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(Ari Mintz/Newsday/MCT)
Yiddish theater, like vaudeville and burlesque, flourished in the 20th century B.T. (Before Television).
Using a language common to immigrant Jews, it created such stars as Molly Picon, Meshilem Weisenfreund—later known as movie star Paul Muni—and Fyvush Finkel, who in 1965 graduated to “uptown” theater in the legendary Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” eventually playing the lead role of Tevye. Later came movies and TV, including a 1994 Emmy Award for playing crafty attorney Douglas Wambaugh in the David E. Kelley series “Picket Fences.”
Born in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, in 1922, the third of four sons of tailor Harry, from Warsaw, and housewife Mary, from Minsk, Finkel began acting at age 9. He’s continued through an astonishing seven decades, performing everywhere from the Catskills to “Cafe Crown,” a 1988 New York Shakespeare Festival revival that earned him an Obie Award.
Finkel, who also played history teacher Harvey Lipschultz in Kelley’s series “Boston Public,” stars with Tony Award winner Richard Easton and David Garrison, of “Married ... With Children,” in David Ives’ Off-Broadway play “New Jerusalem,” in previews at the Classic Stage Company (it opens Sunday). With playful exuberance, Finkel spoke at a Manhattan rehearsal hall with Frank Lovece.
So I hear Fyvush is Yiddish for Philip?
Yes. My legal name is Philip, my stage name is Fyvush Finkel, but it’s the same thing, because Fyvush in Yiddish is Philip.
What’s your middle name?
In those days, there were no middle names! You were lucky if you were born in a hospital when I was born! I was born in the house, with a midwife. Three brothers, all midwives. Our kid brother was finally done in a hospital.
In “New Jerusalem” you play Ben Israel, a board member of the Jewish congregation that interrogated philosopher Baruch Spinoza in 1656.
Well, “New Jerusalem” is very interesting. The old Jerusalem, it speaks for itself. Ben Israel is like the trustee of the synagogue—a member of the board. He helps to make some big decisions about Spinoza (who was issued a writ of cherem, essentially excommunicating him from the Jewish faith). I’ve read a little bit about Spinoza, but not much, really. He was a great philosopher and I don’t think in my heart that he was an atheist.
It’s a powerful play. And the dialogue is so brilliant, you could bring anybody in the family—children, grandmothers, brothers, sisters—and you won’t be embarrassed. I could invite anybody of the cloth and I’d be proud if they showed up.
So a priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a theater ...
Right! Absolutely! And not only would there be no embarrassment, but they would love it.
You started in theater as a child actor.
I played child parts till I was 14, 15, then my voice changed. So I decided to learn a trade and went to a vocational high school in New York. I studied to be a furrier, but I never worked at it. As soon as I graduated high school, I went to a stock company in Pittsburgh, a Jewish theater, and I played there for 38 weeks, and that’s where I actually learned my trade a little bit as an adult. Then I went to Cleveland. I played all Yiddish theater until I was 43 years old. After that I went to “Fiddler on the Roof” and I’ve stayed in the American theater ever since. I played Mordcha, the innkeeper. Then I did (Lazar Wolf), the butcher, and then I did (the lead role) Tevye for years.
Tevye sang that if he were a rich man, all day long he’d biddy-biddy-bum. How exactly do you do that?
I didn’t do biddy-biddy-bum. (sings) “If I were a rich man, yubba-bubba baida-baida duh-duh deedle-deedle-dumm.” That’s Hasidic, you see. (sings) “All day long I’d biddy-biddy-bum” ... Oh! I did biddy-bum! So there’s a bum in me yet!
And a biddy.
A biddy and a bum!
(The prestigious Jewish newspaper) The Forward complained in 2001 that your “Boston Public” role was promoting the stereotype of the Jewish “nudnik” (nagging person).
Well, that’s the part I portrayed. Y’know, when I was in the Yiddish theater, there was one critic that hated me. And he was nasty. I don’t know why he didn’t like me. He said I shouldn’t be an actor, I should be a clown in a circus. So what happened was, I wanted to go to (the critic’s office) and let him have it. So to get to the train, I had to pass my father’s store. He got the paper delivered, a paper called The Jewish Day, and he banged on the window—I should come in, he wants to talk to me. So he says, “I know where you’re going. You’re gonna hit him, aren’t you?” I said yeah. “You’ll make a big man out of him—leave it alone. Tomorrow people will forget about it—the audience loves you. Come stay, have coffee.” As we walked into the kitchen for coffee, he stops and says, “And then again, y’know—a clown in the circus is a good, steady job!”
OK, that’s funny since (former New York Times drama critic) Frank Rich once called you “the soul of meticulous clowning.” You didn’t want to hit him, did you?
(Laughs) Nooo, no no no! Y’know, the Times, when they saw me in a revue called “Finkel’s Follies,” they said, “Fyvush Finkel—a face that launched a thousand shticks!” So now whenever I appear (at an event), they announce me like that before I go on!
