Bar Mitzvah Boy (musical): History and Key Facts

Bar Mitzvah Boy is a musical with a book by Jack Rosenthal, lyrics by Don Black, and music by Jule Styne.

Based on Rosenthal's award-winning 1976 BBC1 teleplay of the same name, it focuses on young Eliot Green who, filled with apprehension, escapes from the synagogue where he is about to make his bar mitzvah, much to the dismay of his middle class parents, who have invested their savings in a lavish party to celebrate their son's coming of age.

The West End production opened on 31 October 1978 at Her Majesty's Theatre, where it ran for 78 performances. The cast included Barry Angel, Joyce Blair, Zelah Clarke, Leonie Cosman, Ray C. Davis, Gordon Faith, Ashley Knight, Benny Lee, Barry Martin, Vivienne Martin, Harry Towb, Kerry Shale and Peter Whitman. CBS released an original cast recording. It was choreographed by Peter Gennaro and directed by Martin Charnin.

The Americanized adaptation by Martin Gottfried changed the setting from 1970s Britain to 1946 Brooklyn, but its central story remained the same.

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