My mother is Italian, my father is Jewish and I am in therapy! Oi, Mamma Mia, Vot a Family!
Start the Festive season season on a side-splitting note with the New York comedy hit My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy!, at the Studio Theatre at Montecasino - Commencing 14th November 2011.
Created onstage in the Big Apple by comedian Steve Solomon, this uproariously funny one-man play tells the story of an Italian-Jewish family and the crazy characters that surround it… and drive our hapless hero straight into the therapist’s chair.
This hilarious comedy stars versatile and accomplished local actor Michael Richard, who has his work cut out for him in a one man tour de force- navigating his way through a tricky minefield of voices, dialects and sound effects, conjuring an array of wacky family relationships.
Richard has been directed by the multi award-winning Charmaine Weir-Smith, with whom he recently teamed up for two successful seasons of the Sylvaine Strike comedy Pregnant Pause. The top-flight production team is completed by Wilhelm Disbergen , who will undertake the set design, and Jane Gosnell, who is taking care of lighting.
My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy! won the Broadway.com audience award for favourite new off-Broadway play of 2007, and has earned rave reviews, in New York and in South Africa.
You don’t need to be Jewish or Italian to appreciate this off-the-wall comedy – you just need to know what it feels like to leave a family dinner with heartburn and a headache…
Described as “one part lasagne, one part kreplach and two parts Prozac”, this play promises to be just the tonic needed to get the year end off to an upbeat start – and tickets are a lot cheaper than a visit to the shrink!
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM STEVE SOLOMON
A friend once told me “Steve, going out for dinner with you is like crashing your family reunion.”
I’ll explain.
I’ve always loved making people laugh this way and for as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a knack for imitating the voices of those around me. A native of Brooklyn, I grew up in the multi-ethnic neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay. This was the perfect training ground for me, a budding dialectician and the class clown. (I did a very authentic-sounding Chinese restaurant delivery boy)
I loved to write jokes but I wasn’t a performer. I mean, in college, I dabbled in entertaining by emceeing events, but I wasn’t a performer. As an adult, I was a physics teacher and a school administrator. I had a head for business. Sure, I used humor, dialects and sound effects when teaching my students, but that’s the closest I ever got to a stage. I was like the real-life version of Gabe Kaplan’s “Welcome Back Kotter.” So I submitted my jokes and stories to periodicals. Friends and professional stand-up comics that I knew in the business. With the coming of the internet and e-mail, I had an outlet for my comedy writings.
But writing jokes for others to read and perform? This wasn’t where my heart was.
Blinded by the glitz of show biz, I decided to live the world of academia and business behind and turn my attention to my true love, making people laugh. I was sick and tired of the regular paychecks, the prestige and the educational glamour of an administrator’s life. I was ready to hit the road with my jokes and voicebox full of funny voices and make 20 bucks a show.
For years I have toured the United States and Canada with my show My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m In Therapy! And now it’s landed “me” right back where I started, in New York. From Sheepshead Bay to the Great White Way. And now with Michael Richard playing me in South Africa!
The story you’re about to see is true. Well…most of it. The Characters portrayed are real-exaggerated, but real; except for my mother, sister and Grandma They’re exaggerated in real life. In fact, I play them down on stage- artistic license if you will, since nobody would believe that characters like them could be real, After my family saw the show, they filed a petition in the courts to have my “artistic license” revoked.
My Dad used to say “some of us are blessed with the ability to work for as long as they WANT to” My addendum: “some of us are blessed with the ability to work in the field they love for as long as they want to.” I have been blessed.
Steve Solomon , New York City
MICHAEL RICHARD- BIOGRAPHY
Leading South African actor Michael Richard was schooled in Zimbabwe before studying drama at UCT. In 1974 he joined PACT as a member of Ken Leach’s famed Arena Company.After playing Hamlet for PACT in 1978, Michael left the company to become a freelance performer, although he was enticed back as an associate actor for four years in the mid-1980s.
In the 37 years that Michael has been on stage, he has been blessed to have worked with directors who challenged him in a huge variety of roles from Shakespeare to rock-opera; from comedy, tragedy, farce and musicals to several pantomime dames!
Other productions include Othello A Midsummer Night’s Dream “Fangs”, “Laughing Matters” “Wild Honey”, “Fiddler On The Roof”, “Amadeus”, “Educating Rita” “Full Circle” and “ Ying Tongl”. He also worked with Richard E Grant in his latest movie” Wah Wah” and John Malkovich in Betrayal
In addition to his radio and television work, Michael has won many awards, most notably for “Children of A Lesser God”, “Keen”, “Othello”, “Death Defying Acts” and “Decadence”. He was also nominated for best actor as King Arthur in “Camelot” and as Tevye in” Fiddler on the Roof” and Martin in God of Carnage. Other memorable plays include PREGNANT PAUSE with Charmaine Weir–Smith directed by Sylvaine Strike; Pterodactyls in which he acted with his wife and daughter, The God of Carnage , Duet for One and most recently The History Boys with his wife and son.
Show Details:
MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH, AND I’M IN THERAPY
Studio Theatre, Montecasino
From Wed 16 November
Performances: Wed – Fri @ 8:15pm, Sat @ 5:15pm & 8:15pm, Sun @ 3:15pm
Tickets cost R150
All bookings at the Theatre & Computicket (011) 511 1818
Start the Festive season season on a side-splitting note with the New York comedy hit My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy!, at the Studio Theatre at Montecasino - Commencing 14th November 2011.Created onstage in the Big Apple by comedian Steve Solomon, this uproariously funny one-man play tells the story of an Italian-Jewish family and the crazy characters that surround it… and drive our hapless hero straight into the therapist’s chair.This hilarious comedy stars versatile and accomplished local actor Michael Richard, who has his work cut out for him in a one man tour de force- navigating his way through a tricky minefield of voices, dialects and sound effects, conjuring an array of wacky family relationships.
Richard has been directed by the multi award-winning Charmaine Weir-Smith, with whom he recently teamed up for two successful seasons of the Sylvaine Strike comedy Pregnant Pause. The top-flight production team is completed by Wilhelm Disbergen , who will undertake the set design, and Jane Gosnell, who is taking care of lighting.
My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy! won the Broadway.com audience award for favourite new off-Broadway play of 2007, and has earned rave reviews, in New York and in South Africa.
You don’t need to be Jewish or Italian to appreciate this off-the-wall comedy – you just need to know what it feels like to leave a family dinner with heartburn and a headache…
Described as “one part lasagne, one part kreplach and two parts Prozac”, this play promises to be just the tonic needed to get the year end off to an upbeat start – and tickets are a lot cheaper than a visit to the shrink!
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM STEVE SOLOMON
A friend once told me “Steve, going out for dinner with you is like crashing your family reunion.”
I’ll explain.
I’ve always loved making people laugh this way and for as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a knack for imitating the voices of those around me. A native of Brooklyn, I grew up in the multi-ethnic neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay. This was the perfect training ground for me, a budding dialectician and the class clown. (I did a very authentic-sounding Chinese restaurant delivery boy)
I loved to write jokes but I wasn’t a performer. I mean, in college, I dabbled in entertaining by emceeing events, but I wasn’t a performer. As an adult, I was a physics teacher and a school administrator. I had a head for business. Sure, I used humor, dialects and sound effects when teaching my students, but that’s the closest I ever got to a stage. I was like the real-life version of Gabe Kaplan’s “Welcome Back Kotter.” So I submitted my jokes and stories to periodicals. Friends and professional stand-up comics that I knew in the business. With the coming of the internet and e-mail, I had an outlet for my comedy writings.
But writing jokes for others to read and perform? This wasn’t where my heart was.
Blinded by the glitz of show biz, I decided to live the world of academia and business behind and turn my attention to my true love, making people laugh. I was sick and tired of the regular paychecks, the prestige and the educational glamour of an administrator’s life. I was ready to hit the road with my jokes and voicebox full of funny voices and make 20 bucks a show.
For years I have toured the United States and Canada with my show My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m In Therapy! And now it’s landed “me” right back where I started, in New York. From Sheepshead Bay to the Great White Way. And now with Michael Richard playing me in South Africa!
The story you’re about to see is true. Well…most of it. The Characters portrayed are real-exaggerated, but real; except for my mother, sister and Grandma They’re exaggerated in real life. In fact, I play them down on stage- artistic license if you will, since nobody would believe that characters like them could be real, After my family saw the show, they filed a petition in the courts to have my “artistic license” revoked.
My Dad used to say “some of us are blessed with the ability to work for as long as they WANT to” My addendum: “some of us are blessed with the ability to work in the field they love for as long as they want to.” I have been blessed.
Steve Solomon , New York City
MICHAEL RICHARD- BIOGRAPHY
Leading South African actor Michael Richard was schooled in Zimbabwe before studying drama at UCT. In 1974 he joined PACT as a member of Ken Leach’s famed Arena Company.After playing Hamlet for PACT in 1978, Michael left the company to become a freelance performer, although he was enticed back as an associate actor for four years in the mid-1980s.
In the 37 years that Michael has been on stage, he has been blessed to have worked with directors who challenged him in a huge variety of roles from Shakespeare to rock-opera; from comedy, tragedy, farce and musicals to several pantomime dames!
Other productions include Othello A Midsummer Night’s Dream “Fangs”, “Laughing Matters” “Wild Honey”, “Fiddler On The Roof”, “Amadeus”, “Educating Rita” “Full Circle” and “ Ying Tongl”. He also worked with Richard E Grant in his latest movie” Wah Wah” and John Malkovich in Betrayal
In addition to his radio and television work, Michael has won many awards, most notably for “Children of A Lesser God”, “Keen”, “Othello”, “Death Defying Acts” and “Decadence”. He was also nominated for best actor as King Arthur in “Camelot” and as Tevye in” Fiddler on the Roof” and Martin in God of Carnage. Other memorable plays include PREGNANT PAUSE with Charmaine Weir–Smith directed by Sylvaine Strike; Pterodactyls in which he acted with his wife and daughter, The God of Carnage , Duet for One and most recently The History Boys with his wife and son.
Show Details:
MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH, AND I’M IN THERAPY
Studio Theatre, Montecasino
From Wed 16 November
Performances: Wed – Fri @ 8:15pm, Sat @ 5:15pm & 8:15pm, Sun @ 3:15pm
Tickets cost R150
All bookings at the Theatre & Computicket (011) 511 1818
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