Most nationalities and religions have traditional foods, often viewed as delicacies, that define personalities and are representative of the generations. Gefilte fish might well be described as one of those foods that is identified with the Jewish people, along with chopped liver and chicken soup with matzoh balls.
For the Dubroff family who immigrated from Russia to Brooklyn, New York in 1904, gefilte fish was the food that spoke loudly and vocally of the Sabbath meal, but more especially of the Passover Seder every spring. Made by hand, lovingly, from ground up carp, whitefish and pike, seasoned with onions, salt and pepper and sometimes sugar, with eggs and vegetable oil, and matzoh meal to keep the fish balls firm, it was served as an appetizer, with a generous heaping of horseradish and a carrot curl on top.
Matty Selman and Iris Burnett have taken a successful PBS Documentary film and made it into "Gefilte Fish Chronicles The Musical" and the Warner Stage Company will give it vibrant life at the Warner Theatre in Torrington until Sunday, March 10.
Abe and Minnie Dubroff raised seven daughters and one son and family tradition was important. Their customs and rituals and holiday celebrations were the Elmer's Glue that kept them together, A trio of sisters, Basha (Mary J. Johnson) and twins Goldie (Sara Dobrinich) and Pearlie (Suzanne Powers), have gathered to plan Basha's elegant wedding to Larry (Joe Harding) but complications have arisen and they all plot to keep the problems away from the bride. Uncle Jake (James Donohue) tries to resolve the sticky issues, enlisting the help of Ruby the photographer (Pat Spaulding), Goldie's soldier boyfriend Sid (Stephen Michelsson) and even the revered Rabbi (Lana Peck) but it takes more than a hot iron to flatten the wrinkles out of the wedding dress.
Much of the musical is told in flashbacks when the photographer Ruby delivers a book of photos and memoirs from the family poet Pearlie to niece Rebecca (Cat Heidel). As she reminisces, the story of this close knit family emerges. Songs such as "Tap a Little Recipe," "Beyond the Pale" and "The Laughter Bank" advance the storyline, while a series of photos and Marc Chagall paintings illustrate the various settings. Director Katherine Ray uses a loving hand to fashion this clan's legacy, with orchestrations created by James Higgins.
For tickets ($26), call the Warner Theatre, 68 Main Street, Torrington at 860-489-7180 or go online at www.warnertheatre.org. Performances are Friday, March 8 at 8 p.m., Saturday March 9 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m.
Let the Dubroff family invite you to sit down at their Seder table to celebrate Passover and have a taste of their beloved gefilte fish.
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