SOUL DOCTOR Musical Begins Performances Tonight, 7/30

SOUL DOCTOR, the Schlomo Carleback musical, begins performances tonight, July 30th, for three weeks only, and run thru August 19th. Opening night is Monday, Aug. 13th at 7pm. Written and directed by Daniel Wise and choreographed by the Princess Grace award-winning choreographer, Camille A. Brown, this journey of a rock-star rabbi has music by Carlebach, lyrics by Drama Desk nominated David Schechter, with additional music and arrangements by Nina Simone. Larry King has described Soul Doctor as “A transformative theatrical experience”

Producers Jeremy Chess, Joel Kahn, Jerome Levy, Edward L. Steinberg, RoBert Beckwitt and Alan Zimbard will present this limited 3 week engagement of Soul Doctor, a guest-production at New York Theatre Workshop (79 East 4th Street) the stage which launched Rent into theatrical history. Soul Doctor has had successful pre-New York engagements in South Florida and New Orleans.

Soul Doctor tells the story of the beloved yet controversial father of popular Jewish music, rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and explores his unlikely friendship with the "High Priestess of Soul" Nina Simone. Beginning with his childhood escape from Nazi Germany, the show takes us on a musical odyssey through the challenges and triumphs of this cultural phenomenon, as he becomes a rabbinical prodigy in America, discovers Gospel and Soul music during his unlikely friendship with Simone, and has a meteoric rise as a “Rock Star Rabbi” in the 1960’s, performing with Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. This taste of stardom is a double-edged sword as Shlomo struggles with the personal conflicts of keeping his family together while traversing the globe, and reconciling his deep traditional roots with his desire to reach people of all backgrounds.

Steve Margoshes, the composer/orchestrator of such Broadway hits as Elton John’s Aida, The Who’s Tommy and Smokey Joe’s Café, has woven together 30 of Carlebach’s timeless hit songs into a spectacular theatrical score. Two of this year’s Tony Award recipients, Jeff Croiter and Clive Goodwin, designed the Lighting and Sound, respectively. Musical direction and orchestration are by 2-Time Grammy Award nominated Music producer/arranger Seth Farber.

Eric Anderson (of Broadway's South Pacific) will play Shlomo Carlebach and Nina Simome is played by Erica Ash (Broadway's Lion King; Baby It's You, “Mad TV”). The cast also includes Meredith Kaye Clarke (Elphaba, in WICKED), Ryan Strand (Jersey Boys, Frankie u/s), Kenny Morris, Rachel Stern, Dionne Figgins, Ryan Duncan, and Julia Osborne.

This musical is performed Monday thru Wednesday evenings at 7pm, Thursdays at 8pm and Saturdays at 9pm. Matinees are Wednesday and Sunday at 2pm. There are no Friday evening performances.Tickets are $85 and can be purchased online from Ticket Central at https://www.ticketcentral.com or by calling (212) 279-4200.

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