A musical staged reading of The Jerusalem Syndrome took place on
Monday, October 22 at 7:30PM at the York Theatre as part of their Developmental
Reading Series.
The cast included Mike Burstyn, Richard H. Blake, Kenny
Morris, Deone Zanotto, Liz
Larsen, Stuart Zagnit, Robert H. Fowler, Danny Binstock, J.D. Webster, Gayle
Turner, Staci Rudnitsky, Vanessa Lemonides, Ron DeStefano and Felicia
Ricci.
"The Jerusalem Syndrome
is an original madcap musical comedy with book and lyrics by 2006 Kleban Award
winners Laurence Holzman & Felicia Needleman and a score by Kyle
Rosen. The musical follows an ensemble
of characters whose lives intertwine when they journey to Israel and experience the Jerusalem
syndrome, a real-life psychological malady that affects about 200 tourists a
year who arrive in the Holy
City and suddenly come to
believe that they are biblical characters and act out their respective roles in
the Bible. Zaniness ensues as Moses
leads Noah, Abraham, John the Baptist and not one, but two Virgin Mary's on an
exodus from the psych ward while Jesus roams the Holy City working his own
miracles," state press notes.
The reading was directed by Annette Jolles, whose
credits include Little by Little, That Time of the Year, Wall to Wall Sondheim at Symphony Space,
and TV's "9/11 Memorial from Ground Zero," for which she received an Emmy
Award. Rick Hip-Flores will serve as
musical director.
Photos courtesy Laurence Holzman
