Amerike – The Golden Land NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (98)
See it if You like Yiddish theater
Don't see it if You don't want to read subtitles
See it if you want to see a wonderful history of the Jewish experience in America as if the Great 2nd Ave Jewish Musical B'way were still with us.
Don't see it if this topic doesn't interest you and reading super title translations is not your thing. Read more
See it if You need to refresh history of immegration
Don't see it if you can,t move your head up and down to read subtitiles ...or sit nearer to the back
See it if you like or are interested in Yiddish music or musicals.
Don't see it if you saw The Golden Bride and expect to see another musical comedy; this one is a revue. Read more
See it if You love Klezmer music! Are interested in a musical version of the immigrant experience of the Jews of Eastern Europe.
Don't see it if You're looking for a more Fiddler experience. Don't enjoy listening to Yiddish. Hate reading supertitles.
See it if you love learning about immigrants and immigration history in this country, Yiddish, the Jewish people, and great klezmer music.
Don't see it if You can't stand reading titles or watching things that are not completely in English.
See it if You love historical musicals, and have a love of the Yiddish language! It's a solid sung-through musical about the immigrant experience!
Don't see it if You're interested in a linear plot, fluffy material, or a show that is sung in English (although there are supertitles!)
See it if you want to learn more about our immigrant population who came to our shores to find a new freedom in life. Great production!
Don't see it if you hate history.
Critic Reviews (17)
“There are stirring moments…But one longs for more of them. The show doesn’t quite reach the heights of Folksbiene’s recent productions, which would admittedly be a tall order. A stumbling block is the surface familiarity of some of the subject matter, or what one can more bluntly call the schmaltz factor...It is important to point out that the creative team works hard to unearth period songs intelligently and present them authentically. There is also much loveliness in the production.”
Read more
"The revival of this heartfelt tribute to Jewish immigration's place in American history couldn't come at a better time…The show's surprises lie not in its historical facts but in how appealing are its less well-known songs…The overall tone is upbeat and positive, with swelling voices, vaudeville-style choreography, and cheerful comedy. It's inescapable that the 90-minute, intermissionless show, which offers a brief klezmer concert during the curtain calls, will get a standing o."
Read more
"As movingly, rousingly done as ever. If not more so...‘The Golden Land' has meaning for immigrants no matter from where they’ve traveled...Before the hour-and-a-half has elapsed, 12 excellent cast members, directed by Brynna Wasserman, 41 songs by any number of songwriters float by. There’s much pertinent dialogue...As the best Manhattan musicals on view these days are listed, ‘Amerike The Golden Land’ should—and will be—among them."
Read more
"You are struck by three things. One, how timely this piece is; two, what amazing voices this company has; and three, there is an agenda here...The 14 actors are vocally astounding and weave this story together seamlessly...The direction and movement were well done and moved this show at a clip...The script compacts too many things into 90 minutes...What is powerful are the songs, which seem to be a jukebox of songs from the period."
Read more
"The lively, hugely moving work is an economical, but poignant 90 minutes...The musical, a series of legendary Yiddish songs, neatly navigates the Jews’ journey from arrival, at the turn of the 20th century, through the Depression to a post-Holocaust America...This essential revival is lean and smartly paced. While it has a nostalgic element, it is never maudlin. This is reality tinged with hope. The ensemble is super-talented, all terrific singers, dancers and actors."
Read more
"Now we have another show in town to remind us that immigrants get the job done. It’s everyone’s story, albeit one that is experienced by different people at different times...Wasserman has staged songs and sketches in lickety-split fashion. She’s also cast it superbly. Perlman is the standout, for his charming smile, deft singing and sharp footwork are matched by his endearing lack of guile...Be aware that Yiddish is the language of choice here...Excellent supertitles take care of that issue."
Read more
"You get a punchy, soulful eight-piece orchestra, and a cast of 12 including chorus. And oy, mamaleh, what can these people not do?...Sure, it’s a pageant. It’s very earnest...These immigrants are not hardened or embittered, or neurotic or difficult in any way. They love each other, and they break into song regularly. But as the host demonstrates for us in her WEVD Yiddish Radio cooking show, a little schmaltz makes things transportingly delicious."
Read more
"Takes us into Yiddishkeit and Yiddishland with all the requisite humor and pathos...A panoramic tapestry of Jewish immigrant life...Wasserman’s direction delineates for each actor a distinct personality in each scene and yet shapes the ensemble into flexible groupings that underscore the social aspect of the Jewish immigrant experience...The journey through the turbulent life of Yiddishland comes thus to an end and the audience like a huge family reunion is on its feet with joy."
Read more