Shlemiel the First (1997)

Shlemiel has found his way home once again! Since its world premiere in Cambridge before sold-out houses in 1994, Shlemiel the First has delighted audiences in New York (Lincoln Center), San Francisco (American Conservatory Theatre), Philadelphia, Stamford, and several cities in Florida. This charming and hilarious musical fuses the folk tales of Nobel Prize-winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer with original Klezmer music and lyrics. The story centers around a beadle from the town of Chelm, who is sent out into the world by the town’s “wise” elders to spread their “wisdom.” A rascal turns Shlemiel around on the road, and as he returns to Chelm he is convinced he’s found another town exactly like his home! Soon he’s guiltily falling in love with a woman who looks just like his own wife. Confusion and mayhem ensue, until all is finally resolved in a climax of merriment, song, and reconciliation. Produced in association with the American Music Theatre Festival