A frightening world! A foolish king has empowered the most wicked of all Prime Ministers to destroy a hated people within their midst. It seems the end is near for an entire race.
The decree has been signed. The deed will be done.
And then from the shadows of the palace steps a shy girl who must put aside her fears in order to save her entire nation.
The story was real. The villain was real. The girl was real.
Her name was ESTHER, and she was taken from her home and family to become a reluctant queen. But she grew into a brave and regal ruler, and she found within her soul the courage to fight the evil around her, and to face her enemy – even if it meant her life.
The story of Esther was a perfect choice for the women of the Efrat/Gush Etzion Raise Your Spirits Summer Stock Company.
As terror encompassed an entire world, as people across the globe feared for their lives because of the horrendous plans of Emperors of Evil, the women of Raise Your Spirits refused to be defeated.
Their goal with “ESTHER and the Secrets in the King’s Court” was to give their audiences the courage to face the challenges of a frightening world, and the hope that indeed good could triumph over evil.
“Esther and the Secrets in the King’s Court” is Raise Your Spirits’ first original production, previously staged in 2001: story adaptation and lyrics by Sharon Katz, Toby Klein Greenwald and Arlene Chertoff. The original music was composed by Rivka Epstein Hatten, with new arrangements by Paul Salter, Amit Ben Atar and Mitch Clyman.
Esther – Avital Macales LADIES OF THE COURT KING’S ADVISORS EUNUCHS Shushan Ensemble (Townspeople) Haman’s Sons and Daughter Contestants
Women Through the Ages/Retribution Dancers | Tango Dancers Ayelet Harbater Elishama Tropper-Wachtel Hadas Betzalel Michal Schwartz Reut Shiran Sara Guggenheim Tabackman Roni Acapella (Women through the Ages, Retribution, Etc.) Atara Jacobs Avital Macales Aviva Karpel Bracha Daniel Chani Natura Chaya Lapidot Deena Lawi Eliore Macales Esti Holland Nava Weider Roni Tabackman Tammy Rubin Yael Valier GOLDEN VOICES Adina Kirshner Aliza Gimpel Avigayil Goldberg Elior Rappaport Hadas Goldstein Hadassah Krengel Ilana Berman Maayan Kronenberg Meira Yarmish Meirav Mann Michal Karpel Moriah Snowbell Odelle Epstein Shir Katz Sophia Golbert Yael Yarmish PERSION DUDES Avigayil Goldberg Elior Rappaport Hadas Betzalel Hadas Goldstein Hadassah Krengel Kerem Rappaport Maatan Kronenberg Meira Yarmish Meirav Mann Nehora Riskin Noa Pessin Odelle Epstein Razia Weisel Reut Shiran Shkedia Dishi Sophia Golbert Tiferet Nachshon Yael Yarmish Zahava Pieprz |
| Director: Toby Klein Greenwald Production Manager: Eudice Spitz Music Director: Gayle Berman Choreographer: Sara Orenstein Assistant Music Director: Avital Macales Founder of RYS: Sharon Katz Business Manager: Tammy Rubin Head of Costuming: Ilana Epstein Costume designer for Esther, Vashti, Zeresh:Bayla Lewis Costume Coordinator: Meira Golbert Costume Helpers: Eudice Spitz, Toby Klein Greenwald, Yael Valier, Sharon Katz Production Helpers: Avital Macales, Noa Choritz, Yael Valier, Felicity Aziz, Sharon Katz, Tammy Rubin Stage Manager: Bati Katz Stage Hands: Elisheva Ariel, our amazing teens Microphones: Hilary Hurwitz, Shellie Ben David Make-up Captain: Zohar Mendelson Make-up Team: Nina Devere, Yaara Kass, Zohar Mendelson, Regina Minkoff, Elishama Tropper- Wachtel, Sandra Orman | Translator, projection of surtitles: Michal Yechieli Playbill: Sharon Katz Playbill – Hebrew editor: Limor Riskin and Avital Macales Usher Captain: Felicity Aziz Seamstress: Succa Smiles Scenery: Carol Segal Scenery concepts: Toby Klein Greenwald, Ilana Epstein, Carol Racklin-Segal, Yael Valier, Noa Greenwald-Assis, Limor Riskin Sound and Light Director: Yair Balams Sound and Light Crew: Lior Sack, Ronen Yosef, Ro’i Cohen Ad Coordinator: Valerie Pessin Tickets: Shelley Bloom Buses and groups: Hadassa Lapidot Website: Studio Grafinet Design of logo, ads, T-shirts: Sharon Katz Printing of playbill / posters: Dfus Kalanit |
