When Adina Feldman sings, people listen. "I want to make people forget all the hardships and sadness out there."
By ANAV SILVERMAN
When Adina Feldman sings, people listen. "I want to make people forget," says Feldman, "forget the world and all the hardships and sadness out there."
Feldman's Broadway-derived musical review transports Israeli audiences to the bright lights and excitement of the Broadway stage. Performing scenes from Cats, Funny Girl, and Westside Story among others, Feldman puts on a show which often includes a personal touch. For audiences unfamiliar with her musical repertoire, she explains the storyline and characters, at times using anecdotes from her own childhood.
This Saturday night, Feldman's A Tribute to Broadway will return to The Bible Lands Museum, back by popular demand. The show is also a tribute to those lost on 9/11 - an event which had a profound effect on Feldman. It was also the impetus for her to produce her own show, Habayta, which highlights her dual American/Israeli identity.
"Israel and New York are two different worlds," says Feldman. "When I made aliya in 1990 with my husband Yorai, I left my parents and siblings - everything I knew."
At the time, Feldman was pregnant with their first son, Asaf, and it was important for her to raise their children in Israel. The move put her Broadway aspirations on hold. As a kid, she recalls, "I used to sit in front of the Manhattan skyline and dream about Broadway.
"I was a very active kid. I began dancing, singing, and acting at age three, in choirs, school plays, and shows - and continued to do so throughout college, as I completed my MA."
In Israel, Feldman discovered teaching as a way to continue her love of music and performance, while still being a hands-on mother. Feldman began teaching dance at the Rubin School, as well as Actor's Movement and Movie Theater Performance at the Hebrew University. Only after her children grew older, (two more boys followed after Asaf; Alon, and Itai), did Feldman revisit her Broadway dreams.
"I made Broadway a portable dream by bringing it to Israel," she says. Feldman now performs all over Israel, including places like Club Tzora, the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, The Israel Museum, and the Bible Lands Museum. The Bible Lands Museum is home for many of Feldman's shows and she has established a dedicated fan base there.
As an olah, Feldman also surrounds herself with a production crew of olim. Her musical director, Paul Salter is an new immigrant from Manchester, England, and musician Abe Doron, who played internationally for Riverdance, is from Mexico. Feldman's Israeli husband, Yorai, a guitarist, also joins the crew. Feldman herself sings, dances, and plays the piano in most of her performances.
Feldman's next project includes a CD that she is producing and writing. With all she has accomplished here in Israel, Feldman "feels very fulfilled and fortunate."
"I was able to combine my Zionist feelings for Israel and my dreams of Broadway right here at home."
Concerts begin September 10 at 21:15 and tickets can be ordered in advance from the Museum Box Office 02-5611066