Old Jews Telling Jokes

An elderly rabbi, after retiring from his duties in the synagogue, travels outside his town to a restaurant and decides to try pork. As he waits for his order of roast suckling pig, a family from his congregation enters and sees the rabbi. Concerned that he’s eating alone, they join him. The rabbi, nervous about his coming order, makes polite conversation. Finally, the waiter arrives with a domed dish and, with much fanfare, sets it upon the table and reveals the pig, complete with an apple in its mouth. The family is stunned! Flabbergasted, they turn to him for an explanation. “This place is amazing!” the rabbi cries. “You order a baked apple, and look at what they bring you!” Old Jews Telling Jokes draws from the long tradition of humor and entertainment brought by Jewish immigrants to these shores. The two-hour play acts out beloved jokes commonly told by elderly Jewish gentlemen. The bits are filled with innuendo, double-entendre, a touch of vaudeville, and enough chutzpah to channel the entire Marx family, Mel Brooks, and other key figures of “comoedia Judaica” of yesteryear. Sure, some things might be a little stale, but like all good mile-aminute entertainment, there isn’t enough breathing room for the jokes that fail to gain ground before another zinger comes through. Showtime is 8 p.m. Saturday at the Broward Stage Door Theatre. Tickets cost $44. The cast of five will perform through January 4, so be sure to catch them before your bubbe’s borscht gets pinked by the sour cream. Call 954-344-7765, or visit stagedoortheatre.com.
Sat., Dec. 27, 2014