10 years of the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop
This is the workshop’s 10th production in the Rachel Simon Hillel Theater.
Now celebrating its 39th season, the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop has performed Fiddler on the Roof; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat; Phantom of the Opera, Guys and Dolls; Les Misérables; A Tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber; Pippin; Biloxi Blues; Lend Me a Tenor; The Diary of Anne Frank; Ish Chassid Haya; Annie; The Wall; A Chorus Line; Oliver!; Beauty and the Beast; West Side Story; Blood Brothers; My Fair Lady; Aida; Hello Dolly; The Sound of Music; Cinderella; Disney, Live & In Concert; The Little Mermaid; and Fame, The Musical – most of them twice, and some even three times.
The Beit Hillel Theater Workshop’s first production, Fiddler on the Roof, took place nearly four decades ago in an auditorium with minimal lighting, plastic chairs, and an old piano.
Today, over 2,000 actors and 550 performances later, the Rachel Simon Hillel Theater is replete with director/producer, music director, choreographer, technical director, set designer, marketing coordinator, theater seats, acoustical walls, full stage lighting, professional ensemble, and professional dressing rooms.
In a statement, the Beit Hillel Theater Workshop dedicates its performances to the fallen, the wounded, and the captured.
“To our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, parents, and our heroic soldiers, all fighting in our defense: May they be strong, resolved, blessed, and safe. May they return to their families as soon as possible. Amen.” – A.H.