‘Fallsburg’ a personal, poignant look back at Borscht Belt

Written by Palm Beach Arts Paper Staff on 09 October 2014.

By Dale King

Gone, sadly, are the nostalgic “Borscht Belt” days when visitors to the Catskills used to roar with laughter at comedians named Red, Lenny, Rusty, Mort, Zero and Herschel, among others. Yes, even The Three Stooges and Joan Rivers.

Delray Square Performing Arts Center partner Gary Waldman remembers that era well – because he lived it. He and his family were part of the bungalow brigade that made the annual summer trek to north New York for Jewish humor, fun and food. Inspired by those legends, he took to singing and dancing on stage at the age of 6. And he only looked back once — to say goodbye to those kitschy lodgings in the late 1970s.

As the self-proclaimed, fourth generation “American-Jewish kid from Queens” approached 50, he gathered up recollections of his 35-plus years as a producer, director, performer and composer in a mélange of musical memories called What I Learned in Fallsburg. The show opened for a two-week run in September and has been extended through Oct. 19.

The autobiographical production gives Waldman a musical license to hit the high notes of his career that extends from Fallsburg, N.Y., in the heart of the Catskills, to South Florida, in the heart of Dixie. The combination of songs and skits includes Yiddish melodies, yuk-able song parodies and a few smooth tunes with pinpoint harmony, with help from other performers. Songs from recent Waldman-written revues that drew from the noteworthy portfolios of Barry Manilow and Paul Simon are also staged.

Joining him are Aminah Cox, a Brooklynite and dance student, and Michael Wallace, who has already notched a few musicals.

Waldman weaves stories about his life into this very personal pastiche. The Yiddish tunes catch fire with many of the New York transplants in the audience. And while the words may not mean much to you, the singer who spent 18 months learning the Germanic-sounding tongue modulates his voice to evoke laughter, sadness, sorrow and joy. In this way, the music truly tells the tale.

One thing is clear. Waldman’s got powerful lungs. His tunes sometimes threaten to overpower the sound system. But in typical showman style, he is controlled, but still passionate about pleasing the gallery.

Before he enters the Yiddish vein, Waldman delivers a well-heeled tune from Cab Calloway’s binder, “Minnie the Moocher.” As he walks the sparsely decorated stage, he comes up with another old-timer, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

Before he leaves the Catskills, he invokes audience participation, asking folks who were also part of that era to recall some of the towns and hotels that once populated the mountain resort. He’s not finished with New York yet. This time, he heads for Brooklyn, specifically, the Loew’s Pitkin Theatre on Pitkin Avenue. He mentions more historic names, to the crowd’s delight, and recalls his first musical, which he wrote at age 29,Meet Me at the Pitkin.

He then offers up a parody that gets his audience laughing. It’s a tale about a comedian who gets whacked by the mob. Called “Blame it on La Cosa Nostra,” it’s sung to the tune of “Blame It on the Bossa Nova.”

The show’s conclusion is an interesting mix. Waldman talks of his own arrival in Florida where he has written shows and songs. He skewers property associations with his song, “Al Shapiro, the condo commando.” He also vocalizes tunes from his Manilow revue and “Sounds of Simon,” reprising his role as the homeless man from that production.

Waldman’s look-back becomes particularly poignant with his tender rendition of “Yesterday When I was Young.”

Music for the show comes from the Delray Square Band, a talented trio that includes musical director Phil Hinton on piano, Roy Fantel on drums and Dave Tomasello on bass. Like Waldman, all have musical roots that touch many big-name performers.

The show runs for two hours with no intermission, so plan accordingly.

What I Learned in Fallsburg will be performed the weekends of Oct.10 and Oct. 17 at the Delray Square Performing Arts Center, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. For tickets, call 561-880-0319.