Thursday at Vitello’s with Sondheim: A Little More Night Music

PLEASE NOTE, $25 MINIMUM ON FOOD OR BEVERAGES

Doors: 6:30pm //Show: 8:00pm

Nearly four generations of theater goers have been impacted by the music of Stephen Sondheim. This retrospective on the music and the man is presented by seasoned performers who are also long time fans. As cantors and Jewish musicians, they bring an added depth and knowledge of another side of Stephen Sondheim.

BIOS:

Ilan Davidson:

Ilan Davidson has been pleasing audiences with his singing since before he could read. At age five, he began singing, and hasn’t shut up since. At ten, he made his Operatic debut with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen, as a street urchin. Since then, he has performed roles in opera and musical theatre, performing, directing, and producing world-class productions.

Among his many accomplishments, Cantor Davidson is also known as a contemporary Jewish songwriter and performer, having delighted audiences all over the world, including Israel and Lithuania with the soulful sounds of his music. His recordings, Stained Glass (1995) and In A Hanukkah Mood (2007) are collections of original and covered songs by himself and many contemporary Jewish artists. Most recently, he released God Is In This Place, a collection of liturgical songs, in honor of his 25th Anniversary as the Cantor of Temple Beth El, San Pedro.

In 2007, Mr. Davidson founded a new foundation, KindredSPIRITS, producing an annual world humanitarian aid event. KindredSPIRITS premiered on June 5, 2008 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, adding that prestigious concert hall to the ever growing list of venues around the world where Davidson has performed. As a past president of the South Coast Interfaith Council, Ilan fought for tolerance and understanding of ALL faiths in a difficult climate. He currently serves as the President of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, where he carries on the fight for equity for the 10,000,000 citizens of LA County. Whether it is raising his voice for justice, Hazzanut, Pop, Opera, Musical Theatre, or folk music, Cantor Ilan Davidson shares his soul and genuine love in every note.

When asked about his finest accomplishment, Cantor Davidson invariably responds, “After all the great concerts, services, and roles, my finest role in life is that of husband to my beautiful wife, Jodi, and daddy to my gorgeous daughters, Jordan and Zoe.”

Chayim Frenkel

Cantor Chayim Frenkel has served as Cantor of Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation in Pacific Palisades for 37 years, during which he has built an impressive career. Blessed with a rich, warm tenor voice and an ability to nurture others’ talents, Chayim has become a driving force in the world of modern Jewish music and cantorial practice, following in the very large footsteps of his late father, Hazzan Uri Frenkel, Z”L. This year, Cantor Frenkel received his honorary doctorate in sacred music from the Jewish Theological Seminary for his years of service to the Jewish people. He lives in Pacific Palisades with his beloved wife, Marsi and two blessed daughters, Mandi and Molli.

Sara Hass

The union between Cantor Hass and Leo Baeck Temple was beshert – destined to be. Cantor Hass grew up not far from LBT and even served one year as the music specialist in the temple’s Religious School back when she was finishing high school.

As it became clear that she possessed a truly rare talent as an extraordinary vocalist with a deeply Jewish soul, she pursued cantorial studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, receiving her ordination in 2015 and presenting a cantorial thesis on Jewish musical creativity in Los Angeles. She then returned to Southern California, where she became the first full-time ordained cantor at Temple Israel in Long Beach, excelling especially in her work with B’nai Mitzvah students and her use of technology to deepen the congregational musical experience.

In 2018, Cantor Hass was invited to be the cantor of the Los Angeles campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she continues to contribute to the learning and became the first full-time ordained cantor at Temple Israel in Long Beach, excelling especially in her work with B’nai Mitzvah students and her use of technology to deepen the congregational musical experience.

In 2018, Cantor Hass was invited to be the cantor of the Los Angeles campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she continues to contribute to the learning and growth of an entire era of young rabbis.

Bob Remstein

Bob Remstein has been a major figure in the Southern California music scene for many years, having contributed his compositional, accompanist, and performing skills to quite a few varied projects. He has arranged and produced music for the hit film, “Little Miss Sunshine,” accompanied such singers as Tia Carrere, Ben Vereen, and Annette Warren, and, as co-leader of the lounge/electronica group Supercasanova, written and produced tracks used on the TV shows “Without a Trace,” “Chuck,” “Inside the NFL,” “Monday Night Football,” “UMIGO,” and “The Guiding Light.” The group is currently at work on its fourth full album. He has scored close to a dozen SceneIt video games, and is also the accompanist for the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale.

Bob is a prolific composer of Jewish liturgical music, having written over 50 works that are performed across the U.S. and Canada. He is a founding member of the Helfman Institute composers’ group, through which he premiered his setting of “Hashkiveinu” at Valley Beth Shalom in 2011 and his first sermon in song, “Moses and the Rock,” in 2012 at Congregation B’nai B’rith of Santa Barbara. In 2016, he was commissioned to write “A Heart of Wisdom,” which was premiered there, and then performed in December in Springfield, MA, by a full orchestra and chorus. With the Helfman Group, he is currently at work on a new piece that will be part of a year-end concert, celebrating the life and work of progressive champion, Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Alison Wissot

Rabbi Cantor Alison Wissot is best known for her joyful spirit, her soulful singing, and her passion for Jewish learning. Prior to her rabbinic and cantorial career, she worked as an actress in New York and London, and was awarded a Spielberg Fellowship to teach Jewish Theatre at the Reform Movement's flagship camp, Camp Kutz. As one of a handful of people in the nation who have been jointly ordained as Rabbi and Cantor, she is dedicated to revitalizing worship and integrating the ancient sounds of Jewish tradition with contemporary music. With a rich and varied background in both Judaism and theatre, she brings life and a unique energy to all of Temple Judea’s programs.

Alison's deepest mission is as a teacher, and as such she strives to make the beauty and joy of Jewish text and liturgy accessible to all. Currently, she serves as a visiting instructor at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, teaching music and liturgy to rabbinic students.

Rabbi Cantor Wissot received a BA from Wesleyan University and a Certificate in Theatre Arts from the British American Drama Academy, and studied at the William Esper Studios in New York. She received a Masters of Sacred Music and a Masters of Hebrew letters, as well as her double ordination, from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

Rabbi Cantor Wissot has served on the Executive Council of the Cantors Assembly, as well as the Board of Directors of Stand With Us. She is an active leader in the American Conference of Cantors, as well as the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Prior to joining the Temple Judea clergy team, Rabbi Cantor Wissot was cantor at Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles and the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue in New York, was the rabbinic intern at Kehillat Israel in the Pacific Palisades, and led High Holy Day services as cantor in Singapore. Rabbi Cantor Wissot is a native of the San Fernando Valley. She resides in Porter Ranch with her husband, Michael, their sons, Jacob & Daniel, and their daughter Abby.

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A minimum of $25.00 is required per person while inside the showroom. Dining in the restaurant or any of our bars does not apply to the showroom minimum. Service fees apply to all tickets purchased via Eventbrite, at the door, and/or at the Box Office.

Guests requiring accessible seating should book directly by calling 818-769-0905

Host or Publisher Upstairs at Vitello's