From explicitly Jewish-themed musicals like “Fiddler on the Roof” to the myriad of Jewish Broadway composers, writers and performers throughout the history of the performance genre, the Jewish connections to musical theater are remarkably vast. Frankly, it’s almost a challenge at times to find a successful musical theater piece from the last 60 years that doesn’t have at least some Jewish creative talent involved.
Jews and Broadway have a history that dates all the way back to the burlesque and vaudeville productions of the 19th-century Gilded Age era. When musical theater on Broadway as we know it emerged around the 1920s through the 1940s, Jewish immigrants were prominent names on the scene: the Gershwin brothers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Loesser to name but a few.
Through the ‘60s all the way through the ‘90s, hits like “West Side Story,” “Cabaret” and “Little Shop of Horrors” — all with Jewish talent at the helm — were smash successes that continue to be beloved years later. And today’s Broadway fans are enamored with musicals such as “Wicked” (written and composed by Jews, with Jewish actress Idina Menzel as the protagonist in the original Broadway cast), “Hamilton” (one of the original stars being Jewish actor Daveed Diggs) and “Beetlejuice” (again featuring some Jewish actors in the original Broadway cast).
I’ve admittedly been a musical theater junkie myself since my youngest years — my kids have been subjected to showtunes since birth — and to this day I think it’s one of the most creative and flexible forms of performing arts. There’s something for everyone when it comes to Broadway, and so many Broadway shows have wonderful and important messages to impart to their audiences via the power of song, dialogue and movement.
For those prospective parents who can’t resist the urge to do the Time Warp again, break out the jazz hands and possibly belt out a full-on rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch” at inopportune moments, here are some Jewish baby names to inspire you.
Boys’ names
Amos: “Borne” in Hebrew, a subtle reference to Amos Hart of “Chicago” (with music composed by Jewish Broadway composer John Kander).
Chanoch: “Dedicated” in Hebrew (which is a very important trait for any stage performer!).
Emmett: Can be derived from the Hebrew word for “truth,” and known to Broadway fans as a popular character from “Legally Blonde.”
Itzik: The Yiddish version of Yitzchak, a nod to “Itzik’s Lullaby” from “The Band’s Visit,” a musical based on the Israeli film of the same name.
Maimon: “Luck/good fortune” in Judeo-Arabic and Judeo-Italian — a necessary element for the stage, and a wink to the classic Broadway standard “Luck Be a Lady Tonight.”
Max: A memorable character from both “The Producers” and “Sunset Boulevard.”
Mendel: A traditional Yiddish boys’ name, and also a character from “Falsettos.”
Ronen: “Joyful song” in Hebrew.
Yair: Get ready for your future performer to “shine” (Yair means “he will shine” in Hebrew) onstage!
Girls’ names
Ashira: “I will sing” in Hebrew.
Asterona: “Star” in Judeo-Catalan and Ladino.
Golde: A nod to the memorable Jewish matriarch of “Fiddler on the Roof” and Goldele from the Yiddish Broadway musical “Die Goldene Kale.”
Liza: Derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, the name of a famous Broadway tune by the Gershwin brothers.
Mimi: Both the feisty heroine from “Rent” and a popular diminutive for the Hebrew name Miriam.
Molly: Spunky young orphan from “Annie” (written and composed by American Jews) and tenacious heroine of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” (an American Jewish female screenwriter wrote the book for the film version). It can also be a nickname for Malka.
Noa: Dancing and movement is a critical element of a musical theater production, and this beautiful name means “movement” in Hebrew.
Raisel: For Raisel, the star of “The People in the Picture” musical who portrays a former Yiddish theater actress.
Rinat: “Joyful song” in Hebrew.
Violina: “To sing” in Judeo-Italian.
Unisex names
Kochav: For your future Broadway “star” (Hebrew).
Yahel: Get ready for your little one to “shine” onstage (Hebrew).
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