SAN DIEGO — Members of Tifereth Israel Synagogue presented a joyously anachronistic dramatization of the Book of Esther — “The Thrillah Megillah” — retelling the Purim story on Wednesday evening, March 7, with the songs, dances and costumes of the late Pop/ Rock Singer Michael Jackson.
After Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal recited an abbreviated version of the Megillah–emphasizing the name “Haman” so everyone in the audience could boo, hiss, twirl their graggers and shake boxes of cereal and other foodstuffs to their heart’s content, the production got underway using a script written by Norman Roth and distributed for Purimshpiels around the country.
(Members of the audience brought the boxes of noisy foodstuffs for a dual purpose: after the play these ersatz noisemakers were donated to the Hand Up Food Pantry, operated by Jewish Family Service, in observance of the Purim custom of sharing food with the less fortunate.)
The play began with the entire cast dressed in black and staggering across the stage, zombie like, to an adaptation of the Jackson song “Thrillah”:
It feels like midnight
And something evil’s lurking from the start
He’s a real fright
The sight of Haman almost stops your heart
Other Jackson songs parodied in the production included “Beat It;” “Rock With You; ” “P.Y.T.”, “Human Nature,” “Bad,” “ABC,” “Billy Jean,” “I’ll Be There,” “Man in the Mirror,” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.”
In this production directed by Susan Levy and Beth Klareich and choreographed by Amy Stanley , a swarm of ladies and girls from the synagogue, dressed in improbable costumes, paraded before King Ahashuerus (Loren Perelman) in an effort to replace Queen Vashti (Cheryl Goldbarg), who wouldn’t dance for the king. Hiding her Jewish identity, Esther (Cheryl Katz), wearing a Michael Jackson-style glitzy glove and black hat, charms the king, and is chosen to become his bride.
Her uncle Mordechai (Alan Goldenberg) is appointed to guard the palace gate and catches two nefarious figures (Christina DeJesus and Giela Gray) who are planning to assassinate the king. This wins Mordechai the favor of Ahasuerus , but Mordechai soon gets in trouble by refusing to bow to the king’s evil vizier Haman (Jerry Hermes), because Jews do not bow before men, only before God.
Haman decides to take revenge not only Mordechai, but on all the Jewish people. He decrees that they shall be killed on a day chosen by lots (Purim). Mordechai appeals to Esther to reveal herself as a Jew to Ahashuerus and to save her people. Reluctantly she agrees, though going before the king un-summoned could cost her life.
The chorus urging Esther to take the risk–and those enlivening the show whenever they were on stage in the Conservative synagogue’s Cohen Social Hall– included Susan Arenson, Rachel Barron, Leslie Bercovitz, Sydney Detmer, Giela Gray (who also was in charge of costumes, scenery and props), Monica Greenwood, Sue Hermes, Maya Klareich, Allison Ogul, Renae Polyakov, Rosie Radden, Arielle Sherbak and Estie Sherbak.
Esther reveals her true religion to Ahashuerus, telling him:
I am not, your average queen
And I like, my corn beef lean
The king is not persuaded, but when she shows him her glitzy glove, he has a change of heart. Not the Jews but instead Haman will die. Or, as Haman himself puts it, “Think I’ll hang around for the finale.”
Additional credit goes to Michael Arenson, who played a servant and straight man to the king; Sheryl Kaplan, in charge of make-up; and to Brandon Gray, who manned the video.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com