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Rock ‘n’ roll: “A Very Awesome Purim” has previously told the Purim story with Beatles songs, glam rock, and Broadway tunes, and this year focuses on pop hits. Courtesy of Josh and Rachael Silverbauer
Purim goes pop
Musical brings the top 40 to the Jewish holiday
WBy Rose Adams hy is this night more awesome
than all other nights?
A new musical will put a
pop spin on an ancient Jewish tradition!
“A Very Poppy Purim,” at Littlefield in
Gowanus on March 7, will add Top 40
tunes, goofy characters, and a big dose
of audience participation to the festive
holiday, said the husband-and-wife duo
behind the party.
“Part of the charm of the show is that
we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” said
Josh Silverbauer, who launched an annual
series of “A Very Awesome Purim” shows
with his wife Rachael 10 years ago.
The joyous Jewish holiday is typically
celebrated with costumes and a retelling of
the Purim story, in which a Jewish woman,
Esther, marries the King of Persia in order
to prevent the king’s anti-Semitic advisor
from killing all the Jews. Audiences boo
whenever the evil advisor is mentioned,
and cheer for Esther.
“A Very Poppy Purim” will turn all
those elements up to 11. It replaces the
main characters with pop icons, with
Esther becoming the Lady Gaga-esque
“Lady Esther,” and marrying the King
of Pop, and the songs will all parody
pop hits from the 1960s to today, such as
“All the Kingdom’s Ladies,” and “Like a
Persian.” The audience responses will also
be heightened, said Josh.
“As the narrator, I basically assign a
bunch of call-and-responses,” he said.
When the king walks on stage,
participants will give a high-pitched “hee
hee” that mimics Michael Jackson, and
when Lady Esther appears, the audience
will sing “Ooh la la,” from Lady Gaga’s
song “Bad Romance,” he explained.
Rachael and Josh, both musicians,
began hosting musical Purim parties 10
years ago in their Philadelphia home with a
group of friends. Within a couple of years,
the audience grew so large that they could
barely find space to perform, they said.
“The last time it was in that house we
had so many people that we only had a
four-by-four area to perform,” Rachael
said.
This year the musical will have four
performances in Philadelphia, in addition
to the Brooklyn event. Despite the show’s
popularity, the couple say they still treat
it like a party among friends. The theme
changes each year based on their fans’
votes — previous shows have featured
the Beatles, Disney movies, and musical
one-hit wonders — and celebrating with
attendees is central to the show.
“We do a lot of going out in the
audience and interacting with people,”
said Josh. “The after-party is very much a
part of the show.”
The couple also hope that Gentiles will
attend the show and learn more about the
tradition.
“We’re making Jewish culture
accessible to Jewish people and non-
Jewish people,” Rachael said.
“A Very Poppy Purim” at Littlefield
(635 Sackett St. between Third and Fourth
avenues in Gowanus, littlefieldnyc.com).
March 7 at 7 pm. $15.
Your entertainment
guide Page 29
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Opinion ...................................20
Letters ..................................... 21
Standing O ............................22
Education ..............................23
HOW TO REACH US
COURIER L 2 IFE, FEB. 28-MAR. 5, 2020
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
The state’s ban on single-use plastic
carryout bags takes effect on March 1
and most stores will no longer be allowed
to distribute free plastic bags —
with some exceptions.
In the Five Boroughs, businesses
will have to instead offer paper bags
at a fi ve-cent charge for all customers,
except those receiving government assistance
for food stamp programs.
Businesses can also sell reusable
bags, which the state defi nes as having
a minimum lifespan of 125 uses,
and can carry 22 pounds or more for
at least 175 feet.
The city’s Department of Sanitation
is giving away free fl ashy bright
orange reusable bags that fold into
a pouch and a handy carabiner clip,
which you can get delivered to your
home by signing their so-called Zero
Waste Pledge.
Businesses affected:
• Clothing stores
• Convenience stores
• Drug stores
• Green carts
• Grocery stores
• Hardware stores
• Liquor stores
• Offi ce supply stores
• Pharmacies
• Food service establishments located
within the above stores
Exempt from the ban:
• Food pantries and soup kitchens
• Bulk items (fruits and vegetables)
• Uncooked animal products
• Foods prepared to order
• Newspapers for delivery
• Trash bags
• Food storage bags
• Garment bags
• Prepackaged for sale to a customer
• For food deliveries
• Prescription drugs
If businesses don’t comply with
the new law, they’ll be subject to a
warning for the fi rst offense, followed
by a $250 fi ne for the second
violation and $500 for each successive
violation in the same calendar
year thereafter.
Mail:
Courier Life,
1 Metrotech Center North
3rd Floor, Brooklyn,
N.Y. 11201
General Phone:
(718) 260-2500
News Fax:
(718) 260-2592
News E-Mail:
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Display Ad Fax:
(718) 260-2579
Classified Phone:
(718) 260-2555
Classified Fax:
(718) 260-2549
Classified E-Mail:
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How it BYE, BYE
works
Every year, NYC uses
10 billion bags
PLASTIC PARIAH!
The environmental cost of plastic bags
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
As Brooklynites prepare to forfeit the
luxury of cheap, disposable plastic bags,
understanding the environmental cost
of those little, fl imsy conveniences may
help to ease the anguish of having to lug a
bunch of tote bags to the grocery store.
As it stands, New Yorkers go through
a whopping 10 billion single-use carryout
bags each year — more than 1,100 per person,
according to the Department of Sanitation.
Each one of these bags weighs between
4-5 grams, meaning that we use more
than 44,000 metric tons of disposable plastic
every year. That’s equal in weight to
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