FINAL GOBBLING OF THE TURKEYS AT “THE LAST LAUGH” ON JUNE 8!

They have sent froggies, turkeys, and cockroaches scurrying across the Mishkan Torah Stage.  They have perpetrated bad puns, sometimes ingenious song parodies, and cheap theatrics at Mishkan Torah since the 1980’s . Now, the writing, directing, performing, and producing team of Evey Herschler, David Herschler, and Jeffrey Rosen have reached the end of their tenure at Mishkan Torah, and are marking the occasion with one last production. On Sunday, June 8, 2014, at 2:00 p.m., Mishkan Torah will present the ultimate theatrical tour-de-farce, “The Last Laugh: A Retrospective of Herschler/RosenProductions at Mishkan Torah.”

The afternoon of music and comedy will resurrect and present for the last time some of the most memorable moments in four decades of shows, roasts, Purim Spiels, and other extravaganzas perpetrated by this triumvirate, which has been compared by some to Mel Brooks’ immortal Producers Bialystock & Bloom, and by others to the Three Stooges.

Sunday, June 8 will mark the last bit of theatrical meanderings from the Turkey Trio at Mishkan Torah before David and Evey Herschler move away from the area this coming summer. On Saturday, May 3, 2014 Mishkan Torah presented its thirteenth annual Keter Shem Tov Award to David and Evey Herschler for their five decades of service to the Synagogue, starting in the late 1970’s.

The Herschlers and Rosen have devised a program reaching back into five decades of productions at Mishkan Torah, from the 1970’s to the very present. It is guaranteed to generate a combination of nostalgic memories and unapologetic belly laughs. Highlights are expected to include a trio of hits from David and Evey’s 1985 hit “The Last Resort,” in which Jeffrey made his Mishkan Torah debut. The Herschlers spent over a year writing book, lyrics, and music and then producing this fully original musical. The numbers will include “Star Quality,” “Times We Used to Share” and a variation of the
Grand Finale and will feature performances by Yael Fischman, Saul Oresky, Yoni Charry and the entire company.

There will be three numbers from the 1987 Purim Spiel “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Purim,” also known as “Purim Spiel Tonight!” That show was expanded and revived in 2012. These include the Opening Number, “We Jews Don’t Bow!” and the doo-wop quartet of Dave Herschler, Yoni Charry, Bret Goldstein, and Dick Wobus reprising “In the Still of the Night” from the 2012 version of the show. Another group of doo-woppers, the infamous Saul and the Philistines, will also take the stage again to perform “Be True to Your Shul” from Rabbi Saul Grife’s 1986 Installation, featuring the lead singer Saul Oresky , backed by David Herschler, Yoni Charry, and Dick Wobus. Not to be outdone by the males of the species, Mishkan Torah’s Motown Girl Group “The Torahettes” featuring Evey Herschler, Sara Rosen, and Phyllis Oresky, will rock the crowd to “My Guy” from the Rosen Roast show. In two other musical numbers, Jeffrey Rosen will present his personal credo by singing “My Favorite Sins,” which he did at both the Saul Grife Installation and his Tenth Anniversary Show. Jeffrey and Sara Rosen will perform “Master of the House” from “Les Miserables” for the first time since they did so at the 1988 review “Shlapshtiks.”  The company will pay an affectionate tribute to the man who has actually maintained artistic standards at Mishkan Torah, and has been the subject of celebrations on his tenth, sixteenth, and twenty-fifth anniversaries at Mishkan Torah, Cantor Phil Greenfield. Evey Herschler, Yoni Charry, Arlene Gottlieb, Sara and Jeffrey Rosen, and Saul Oresky will join in “If I Were Not the Cantor,” while the whole company will parody Billy Joel and sing “Cantor Man.” To add a note of class to the general entropy, there will also be legitimate, hopefully classier entertainment (specific numbers to be announced) from Cantor Phil, Ben Greenfield, and Nadine Wobus, who have all been mainstays of various shows.

What would a Herschler/Rosen retrospective be without comedy sketches? There will be sit-down comedy when Rosanne Rosanna Danzansky Goldberg (played by Evey Herschler in “Purim Saturday Night”) appears in the oldest part of the program, dating from the late 1970’s. The Grand Gefilte from the Spevack Roast in the guise of Steve Mirsky will be making finny puns as he fishes for cheap laughs. Finally, there will be two complete comedy skits. From “Shlapshtiks,” you can greet the encore of that kiddie show sensation, “Rabbi Rogers’ Neighborhood Shul,” with Bret Goldstein, Yoni Charry, and Jeffrey Rosen. From last year’s Oresky Keter Shem Tov, that infamous Papal bull, “Phyllis Meets the Pope,” returns with Yael Fischman and Phil Greenfield repeating their roles of last year.

You will want to be there to bear witness to the end of an era of low humor, musical mirth, high hilarity, and always great fun from the team of David and Evey Herschler and Jeffrey Rosen. Tickets are only $20 for adults and $10 for children. You may make donations in multiples of chai even if you are unable to attend the show. You may order tickets and make donation directly from the Synagogue by utilizing the Flyer found elsewhere in this issue of “The Trumpet” or on-line. Remember: ONLY AT MISHKAN TORAH would an event like this be possible! See you there!