Imagine This
| Imagine This | |
|---|---|
Promotional Poster
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| Music | Shuki Levy |
| Lyrics | David Goldsmith |
| Book | Glenn Berenbeim |
| Productions | 2008 West End, 2016 Germany |
Imagine This is a musical with music by Shuki Levy, lyrics by David Goldsmith and a book by Glenn Berenbeim. Set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, it focuses on a family of actors trying to stage a play about the siege at ancient Masada to inspire hope and optimism within the Jewish community.
"Professor David Roskies of the Jewish Theological Seminary has written that a little known poem, Masada, by Isaac Lamdan 'more than any other text inspired the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto'".
Israeli composer Levy had long nurtured an interest in writing a show about the siege at Masada around 70 CE. He took the music that he had written for the subject to television writer Berenbeim, who resisted the idea, particularly the mass suicide ending of the historical story. But then he decided that the story could work as a play-within-a-play about actors in the Warsaw Ghetto. He told The Times, "I was suddenly interested in the story for its metaphorical value, not its robes and sandals." Goldsmith joined the team, relishing the chance to write for the serious story.
After a tryout at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth in July 2007, the musical opened in the West End at the New London Theatre on 19 November 2008, following previews from 4 November 2008. It closed on 20 December 2008. Directed by Timothy Sheader, with choreography by Liam Steel, the cast featured Peter Polycarpou and Leila Benn Harris.
An Original London Cast Recording was released through Dress Circle in the UK. A DVD of the London production was also released.
The filmed version of the West End production aired throughout 2010 on PBS stations in over 40 markets in the United States, as part of their pledge drives and regular programming. It was broadcast with a panel discussion moderated by Neal Gabler, which included director Timothy Sheader, cast members Peter Polycarpou, Sarah Ingram and Roy Litvin, and Holocaust scholar Thane Rosenbaum.
In October 2014 Theatreworkz, an independent amateur theatre company performed the National Amateur Premiere of Imagine This to resounding critical acclaim from both local audiences, schools and from industry professionals.
In October 2016 the Freies Musical-Ensemble Münster, an amateur theatre company from Münster, Germany performed the German Premiere of Imagine This. The production received very good press criticism and was enthusiastically received by the audience.
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