IN PERSON- The Borscht Belt: The Comic Legacy of the Jewish Alps

This program will be delivered via Zoom and will be streamed to our Kingsley Room. If you want to watch the program from home, register here.

The Jewish Catskill resorts of the 20th Century were a summer paradise for millions -- and the birthplace of great comic careers. Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, Jackie Mason and many others learned to win laughs from the patrons of Grossingers, Browns, The Concord, Kutchers and The Nevele. Entertainment historian John Kenrick offers a multimedia talk on this rich comic tradition, with hilarious videos clips and tales of the golden age of Borscht Belt comedy.

Entertainment historian John Kenrick has worked in the theatre at every level from amateur to Broadway, eventually serving as personal assistant to six Tony Award winning producers, including the team behind the original production of Rent. He has taught musical theatre history courses at New York University’s Steinhardt School, The New School University, and Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. John’s books include Musical Theatre: A History, and he is featured in The Cambridge Companion to Operetta. He is one of the curators for the new Museum of Broadway, set to open in late 2022. He is also the creator of the educational website Musicals101.com. One of John’s students put it this way: “He didn’t just make me laugh – he made me care.”

Like all Southbury Public Library programs, this event is free to attend and open to anyone regardless of town of residency. Registration is required. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library.  For more information about this program, please email Rebecca at rrandall@biblio.org or call the reference desk at 203-262-0626 ext 130.