The Jewish Dramatic Association of London celebrates the legacy of Jewish musical theatre and looks toward its future
What’s better for the soul on a rainy mid-winter Sunday evening than some show tunes? Last weekend, people filed into the intimate theatre atop The Gatehouse pub in Highgate for the second annual JDAL Sings!, a cabaret in which young performers pay tribute to the Jewish impact on musical theatre as a genre.
The Jewish Dramatic Association of London (stylised as JDAL, pronounced “Jay-Dal”) was founded in 2024 as a safe space for Jewish creatives in the city to showcase their work. “During this time of rife Judeophobia,” they state on the website, “it's vital for us to stick together and help one another as we fight for our place in the industry.” Indeed, many Jewish works have recently been subject to controversy and cancellation – such as comedians Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon having their shows pulled last minute from the Edinburgh Fringe last summer – emphasising the necessity of community-led producing initiatives.
The organisation’s sense of solidarity also extends to the audience. As host of the cabaret, founder Natan Paul-Collis is charming, introducing the show and keeping things moving through to the finale with equal parts banter and economy. Six singers exhibit an impressive variety of tones and styles: standout performances include Ariella Barnett’s evocative cover of ‘Omar Sharif’ from The Band’s Visit, Benjamin Haim-Isaac’s bouncy rendition of ‘I Love Betsy’ from Honeymoon in Vegas, and the haunting ‘You Don’t Know This Man’ from Parade sung by Ashleigh Schuman.
Accompanied by a single piano, the slate of songs presented throughout the evening takes on a unified quality. Newer pieces ‘Shadowless’, from the musical of the same name by Alexander S Bermange, and ‘My Name in Lights’ from The Attic by Estee Stimler and Yuval Havkin fit right in between classics such as ‘Maria’ (West Side Story) and ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ (Funny Girl) in a gesture welcoming the arrival of fresh talent into the storied lineage of Jewish composers. The line-up wouldn’t be complete without reliable appearances from Stephen Sondheim, Ira Gershwin, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, but Jason Robert Brown, the song cycle and solo aficionado took the cake with four songs in the set.
Overall, the event is a cosy introduction to JDAL and its mission. The organisation’s partnership with Upstairs at the Gatehouse also bodes well for an already exciting platform for Jewish theatre – the sellout musical Tom Lehrer is Teaching Math and Doesn’t Want to Talk to You by Francis Beckett is set to make a return later this spring – and invites us to imagine more of London’s stages empowering the Jewish voices that help fuel the live arts scene.
By Maia Kahn
Photos by Red Saturn
JDAL Sings! took place Sunday 15 February. 6pm. Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London, N6 4BD. jdal.org.uk