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The MeshugaNutcracker!Opening Date: Dec 20, 2016
Closing Date: Jan 1, 2017 Air date: Dec 19, 2017 Medium: cinema Where to watch: Amazon (as an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases from this link at no extra cost to you), BroadwayHD |
Stage Production Notes
The MeshugaNutcracker! is a musical where 8 fools from the Polish town of Chelm tell eight different Chanukah-themed stories, set to music from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.
The MeshugaNutcracker! opened in 2013, and toured during Chanukah on the West Coast for several years.
The music is a fusion of klezmer, Broadway, and Tchaikovsky’s score for The Nutcracker.
Ann Haskins for LA Weekly described the musical as “warm and whimsical.” Online reviewer Don Grigware stated it was “fun and enriching.”
The MeshugaNutcracker! is a musical where 8 fools from the Polish town of Chelm tell eight different Chanukah-themed stories, set to music from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker.
The MeshugaNutcracker! opened in 2013, and toured during Chanukah on the West Coast for several years.
The music is a fusion of klezmer, Broadway, and Tchaikovsky’s score for The Nutcracker.
Ann Haskins for LA Weekly described the musical as “warm and whimsical.” Online reviewer Don Grigware stated it was “fun and enriching.”
Filmed Production Notes
In December 2016, The MeshugaNutcracker! was performed at the Gindi Auditorium at the American Jewish University. The performance was a result of negotiations with Fathom Events, who sought new theatrical content to distribute as part of their Inspirational Arts series.
The MeshugaNutcracker! was captured in front of a live audience with 3 HD cameras — one camera filming from the center and two providing side angles. Due to cost and logistics, the producers opted to film in advance rather than do a live broadcast.
Guggenheim Entertainment hoped that by screening The MeshugaNutcracker!, the musical would find a wider audience and future performance opportunities across the United States.
Fathom Events screened The MeshugaNutcracker! in select cinemas across the United States on December 19, 2017. As part of the screening, the production released a children’s activity book which is available for free via Fathom Events.
As a result of Equity agreements, The MeshugaNutcracker! did not receive encore screenings, and is not available on DVD or Blu-Ray.
The MeshugaNutcracker! was first released on BroadwayHD in 2018.
The musical is available to view on BroadwayHD and Amazon (as an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases from this link).
In December 2016, The MeshugaNutcracker! was performed at the Gindi Auditorium at the American Jewish University. The performance was a result of negotiations with Fathom Events, who sought new theatrical content to distribute as part of their Inspirational Arts series.
The MeshugaNutcracker! was captured in front of a live audience with 3 HD cameras — one camera filming from the center and two providing side angles. Due to cost and logistics, the producers opted to film in advance rather than do a live broadcast.
Guggenheim Entertainment hoped that by screening The MeshugaNutcracker!, the musical would find a wider audience and future performance opportunities across the United States.
Fathom Events screened The MeshugaNutcracker! in select cinemas across the United States on December 19, 2017. As part of the screening, the production released a children’s activity book which is available for free via Fathom Events.
As a result of Equity agreements, The MeshugaNutcracker! did not receive encore screenings, and is not available on DVD or Blu-Ray.
The MeshugaNutcracker! was first released on BroadwayHD in 2018.
The musical is available to view on BroadwayHD and Amazon (as an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases from this link).
The MeshugaNutcracker! PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Gindi Auditorium, Los Angeles
Producer: Guggenheim Entertainment
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Additional Music: Shannon Guggenheim
Book and Lyrics: Scott Evan Guggenheim, Shannon Guggenheim
Director: Scott Evan Guggenheim
Musical Director: Stephen Guggenheim
Orchestrations: Thomas Tomasello
Choreography: Shannon Guggenheim
Costume Design and Scenic Design: Julie Engelbrecht
Lighting Design: Derek Duarte
Stage Manager: Ron Goswick
Cast:
Jackson Davis (Yacob), Lynda Divito (Rivka), Susan Gundunas (Esther), Jeremy Kreamer (Velvel), Benjamin Pither (Motke), Krista Wigle (Yetta), Stephen Guggenheim (Mayor Gronam Schmegegi), Shannon Guggenheim (Treitel), Special Appearance by Bruce Villanch
Theatre: Gindi Auditorium, Los Angeles
Producer: Guggenheim Entertainment
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Additional Music: Shannon Guggenheim
Book and Lyrics: Scott Evan Guggenheim, Shannon Guggenheim
Director: Scott Evan Guggenheim
Musical Director: Stephen Guggenheim
Orchestrations: Thomas Tomasello
Choreography: Shannon Guggenheim
Costume Design and Scenic Design: Julie Engelbrecht
Lighting Design: Derek Duarte
Stage Manager: Ron Goswick
Cast:
Jackson Davis (Yacob), Lynda Divito (Rivka), Susan Gundunas (Esther), Jeremy Kreamer (Velvel), Benjamin Pither (Motke), Krista Wigle (Yetta), Stephen Guggenheim (Mayor Gronam Schmegegi), Shannon Guggenheim (Treitel), Special Appearance by Bruce Villanch
Sources
Articles
Websites
Other
- Matt Cooper, "40 family-friendly 'Nutcrackers,' 'Christmas Carols' and other SoCal holiday shows," LA Times (Nov 25, 2016)
- Don Grigware, “review - The MushugaNutcracker!” Grigware Reviews (Dec 21, 2016)
- Ann Haskins, “The MeshugaNutcracker,” LA Weekly (Undated)
- Julie Smith Yolles, “The hit Chanukah musical MeshugaNutcracker! is in movie theaters one-night only,” Detroit Jewish News (Dec 14, 2017)
- TV News Desk, "BroadwayHD Celebrates the Holidays with the Debut of The MeshugaNutcracker," Broadway World (Nov 30, 2018)
Websites
- Fathom Events, MeshugaNutcracker!, Accessed via: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/the-meshuganutcracker
- The MeshugaNutcracker! The Chanukah Musical!, Accessed via: http://www.themeshuganutcracker.com/#S05
- TheaterMania, “The Meshuga Nutcracker!” Accessed via: http://www.theatermania.com/los-angeles-theater/shows/the-meshuga-nutcracker_127985/
Other
- Author interview with Shannon Guggenheim (Dec 18, 2017)
Written by Luisa Lyons (December, 2017; updated November 2018, Dec 2020)