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March 12, 2004/Adar 19 5764, Vol. 56, No. 25
Interfaith musical celebrates similarities, differences
JENNIFER GOLDBERG
Staff Writer
It's been a tough year for interfaith relations. As the fallout from "The Passion of the Christ" continues to rain down upon Christians and Jews alike, a new musical soon to arrive in the Valley hopes to portray the lighter side of religious discussion: the side that involves singing nuns, "Fiddler on the Roof" and lots of laughter.
"Meshuggah-Nuns," the upcoming show from the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, is the fifth show in the Nunsense series of musicals by New York writer/composer Danny Goggin. The series, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, follows the adventures of the Mother Superior, Sister Robert Anne, Sister Hubert and Sister Amnesia (so-called because a crucifix fell on her head), four hilarious, singing nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent.
In "Meshuggah-Nuns," the sisters are sailing the high seas on the U.S.S. Golden Delicious for a "Faiths of all Nations" cruise. When the entire cast of "Fiddler on the Roof" becomes seasick (except for Tevye), it's up to the nuns to entertain the crowd. With the help of Howard Lizst, the character who's playing Tevye, the Catholics receive a crash-course in Judaism (and vice-versa) just in time to put on a great show.
Goggin, a non-Jew, was inspired to create a Jewish-themed Nunsense from several suggestions he received over the years.
"We were doing a Nunsense in Florida, and one of the producers said to me, 'You know, if you really want to get a big crowd here, you need a Jewish character,' " Goggin recalls. "Before that, a friend had suggested a scenario in which the nuns were on a cruise and the entertainment got sick."
After bringing together the two ideas, the trick was to create a show that accurately depicts the lighter sides of both Catholicism and Judaism. In "Meshuggah-Nuns," as Howard and the Mother Superior discuss how to create a new show for the passengers, they alight on the concept the Catholics and the Jews have most in common: guilt, says AJTC executive director Janet Arnold.
From there, "Meshuggah-Nuns" is off and running as the nuns and Howard teach each other about their respective faiths. Songs like "Contrition," "Say It In Yiddish" and "If I Were a Catholic," are intended to bring out the humor inherent in each religion.
Creating "Meshuggah-Nuns" was a learning process for Goggin; as his fictional nuns learned about Judaism, so did he.
"I live in New York and have Jewish friends, so I'm kind of surrounded by the culture, but I didn't know a lot of the fine points," Goggin says. "I thought the way to approach the show is from the idea that the Mother Superior and the nuns wanted to learn about (Judaism), and I could kind of put myself in their positions."
Goggin says that the actor that played Howard in the first performance of "Meshuggah-Nuns" was quite knowledgeable about Judaism and was able to make suggestions and add his input to make the show more accurate from a Jewish perspective.
The overarching impact of the show is the concept that laughter is a great way for people of different religions to relate to each other. Goggin says that audiences need not come from a specific religious background to attend, appreciate and laugh at 'Meshuggah-Nuns": "You don't have to be Catholic. You don't have to be Jewish. You don't have to have seen another Nunsense. You just have to come prepared to have a fun evening."
The musical "shows a great deal of respect for each other's religion, all wrapped up in humor," says Arnold. "It's silly fun, showing how easy it is for people to get along."
Goggin says, "I think that in this time right now, it's really great, because if we can find something to laugh about, we can get on some common ground and see the good in each other."
Arnold expects "Meshuggah-Nuns" to be a great success; the show's run has already been extended several weeks to April 18 due to high demand. While so far Jewish groups are buying many of the tickets, the AJTC is planning to market the show to Catholics as well. The core demographic, however, is simply people who love to laugh.
"If there's any message that is coming through loud and clear from the community, it's that people want fun, laugh-inducing kinds of shows," says Arnold. "We think 'Meshuggah-Nuns' fits the bill."
Details
- What: "Meshuggah-Nuns"
- When: March 27-April 18
- Where: Playhouse on the Park, inside the Viad Corporate Center, 1850 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
- Cost: $26-$31
- Call: 602-264-0402
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