May 13, 2015:
Intro Elaine Fine, Karen Avrich
Intro Carol Jochnowitz
on Howard Zinn
on Exile, Corliss Lamont, Helene Williams et al
Feb., 1934 NY Press Conference
on Elie Siegmeister, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lenin
12/6/87 Overture & Credits
Intro LivingThtr EG perf
5/1/07 My Marriage, Lenin
Intro E.G. Russian Scene w/Emily R. Lehrman
6/27/94 E.G. Russian Scene w/Emily R. Lehrman
Intro E.G.'s 1stSpeech, Monolog, Song
E.G.'s 1stSpeech, Monolog, WhereDoIBelong?
7/14/02 Wedding Credits (over "WhereDoIBelong?")
Intro Berlin ComeTheRevolution
5/4/86 Berlin ComeTheRevolution - Berlin Qt
on ComeTheRev & MaynRuePlatz
MaynRuePlatz, arr. Fine
Intro Fedya
Fine: Emma & Fedya
Intro E.G. "Sex?" & Triangular Love Duet
12/6/87 Sex?
12/6/87 Triangular Love Duet
Intro Fathers & Sons
4/23/87 Fathers & Sons
Gary Kuleisha: Helen Minkin
Intro Ben Reitman Scenes
Fine: Ben & Emma
E.G. Ben Reitman Scene
5/1/07 Isadora & Sasha
E.G. Convictions
Fine: Refuse!
Intro to E.G. Act I Finale
12/6/87 E.G. Act I Finale
Audience Reaction +Elaine Fine
Karen Avrich
Margie Barab on E.G. & Hillary
Emma Goldman & Music
12/27/91 Candace Falk in SF
5/1/07 Susan Blake, Helene & Leonard
for female singer & male singing pianist
90' (2 acts) 22 numbers
alt. versions titled Emma Goldman in Exile or Scenes from the Life of Emma Goldman
for 3 female & 3 male singing actors (130') (2 acts, incl. more dialogue & ensembles)
book & lyrics with Karen Ruoff Kramer (except 7 numbers by composer alone)
music by Leonard Lehrman, op. 78
->Most recent manifestations:
Complete, Edited & Subtitled (2021) Performance Video of Dec. 27, 1991
at Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco
Video by Marvin Lehrman - without Projections
with Candace Falk in the Q&A afterwards
"Haymarket" excerpt from newly subtitled video played at May 4, 2021 Zoom concert
Closing Presentation at June 27, 2019 Sesquicentennial Celebration:
"A Revolution Worth Having",
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor:
Playlist
Carillon performance of "Where Do I Belong?"
Introduction to Closing Presentation
Feb. 1, 1934 NY Press Conference Video
Audience Reaction to Film
Presentation:
Productive, Loose & Dead Ends, Researching Background for Performing Emma Goldman Onstage,
including Russian Scene and "Where Do I Belong?" (a cappella) +Q&A
Videos of 1993 interviews posted in conjunction with 2019 celebration:
with Arthur Bartel (né Attilio Bortolotti) & his wife Libera, Toronto
with Marie Tibaldo (1903-2007), Toronto
with David Diamond (1915-2005), Rochester, NY
June 28, 2019 "A Recital for A Radical," First Unitarian Society, Madison, WI
first half, including Emma Goldman portion, unfortunately unfilmed
- included title song, Russian Scene, "Where Do I Belong?"
and "If I Can't Dance," danced with Drew Collins
performances of Russian Scene in Moscow:
Nov. 1, 2016 US Embassy
Nov. 3, 2016 Russian University for the Humanities
Lecture on Emma Goldman Operas, May 13, 2015
at Community Church of NY. Click here for playlist. Details & individual links at bottom of this page.
Endorsement: "[an] extraordinary commemorative event...
The evolution of your talented, finely-honed musical skills, working with the accomplished Helene, is a pleasure to behold. Thank you also for honoring me and the work of the Emma Goldman Papers woven in and out of the narrative, including my commentary (in the dark!). It's quite amazing how many years we've spent on all this. Seeing the youtube of your event reminded me that I am not alone in this devotion, and we have all added a creative flair to the historical (and musical) record through our work. I'm glad you brought so much of it together. Bravo, and thank you!
Solidarity and love and all that. Emmasaries of the World Unite!"
--Candace Falk
Performances watchable on YouTube:
Benefit for U.S. Americans for Peace, West Berlin, May 4, 1986,
on the 100th anniversary of the Haymarket Riot,
featuring soprano Elizabeth Parcells with Leonard Lehrman at the piano.
Go to playlist here, or click on individual excerpts:
Introduction & Overture - Scene 1 & Title Song - Russia - America - Haymarket - Where Do I Belong?
Quartet: Come the Revolution [also with Frohwalte Pilz & Uwe Sauerwein]
Act I Finale ["I Believe," "The Judith Dream," and "If I Can't Dance, It's Not My Revolution"]
Fathers and Sons - Ben Reitman Scene
Act II Finale [including bow by co-author, Karen Ruoff Kramer]
premiere of 6-person version, Libertarian Book Club, April 23, 1987
with Helene Williams, Pamela Sanabria, Sheila Dean Wormer
Douglas Kiddie, Don Catrone, Eugene Green, and the composer at the piano Go to playlist here, or click on individual scenes and songs:
Overture & Credits - E.G. (title song) & opening scene - Descartes, My Marriage - Denaturalization
Russia - America - Haymarket - Emma's First Speech - Where Do I Belong? - Come the Revolution
Act I Finale: I Believe, Judith, If I Can't Dance - Entr'acte & E.G. Reprise
Interview with Consul Horatio Mooers - Sex - Triangular Love Duet
Fathers & Sons - Emma & Sasha - Ben Reitman Scene - Education, Vaudeville, Occupation - Convictions
Nicaragua, 1929 - A Woman Without A Country - Press Conference, NY, Feb. 1, 1934 - Act II Finale
Jewish Currents concert performance of 6-person version, Dec. 6, 1987
with Helene Williams, Pamela Sanabria, Sheila Dean Wormer
Douglas Kiddie, Mark Hoeler, and Eugene Green, with the composer at the piano Go to playlist here, or click on individual scenes and songs:
Introduction by Isobel Pearlman - Introduction by Leonard Lehrman
Overture & Credits - E.G. (title song) & opening scene - Descartes, My Marriage - Denaturalization
Russia - America - Haymarket - Emma's First Speech - Where Do I Belong? - Come the Revolution
Act I Finale: I Believe, Judith, If I Can't Dance
Act II Introduction by Leonard Lehrman
Entr'acte & E.G. Reprise - Interview with Consul Horatio Mooers - Sex - Triangular Love Duet
Fathers & Sons - Emma & Sasha - Ben Reitman Scene - Education, Vaudeville, Occupation - Convictions
Nicaragua, 1929 - A Woman Without A Country - Press Conference, NY, Feb. 1, 1934 - Act II Finale
most recent complete NY performance at The Living Theatre, May 1, 2007,
presented by The Libertarian Book Club,
starring Helene Williams with the composer at the piano,
Susan Blake at the projector, and Carol Jochnowitz at the lightboard,
videotaped by Bill Castleman. Performance dedicated to the memory of Paul Avrich.
Go to playlist here, or click on individual scenes and songs:
Introduction, Overture, Scene 1 and Title Song
Marriage, Lenin, Haymarket
Where Do I Belong? & Come The Revolution
Act I Finale ["I Believe," "The Judith Dream," and "If I Can't Dance, It's Not My Revolution"]
Entr'acte, Sex, Fathers & Sons
Ben Reitman Scene - Isadora [Duncan], Sasha [Berkman], Roger [Baldwin]
Convictions, Act II Finale [Anarchism, Birth Control, Conscription Resistance;
"E.G.", "If I Can't Dance, It's Not My Revolution," "I Believe," and "Come the Revolution"]
Emma Goldman in NY, 1934 (press conference)
Discussion at The Living Theatre
with Leonard Lehrman, Helene Williams, Susan Blake, Bill Castleman, Judith Malina, and others.
excerpts performed at Halifax Summer Opera Workshop, July 28, 2012:
Introduction - Leonard Lehrman
Where Do I Belong? - Helene Williams
If I Can't Dance - Rachel Wood, Allison Mills, Laura Noack
other excerpts:
"Come the Revolution" performed
Aug. 8, 2010 by Leonard Lehrman, Helene Williams, Faith Steinsnyder & Charles Osborne
Dec. 2, 2012 by Leonard Lehrman, Helene Williams, Hannah Spierman & Benjamin Spierman
"Where Do I Belong?" performed by Helene Williams
June 17, 2010 (in memory of Howard Zinn); Nov. 20, 2011; Apr. 1, 2012
together with "If I Can't Dance" at Municipal Auditorium of Sighet, Romania Oct. 17, 2019.
"Russia - America" (Scene with Lenin, in Russian) performed
4/23/87 Libertarian Bk Club, 12/6/87 Jewish Currents, 6/27/94 LIU-Post w/Emily Lehrman,
5/1/07 Living Theatre w/Susan Blake, 5/30/16 Court Street Music, 6/16/16 Vitebsk;
11/1/16 US Embassy, 11/2/16, Skryabin Museum, 11/3/16 University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia.
"If I Can't Dance" performed by Kathryn Wieckhorst in Hamburg, Germany,
May 26, 2018, dancing with the composer (for the first time)!
Russian Scene & "Where Do I Belong?" June 27, 2019 Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor (see above)
Same +title song & "If I Can't Dance" June 28, 2019 First Unitaritan, Madison WI (see above)
"Where Do I Belong?" at Tuttle Center, Jan. 12, 2020, in memory of Emily Lehrman = posted here.
previewed by US Americans for Peace and at Stanford University in Berlin 5/86
completion commissioned by Bel Canto Opera Workshop et al, 1986-87
1987 performances: 3/29 Herbert Liebman Memorial Concerts, Vladeck Auditorium (Bronx);
3/24 WBAI (Cynthia Bell), 3/30 WEVD (Ruth Jacobs), 3/31 WNYC (Andre Bernard) interviews;
4/23 Libertarian Book Club @Workmen's Circle Branch (Manhattan)--attended by Paul Avrich;
5/3 Alchemical Theater (Manhattan) [afternoon & evening];
8/87 Reynolds Hills, Buchanan NY;
10/12 Cornell University (Barnes Hall); 10/14 SUNY-Cortland;
Fine Arts Museum of Long Island (Hempstead) [photo by N.S. Lehrman, above]; Jewish Currents Concert
1988 4/16 WCWP interview (Shirley Samberg)
1989 performances: 3/16 Temple Emanuel (sponsored by University of Lowell), Lowell, Mass.;
3/17 Boston University; 3/18 Harvard College (Adams House)[+WHRB interview w/David Elliott];
3/19 Community Church of Boston;
3/20 Brandeis University Festival (The Tower)--attended by Howard Zinn
1990 performances:
2/8 Columbia University--attended by Jack & Nora Beeson [+2/6 WKCR interview];
2/14&15 Queens College; 3/3 Wellesley College;
5/90 WPBX interview (Barbara Goldovsky);
5/14 Excerpts at Tamiment Library, NYU, on program with Candace Falk, Gloria Steinem et al
5/15 Bryant Library, Roslyn;
5/23 WQXR's "The Listening Room" & Midtown YM-YWHA (Manhattan);
6/1 WESPAC (White Plains Unitarian Church);
6/8 International Institute for Social History, Amsterdam;
6/19 W. Berlin; 6/24 E.Berlin; 6/29 US Peace Committee Paris; 11/9 Dartmouth College
1991 performances: 2/9 Ethical Culture Society of N.Y. City;
3/15 Excerpts at Tarrytown Town Hall, on program with Connie Hogarth,
Amy Goodman, Pete Seeger, Michio Kaku and Ramsay Clark
4/7 Peninsula Library, Lawrence, L.I.;
11/13 McCormick Auditorium, Norris Center, Northwestern University (National Opera Assn convention);
WFMT interview with Studs Terkel;
11/21 American University, Kreeger Music Building, McDonald Recital Hall - (Jewish Studies Program);
San Francisco Modern Language Association Convention - 12/27 Noe Valley Ministry, U.C./Berkeley
KPFA & KALW interview with Dennis Bernstein
1992 performances: 7/23 Alexander Berkman Conference, Pittsburgh;
11/14 UMass/Amherst Marxism and the New World Order Conference
1994 6/27 performance [program cover below]: C.W. Post College
(School of Education, Library School Student Assn, McGrath Fund)
2002 10/3 WUSB interview (George Wallace)
2007 performances:
Fri. Mar. 9, 8pm The Puffin Room*, 435 Broome St., Manhattan $15
Sun. Mar. 11, 3pm Great Neck House FREE
Fri. Mar. 16, 8pm PeaceSmiths, Amityville $8
Sun. Mar. 25, 3pm Long Beach Library FREE
Sun. Apr. 29, 4pm Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck NJ $5
Tue. May 1, 8pm Libertarian Book Club at The Living Theatre*, 21 Clinton St., Manhattan $10
all with Susan Blake at the slide projector, and *Carol Jochnowitz running lights
May 10, 2007 "If I Can't Dance" sung by Helene, danced with Nat Lehrman
at Morris Schappes Centenary, NYU Library, videotaped by Carol Jochnowitz
Posted (and subtitled!) here.
Also played at May 4, 2021 Zoom concert.
2009 performance:
Tue. May 26, 5:30pm FREE
Rosenwald Gallery, 6th floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
University of Pennsylvania, 3420 Walnut St., Philsdelphia
A Celebration of The Women's Section of the
Walter J. Lear U.S. Health Activism History collection
of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries
Rare Book & Manuscript Library
and the U.S. Health Left History Center
Excerpts "I Believe," "Judith" and "If I Can't Dance"
performed at Weill Recital Hall 6/14/89
"Where Do I Belong" performed widely;
also as part of Jewish Woman in Song program
"Where Do I Belong?" (2'43") & "If I Can't Dance" (2'16") AMC
recorded by Helene Williams & composer on Songs of Conscience cassette 3/91 & CD 6/03
inspired by Howard Zinn's play Emma
[Howard Zinn with Helene & Leonard at Brandeis, 3/20/89]
David Weinstein, The Justice, 3/28/89, p. 13:
"a musical about perhaps the greatest American revolutionary ever: Emma Goldman...
just as relevant today as when Goldman first propagated her views....
Howard Zinn, perhaps the foremost radical historian/social critic in the country,
was at the Castle Commons Thursday night. So was Joyce Antler,
Brandeis Women's Studies professor. Emma Goldman was there,
sitting in a big chair and telling us about her problems getting into America.
Her lover and fellow anarchist Alexander Berkman sat next to her,
playing piano and spouuting wisom. Okay, so the last two people were actors.
That's not the point. The question is: Where the Hell were you?"
also endorsed by the late Paul Avrich
[at Workmen's Circle, 4/23/87]