Romeo and Juliet meet in New York. I was a teenager when I first saw the movie, and my first impulse was: I want to be in one of these gangs! My second impulse was: I want to fall in love.
But boys are always like this, isn’t true? Fight and love – in that order.
Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to Ancient Greece. Its plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562, and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1582. Brooke and Painter were Shakespeare’s chief sources of inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. He borrowed heavily from both, but developed minor characters, particularly Mercutio and Paris, in order to expand the plot. Believed to be written between 1591 and 1595, the play was first published in a quarto version in 1597. This text was of poor quality, and later editions corrected it, bringing it more in line with Shakespeare’s original text.
This is my generation “translation” of the old drama. Romeo is called Tony, Juliet is called Maria, the rival families ( Montagues and Capulets) are called the Sharks (PuertoRicans) and the Jets (Americans). If you did not see the movie, you must.
By the way, the scene above is “the night”. Gang against gang, love searching for love.
On the Torah’s day of joy, Ball-Shem’s pupils celebrated, drinking the master’s wine. The rabbi’s wife complained:
“If they drink all the wine, there won’t be any for the ceremony,” she said.
“Put an end to the party,” replied the rabbi.
The woman went to the room where the pupils were drinking. But as soon as she opened the door, she changed her mind and went back to her husband.
“Why didn’t you do anything?” asked Baal-Shem.
“Because they danced, sang and were so full of joy for life,”, replied his wife. “I hadn’t the courage.”
“You have understood: this is how God receives the gratitude of his people - seeing they are content. Go there and serve my disciples more wine,” concluded the rabbi.
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After posting “The sound of music” yesterday, and feeling a kind of good vibes surrounding me, I decided that this week I will post every single day my favorite musicals from the time when I was young. See how contemporary are the lyrics below (they were written in 1973):
Every time I look at you I don’t understand
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand.
You’d have managed better if you’d had it planned.
Why’d you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
If you’d come today you could have reached a whole nation.
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.
Don’t you get me wrong.
I only want to know.
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ,
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar,
Do you think you’re what they say you are?
Tell me what you think about your friends at the top.
Who’d you think besides yourself’s the pick of the crop?
Buddha, was he where it’s at? Is he where you are?
Could Mohammed move a mountain, or was that just PR?
Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake, or
Did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?
Don’t you get me wrong.
I only want to know.
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ,
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar,
Do you think you’re what they say you are?
(Repeat many times)
