''Soul Doctor'' ''- Journey of a Rockstar Rabbi'' is a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical that details the life of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, with music and lyrics by Shlomo Carlebach and David Schechter, and book and direction by Daniel Wise. The Soul Doctor show debuted at

Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre Le Petit Théâtre Du Vieux Carré is a small professional theatre in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Le Petit was founded in 1916, when a group of amateur theatre-lovers began putting on plays in the drawing room of one of the mem ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, and had subsequent runs at The Colony Theater in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, The Parker Playhouse in Ft Lauderdale, and The New York Theatre Workshop in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. The Broadway production started previews in July 2013 with its official opening night taking place August 15, 2013 at Broadway's

Circle in the Square Theatre The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, in the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of two Broadway theaters that use a thrust stage that extends ...

Synopsis

This coming of age story of courage and inspiring perseverance opens in 1960s

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, where

Shlomo Carlebach Shlomo Carlebach ( he, שלמה קרליבך; 14 January 1925 – 20 October 1994), known as Reb Shlomo to his followers, was a rabbi, religious teacher, spiritual leader, composer, and singer dubbed "the singing rabbi" during his lifetime. ...

is giving a concert, having returned to the city for the first time in decades, and then transitions back in time to Nazi-occupied

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

when Shlomo, as a child, witnessed the murder of a Jewish man singing in the streets. This experience causes Shlomo to make a pledge to always stand up for freedom of expression through music. To escape persecution, the Carlebach family moves to the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

in New York City where Shlomo is a

Yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...

student studying the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

and memorizing the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

, following his father's footsteps to become a

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

. Shlomo's path soon changes when he meets the legendary jazz singer

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...

in a

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

night club. She not only teaches him about her

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

musical roots, but also recounts how her people, like Jews in Europe at the time, were being persecuted in the U.S. Inspired by the music of Simone, Shlomo begins to break

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

tradition by obtaining a guitar. He is soon writing songs and playing his music for audiences including women and non-Jews in clubs around

. Shlomo embraces

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

and hippiedom over established scholasticism despite ramifications within his family. In the late '60s he moved to

Haight-Ashbury Haight-Ashbury () is a district of San Francisco, California, named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets. It is also called The Haight and The Upper Haight. The neighborhood is known as one of the main centers of the counterculture ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

where a " House of Love and Prayer" becomes his home with a following that keeps growing. During this period he played concerts alongside acts such as

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

the Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

and Jefferson Airplane. He and Nina Simone end the show back in Vienna, performing a concert in memory of the Jewish singer he saw gunned down in the street by

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

. Shlomo's inspired life was driven by his talent, heart and optimism. His inspirational message is clearly heard through his own songs throughout Soul Doctor, an uplifting musical for people of all ages, religions and backgrounds. His personal pledge to stand up for

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...

through the power of music soars with the spirit instilled in him from lessons learned throughout his unique and interesting life.

Productions

New Orleans (2010)

''Soul Doctor'' debuted at

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

on November 8, 2010 following previews in

Miami and Ft. Lauderdale (2011-2012)

''Soul Doctor'' had consecutive runs at The Colony Theater in

and The Parker Playhouse in Ft Lauderdale from December 25, 2011 - January 29, 2012.

New York City - Off Broadway (2012)

''Soul Doctor'' had a run at New York Theatre Workshop from July 30 - August 19, 2012.

New York City - Broadway (2013)

''Soul Doctor'' opened at

on August 15, 2013. Producers announced on October 8, 2013 that Soul Doctor will end its Broadway run Oct. 13 at the Circle in the Square.

Montreal (2014)

''Soul Doctor'' was performed in Yiddish at The

Segal Centre for Performing Arts The Segal Centre for Performing Arts, formerly the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts, is a theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 5170 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâ ...

by the

Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, a branch of the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, was founded in Montreal in 1958 by Dora Wasserman (June 1919– December 2003), a Ukrainian actress, playwright, and theatre director. The first play was ''T ...

from June 8 to June 29, 2014.

New York City – Off Broadway (2014)

''Soul Doctor'' had a newly re-imagined run at The Actor's Temple in New York City. Directed and choreographed by Mindy Cooper, this production starred

Josh Nelson Josh Nelson is an American jazz pianist and composer. Nelson produced his independent debut album ''First Stories'' at age 19. His second album, ''Anticipation (Josh Nelson album), Anticipation'', was released in 2004 with all his compositions. ...

and Dan'Yelle Williamson as Shlomo Carlebach and Nina Simone respectively. Other cast members included: Jacob Heimer (Eli Chaim), Debra Cardona (Mother), Don Meehan (Father),

Anthony Laciura Anthony Laciura (born September 27, 1951) is an American actor and operatic tenor. Laciura is often noted for his abilities as a comprimario, and actor. Born in New Orleans, he studied voice there with Charles Paddock, also the teacher of Ticho ...

(Reb Pinchas/Moisheleh), Hayden Wall (Young Shlomo), Rosalie Graziano (Young Eli Chaim), Dianna Barger (Ruth), John Plumpis (Milt Oken), Jesse Swimm (Blind Guitarist/Dr. Joel), Lee Hollis Bussie (Bandleader), Janelle McDermoth (Pastor), Matthew Dunivan (Swing). The production started previews on November 28, 2014, with an official opening on December 14, 2014. ''Soul Doctor'' had its closing night on January 25, 2015.

Jerusalem, Israel (2018)

Soul doctor was recently played at Bet Shmuel in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

from 7 June 2018 to 28 June 2018.

Musical numbers

; Act I * "Once In A Garden" (Essa Einai) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Finger On The Place" (Gevalt/Good Shabbos) – Traditional Melody * "We Built A Life Here" (Rachmono Perrok) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Bereishis" (In The Beginning) (Re'h Nah/V'Ye'esayu) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Keep The Fire Burning" (U'vnei Ossa) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Torah Song" (Lulei Torascha) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Shlomo's Dream" (Essa Einai – reprise) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Arise!" (Uforatzto) – Traditional Melody * "Rock Around The Torah" (Uforatzto) – Shlomo Carlebach * "I Put A Spell On You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins * "Four Women" -

* "Ki Va Moed" – Shlomo Carlebach * "I Put A Spell On You" (Reprise) - Screamin' Jay Hawkins * "Ein K'Elokeinu" – Shlomo Carlebach * "He's Just A Child" (Ana Hashem) * "Ki Va Moed" – Shlomo Carlebach * "Where Am I To Turn To?" (Pischu Li/Haneshama Lach) * "Ode Yishama - Part 1" – Shlomo Carlebach * "Ode Yishama - Part 2" – Shlomo Carlebach * "Medley" (Asher Bara, David Malech, Yiboneh Essa Einai) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Sinnerman" (U'vnei Ossa) – Traditional Melody * "Hashmiini" – Shlomo Carlebach ; Act II * "Sing Shalom" (Oseh Shalom) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Lord Get Me High" – Shlomo Carlebach * "Absolutely Not!" (Rachmono Perok) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Brothers And Friends" (Lemaan Achai) – Shlomo Carlebach * "In America" (Vehaer/Lo Tevoshi) – Shlomo Carlebach * "The Shlomo Tango" (Lo Tevoshi) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Family Legacy" (Haneshama/Ana Hashem) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Song of Shabbos" – Shlomo Carlebach * "The Sun Is Sinking Fast" (Hinei) – Shlomo Carlebach * "Tune In, Turn On" * "Where to Go" (Ana Hashem) * "Yerushalyim" * "Adam Was Alone" (Mimkomcha) * "I Was A Sparrow" (Shifchi) * "Adam Was Alone - Reprise" (Mimkomcha) * "Return Again" * "Am Yisrael Chai"

Critical reception

The Soul Doctor musical was reviewed by many publications following its openings in New York and

. Barbara Siegel in Theatre Mania wrote in her review: "The story is going to be compared to ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...

'', but the engaging and often moving new musical has a good deal more thematic depth that its predecessor." Lisa Klug's review in Jewlicious.com concluded: "With plenty of good Jewish perspectives on the comedy of life, it had me laughing, singing and clapping ... it's so good ... ndis only going to get better and better." Frank Scheck, in ''

The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'', praised Eric Anderson's performance, writing: "Eric Anderson beautifully suggests Carlebach's soft-spoken, gentle appeal, as well as the charisma that jolted him to stardom. Erica Ash is equally superb as Simone, whether quietly conveying the singer's fierce dignity or delivering stunning versions of signature classics such as " Sinnerman." Jason Zinoman also praised Anderson's performance in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', writing: "Transforming from a mild-mannered rabbi into a kinetic dynamo,

Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson ...

imbues his numbers with their own arc, often starting in a meditative mood before slowly building to a joyous, leaping roar." Following its 2013 opening on Broadway, the Soul Doctor show was reviewed by ''

'', ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

'', ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'', and '' Newsday'', all of whom applauded Anderson's performance as

Carlebach Carlebach is the family name of a notable Jewish family originally from Germany that now lives all over the world, it can refer to: *People: ** Elisheva Carlebach Jofen, American scholar of early modern Jewish history ** Emil Carlebach (1914– ...

while comparing the show to '' Fiddler on the Roof'' and '' Hair'', and giving overall mixed to positive reviews of the musical.

Principal roles and original cast

References

External links

* *
Broadwayworld.com Show PageIBDB show page
{{authority control 2010 musicals Broadway musicals Off-Broadway musicals Jewish theatre Shlomo Carlebach