In the English cabaret community, many of us would have no idea that Eleanor Reissa (who is known as the “Yiddish Diva”) is an International singer and Tony Award Nominated Director for her first Broadway venture, the musical Those Were The Days (1989). Eleanor has spent 25 years in Yiddish Theater as a director, writer and actress.  So how come we don’t know about her?  Because this is her first soiree into the English-speaking cabaret community with a show devoted strictly to songs sung in English.  She has put together a potpourri of some of her favorites with musical director Jeff Klitz.  This self-described Brooklyn-born ‘street kid,’ with the accent to prove it, and frizzy fly-away blond hair, is a happy optimistic who sings with a smile and great joy.  Her nice easy swing opening “Let’s Fall In Love” (Arlen) followed by songs “Que Sera Sera” (Livingston/Evans), the amusing Alec Wilder’s “Ain’t Cha Cha” and swingy “Jeepers Creepers” (Mercer) make for some good listening.

In the midst of all her singing, Eleanor makes fun of herself, her family and Jewish heritage. She’s got a great sense of humor!  As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, she spent many years trying to figure out “where I fit in, what will become of me.”  She was uncomfortable with her parents’ accents, her curly hair. She wanted to be like Dick and Jane and have a dog Spot but she was told Jews don’t have dogs. They have cats….like “Katz-ill.” She changed her too-sounding Jewish name to what it is and says she’s learning English as a second language.

At a young age she developed a love of theatre playing Wendy in a third grade production of Peter Pan and continued to pursue her passion. After college, she auditioned, got agents, acted Off-Off Broadway, answered an ad for Yiddish Theatre at Town Hall for a play called Rebecca, The Rabbi’s Daughter which launched her acting career nationwide. Recently she performed her one-woman show Hip, Heymish and Hot at the Houseman Theatre. 

This new show offers songs “So Nice,” “How Sweet It Is,” “Whistle While You Work"/"Heigh Ho,” “Old Friends,” “What’ll I Do"/"I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Never Never Land” with an encore of “Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen” where she delighted her audience (full house) with Yiddish remarks they could understand!  She has a nice, easy-on-the-ears voice and is totally comfortable with herself. She occasionally has pitch problems that should work its way out as she continues to explore performance in English. Other band members included Warren Oats, Drums and Ray Kildare, Bass. There is one remaining show on May 22^nd.

Sandi Durell
Cabaret Scenes
May 15, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org