Rumpelstiltskin (1965 musical)

Rumpelstiltskin
Hebrew: עוץ-לי-גוץ-לי
MusicDov Seltzer
LyricsAvraham Shlonsky
BookAvraham Shlonsky
BasisBrothers Grimm Fairytale Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin (Hebrew: עוץ-לי-גוץ-לי, "my-advisor-my-midget") is a Hebrew language-musical based on the Brother's Grimm Fairytale of the same name, written by Avraham Shlonsky. Shlonsky's rendition casts the story in a humoristic light, rather than the grim tone of the original.[1] All monologues and dialogues are spoken in rhyme, and incorporate sophisticated wordplay using the Hebrew language at a high level alongside many inverted allusions to Jewish tradition, including one to the taboo over uttering the Tetragrammaton. Most notable of these allusions are those to the holiday of Purim and its connected piyutim, and to the bases of Hebrew grammar and pronunciation.

Casts[edit]

Character Original cast
1965
3rd Cameri Revival
2002
4th Cameri Revival
2020
The King Ze'ev Revach Alon Ofir / Itay Tiran / Ido Mosseri / Asaf Goldstien / Shoham Shiener Nadav Netz / Gilad Shmueli
Miller Eli Gorenstein / Igal Naor / Assaf Pariente / Simcha Barbiro Eli Gorenstein / Simcha Barbiro
The Miller's daughter Elinor Aharon / Meyrav Feldman Jordan Nikfahama / Noy Halperin
Rumpelstiltskin Avraham Chalfi Yossi Toledo / Asaf Goldstien

History[edit]

Rumpelstiltskin was first performed in the Cameri Theater in 1965, directed by Yossi Yizraeli, who adapted Shlonsky's original script of a non-musical play into a libretto for a musical.[2] In Israel, this musical is considered a classic and is still presented to this day.

References[edit]