OTIYOT
a bi-lingual musical
Book, music, & lyrics by Danny Paller
"A musical that makes Hebrew leap to life." –Seattle JCC
"Energetic and touching. The music won't leave my head." –The Agnon School, Cleveland
OTIYOT is a musical-fantasy about the Hebrew alphabet. Each year a Scribe and a Teacher (we're talking The Odd Couple) choose a letter most deserving of a crown. Competition is fierce, as Yuds take to the air, Hey searches for its voice, Young Letters prepare to enter human classrooms (honey is smeared), Old Letters recall past lives, and Samech and Ayin fall hopelessly and awkwardly in love.
This is a show that reveals the depth and charms of Hebrew both to performers and audience.
The musical has a flexible cast size, runs one hour, and has 12 musical numbers - some in English, some in Hebrew, and others combining both languages.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Otiyot
The Scribe
Sim K'tzat D'vash (Put a Little Honey)
Tiny
Hallel L'Lamed (Ode to Lamed)
Erev Tov, Mar Samech (Good Evening, Mister Samech)
The Voice I Never Found
Resh Is a Very Useful Letter
Zichronot
The Crowning Ballet
V'Shinantam L'Vanecha (Teach It to Your Children)
B'Alefbet
OTIYOT premiered in Toronto. Excerpts
are sung by Joyce Klein, Jay Rothman,
Rachel Frielich, and Danny Paller.
AUDIO EXCERPTS
Resh Is a Very Useful Letter – 53 sec
Resh makes its case before the Crown Selection Committee.
Sim K'tzat D'vash (Put a Little Honey) – 46 sec
The Teacher prepares the Youngest Letters to enter a human classroom.
By smearing letters with honey, the Teacher offers children a sweet reward for each letter learned.
Tiny – 43 sec
Yuds may be small, but they sure can fly.
Zichronot (Memories) – 32 sec
The Old Letters hold our deepest secrets in their memories. We hear from letters from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a rare Haggadah, a poem by Yehuda Halevi, and a note handwritten by a boy in the Warsaw Ghetto.
B'Alefbet (In the Alphabet) – 50 sec
The alefbet chorus line, featuring the alphabet's first letters, last letters, and everything in between.
V'Shinantam L'Vanecha (Teach It to Your Children) – 47 sec
Special song sung at the Crowning Ceremony.