Isle of Klezbos


News Archive

Yiddish Silver Screen playlists!

For New Year's Eve 2024 on the air and online both KBOO Portland OR & Radio Winnipeg (Canada) played music from our new album Yiddish Silver Screen as nearly their entire program:

Portland Jewish Hour hosted by Liz Schwartz in English played ten of our tracks.

Yiddish Radio Winnipeg hosted by Raquel Zucker in Yiddish played nine of our tracks.

Yiddish Classics Hit The Spot

ASCAP New Music Fridays Spotlights three tracks from Yiddish Silver Screen for the Holidays!

Two week in a row! Our new album Yiddish Silver Screen was represented with Abi Gezunt: Molly's Cautionary Tale, #17 of the playlist the week of Dec. 15-21, 2023

Both tracks Farlangen and Unter Beymer were selected during the week of Hanukkah.

Press Bits

A new klezmer tradition takes root in Brooklyn’s Prospect Parkarticle in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency with a few words from US Klezmer scene veteran, Eve Sicular.

Rye The News Guy in-depth interview gives our Isle of Klezbos back-story as the band celebrated Women's History Month at City Winery.

How to Hora Harder, Better, Faster, StrongerEzra Bookman's article in Hey Alma “... I do remember the hora. It felt like it lasted for hours, around and around, circles on circles, reprise after reprise, a mess of sweaty joyous Jewish ecstasy ..."

Yiddish Project / Film

In her essay Samy Szlingerbaum’s Heymish Avant-Garde Kino der Mamen: Mysteries, Music, & Immigrant Life in “Brussels Transit” published by In Geveb, Isle of Klezbos bandleader/film scholar Eve Sicular offers an exegesis of Samy Szlingerbaum's recently restored autobiographical cinematic masterpiece, which depicts a Jewish family’s displacement in the aftermath of World War II. Read more on Yiddish film Brussels Transit

The Yinglish Mikado, from Tamiment to Hollywood

Watch Der Richtiga Mikado led by Eve Sicular for Ner Shalom Yiddish Tish. Eve Sicular presents her ongoing Yiddish popular culture research in a zoom program featuring cameos by luminary Yiddish Tish participants, from Congregation Ner Shalom - Sonoma.

Yiddish NY Festival 2021

The Yinglish Mikado, from the Poconos to MGM
lecture by Eve Sicular for Yiddish New York Festival
Bandleader/scholar Eve Sicular presents her research on a little-known yet legendary satirical Yiddish adaptation of "The Mikado" created & performed at Camp Tamiment resort on the cusp of WWII, starring (among others) young Danny Kaye & Jerome Robbins. The wartime reprise of this show on the Hollywood party scene featured Kaye, this time in drag, alongside Judy Garland and Joe Mankiewicz. Register for Der Richtiga Mikado lecture via YNY on Wednesday, Dec 29 (AM1 schedule) on Zoom.

AND... coming to the YNY Film Festival screenings is a seldom-seen 1980's European Yiddish Cinema treasure, Brussels Transit, director Samy Szlingerbaum’s only full-length film. Eve Sicular will helm the all-star cinematic panel discussion, live streamed on Tuesday, Dec 28 (PM1 session: 1:30pm-2:45pm), with lead actor Boris Lehman, cinéastes Amy Taubin, Lynne Tillman, and festival director Josh Waletsky.

Summer/Fall 2021 – The Band Returns Live

October 3, Powerhouse Jewish Women at the Museum of Jewish Heritage Edmond J. Safra Hall — Watch the full video from Isle of Klezbos' sextet concert with opening set by the delightful Stephanie Lynne Mason and Bob Marks, now up on YouTube.

September 17-19, Isle of Klezbos joined as the houseband for Gregg Bordowitz in his three-part performance Benyamin Zev's Succos Spectacular! at MoMA PS1. You can watch all three shows on YouTube: Night 1, Night 2, Night 3.

On July 16, 2021, Isle of Klezbos was at Heckscher Park Live! The performance sponsored by the Huntington Arts Council was open to the public at the Chapin Rainbow Stage on Long Island and streamed on facebook LIVE. You can watch the video on our YouTube Channel.

2021 New Adaptation of The Dybbuk's Farlangen

Watch/Listen to Farlangen (Longing) video performed by frequent Klezbos guest Natalia Zukerman, arranged by Eve Sicular, adapted from music composed by Henech Kon for the classic 1937 Yiddish film The Dybbuk by wunderkind director Michal Waszynski, aka Moyshe Waks, now acknowledged to have been a gay man. This adaptation project is supported in part by the David Shneer New Yiddish Culture Grant of Yiddishkayt's Wallis Annenberg Helix Fellowship.

NYPL Presents Klezbos

Thanks New York Public Library for celebrating Isle of Klezbos during Jewish Heritage Week with Eve Sicular's program on 5/27/2021

Yiddish Celluloid Closet & YNY 2020 Film Festival

Yiddish film Der Lebediker Yosem Q&A Session moderated by Eve Sicular. This Sholem Secunde /Chaim Tauber musical melodrama directed by Joseph Seiden features half a dozen diverse tunes, 1939 NYC location shots, and a cast of Yiddish stage veterans. yiddishnewyork.com film fest.

Isle of Klezbos Soundtrack

Nov. 2020 — We are thrilled to have our music grace Gregg Bordowitz & friends "Answers with Questions" (episode 2) in a segment Gregg co-hosts with Joy Ladin‚ watch on the Triple Canopy YouTube channel via their site awithq.live/episode2

Isle of Klezbos Plays Fashion Week

Fall 2019 — Isle of Klezbos hit the runway at New York Fashion Week for the Spring 2020 Susan Alexandra show at The Public Hotel. Check out the event recap on The Cut.

Isle of Klezbos: Isle of Manhattan!

Isle of Klezbos Sextet with Natalia Zuckerman at Joe's Pub Isle of Klezbos celebrated the band's 20th anniversary playing Joe's Pub at NYC's Public Theater 10/25/2018, with returning guest Natalia Zukerman. This show culminated our year-long "Isle of Klezbos: Isle of Manhattan! Sextet Concerts" series (supported by a Creative Engagement award: Thanks to New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, LMCC, and fiscal sponsor JFREJ). Klezbos bandmates performed on Natalia's powerful song "In Order to Survive" (recorded in studio too for her upcoming new album), as well as duets including an otherworldy new arrangement of long-lost "Farlangen" from 1937 Yiddish film classic The Dybbuk. Reedplayer Debra Kreisberg's latest piece, klezmer boogaloo "Mosholu Barbeque," also grooved the full house!

Sunshine State Sold Out Tour

Isle of Klezbos debut tour of the Sunshine State in February 2019 sold out Arts Garage in Delray Beach & Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami Beach.

West Coast Tours

Klezbos went West twice in for our 20th anniversary! In July from San Francisco to Portland, AND Hanukah season in Northern and Southern California. Here's feature coverage from the L.A. Blade as well as Pop-Culturalist's 5 Fun Facts with Eve Sicular of Isle of Klezbos.

A Letter to Harvey Milk Opens Off-broadway

Isle of Klezbos at Opening night entertainment for A Letter to Harvey Milk Isle of Klezbos & friends played Opening Night party for "A Letter to Harvey Milk" (mazel tov to this new musical at NYC's Acorn Theatre/Theatre Row, based on the story by Leslea Newman). Fab & heymish performing at Ben's Deli -- our band even surprised the cast, crew and creators by performing a surprise request from the show's score!


Creative Engagement Award

We're honored to receive a Creative Engagement grant for our series of 2018 hometown performances. Thanks to New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for supporting "Isle of Klezbos: Isle of Manhattan! 20th Anniversary Sextet Concerts" — to celebrate our band's auspicious year.

Yiddish Celluloid Closet & Klezbos at CJH!

Music & multi-media program starts our KlezBiGay Pride season, with our full sextet and bandleader Eve Sicular sharing highlights from her “Celluloid Closet of Yiddish Film” cinema history project hosted by American Jewish Historical Society, in partnership with YIVO Institute & The American Society of Jewish Music [Wednesday, May 24, 2017.]

Ohio Spring Tour

Isle of Klezbos will headline opening night of Oberlin’s Spring Folk Fest, as well as playing Cleveland’s BOP Stop and Columbus OH’s new Kidd Jordan Space in our premiere Isle of Klezbos tour of Ohio [April 2017].

Colorado Klezbos

Isle of Klezbos played Denver’s JAAMM Fest in November 2016 for our Colorado debut. The full all-gal sextet was a huge hit in concert on the beautiful Mizel Arts & Culture Center stage.

Communicating Science with Alan Alda

Alan Alda with Isle of Klezbos Isle of Klezbos was thrilled to play for Alan Alda in May 2016 at the World Science Foundation gala held at Jazz at Lincoln Center: our command performance was his "klezmer surprise" at the event after-party!
photo: David Krakauer


Eve Sicular On the Air

Hear our favorite bandleader/lecturer/J. EDGAR KLEZMER creator in a full-length interview on Ken Schneck's This Show is So Gay. A lively look into our creative process.

J. EDGAR KLEZMER full house at The Emelin! Plus grant & funding updates

Our December 5 performance of J. EDGAR KLEZMER: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files packed Westchester’s Emelin Theatre. We're pleased to have received a production grant from the Arch & Bruce Brown Foundation for this productions, as well as a New York Times photo and review [Dec 2015]. Meanwhile our Indiegogo campaign continues to receive support “OnDemand” with perks ongoing. We’ll keep you posted as to future developments with our musical documentary theater project!

City Winery

Following Off-Off Broadway musical documentary theater triumph in J. EDGAR KLEZMER and cabaret debut at 54 Below earlier this season, Isle of Klezbos returned to City Winery for fan-favorite daytime sets. [November 2015]

54 Below debut

Isle of Klezbos sextet played at the swank cabaret downstairs from Studio 54. Video clip of our performance [September 2015]

Isle of Klezbos with Jill Sobule at Roots & Fruits

Surprise guest Jill Sobule sat in with Isle of Klezbos at our Roots & Fruits outdoor show in the East Village's El Sol Brillante Garden in September. We performed a song from her “Music from Yentl” together, and then backed Jill on a great sing-along tune of hers. Watch Jill's video from the show [September 2015]

J. EDGAR KLEZMER at HERE

New York Times review for “J. EDGAR KLEZMER: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files.” Full houses for all five shows of our run at HERE Arts in NYC in June. [June 2015]

J. EDGAR KLEZMER fundraising

We launched our Indiegogo campaign on January 25 to support staging of J. EDGAR KLEZMER. We met and surpassed our goal. [January 2015] The 'indemand' campaign is ongoing. Check out all the perks here.

J. EDGAR KLEZMER: Centenary Stage Co & sneak preview

Our first fully-staged producion of J. EDGAR KLEZMER was on February 12-15 at Centenary Stage Company, Kutz Theater, Hackettstown NJ. We also gave a sneak preview musical numbers at Isle of Klezbos’ February 6 Vox Hebraica concert at NYC’s legendary Actors Temple. Read the preview in The Jewish Week [January 2015]

Isle of Klezbos playing Jill Sobule's YENTL at Lincoln Center

After their hit debut in spring of 2014 at Joe's Pub, Jill Sobule and Isle of Klezbos reprised her original YENTL songs at this FREE concert at David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. More about our work with Jill [January 2015]

'Live From Brooklyn' CD makes best of year list

Isle of Klezbos latest release was featured on New York Music Daily's Best of 2014t: "A deliriously fun concert recording by the mostly-female, pioneering New York klezmer whirlwind." [December 2014]

Isle of Klezbos played Jill Sobule's YENTL at Joe's Pub

From Jill’s blog: “It’s not everyday that I get to play with an amazing kick-ass all-women’s (with one guy) hot Klezmer band. Check out “Isle of Klezbos”. The Brooklyn based sextet will be my band for a reading of the original 1970s play…Yentl.” Read more [May 2014]

Isle of Klezbos on Sirius Fun! Seth Rudetsky XM Radio

On April 5, Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s “Seth Speaks” with Seth Rudetsky featured a live, in-studio performance and interview with the band. The feature segment can be heard on “Sirius XM Stars” Channel 106 on Saturday, April 5 at 5pm and 11pm, and Sunday, April 6 at 10am-1pm ET. [April 2014] Hear our fun interview with Seth!

Concert footage and interviews

Klezbos bandleader Eve Sicular chats with host Josh Zepps on HuffPost Live’s QueerView… Isle of Klezbos had a blast with Seth Rudetsky on “Seth Speaks” in April. Re-broadcasts on SiriusXM’s On Broadway channel, or listen hereThe Jewish Channel has a nice interview with Sicular, and great footage from the CD release show at Joe’s Pub. [June 2014]

New York Music Daily

Calling Live from Brooklyn "Brilliant, Intense, Eclectic", and an "intoxicating mix of a hundred years worth of classic and original klezmer, Latin, jazz and film music" New York Music Daily's smart and favorable review is a perceptive recommendation. [April 2014]

“Live from Brooklyn” Is Here

Our April 6th CD release show at legendary venue JOE’S PUB at the Public — with top picks from Time Out NY, The Advocate, Wall Street Journal Arts, NY Daily News and Jewish Week— was a full-house rousing success! Read Mallika Rao’s piece in the Huffington Post, with new concert footage. Edge New York: “good fun and a terrific night of music… The overall vibe was one of a Downtown jazz club inside of Sammy Romanian.” [April 2014]

Praise for LIVE FROM BROOKLYN

“Brilliant, Intense, Eclectic … intoxicating mix of a hundred years worth of classic and original klezmer, Latin, jazz and film music” New York Music Daily’s smart and favorable review is perceptive and intelligent. “Lively and melodic jazz and tango-laced pieces” —The Jewish Week; “These ladies are damned good musicians, period.” —Edge New York City [April 2014]

CD launch at Joe’s Pub

Come join us in welcoming our latest recording, “ISLE OF KLEZBOS: Live From Brooklyn,” Sunday, April 6 at NYC’s famed music venue at The Public. Full all-gal sextet show! Delicious menu and full bar available.
Tickets | Press Release | Read About It in Broadway World [March 2014]

Isle of Klezbos music in three new films

Three Isle of Klezbos tunes form the soundtrack of India Kotis’ really fun short (screening at Dixon Place in April: her directorial debut!). The New York premiere of Esther Broner: A Weave of Women, featuring music from Isle of Klezbos, is March 24 at the JCC in Manhattan. And It’s Who We Are premieres (with music from Isle of Klezbos) on Sunday, March 23 at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival in Australia. [February 2014]

In the Press

Hitting the newsstands in early April – Isle of Klezbos will be a featured Niche Band in New York Magazine’s special seasonal Weddings issue. [February 2014]

Vox Hebraica at The Actor's Temple

Isle of Klezbos' APAP show — a double bill concert with Metropolitan Klezmer — for the new "Vox Hebraica" series at The Actor's Temple in Midtown (the very synagogue once attended by Curly, Larry & Moe!). Friday, January 10 from 9PM til 10:30PM. [November 2013]

Chamber Music America

Isle of Klezbos was chosen to perform at the Chamber Music America National Showcase at the Majestic Ballroom of the Westin Hotel in NYC, performing in World Music and Jazz genres. [November 2013]

Isle of Klezbos in WSJ and Time Out NY

Our 15th Annual KlezBiGay Pride Show was a Time Out NY pick and the Wall Street Journal has a nice picture of our outdoor performance at the Museum Mile Festival. [November 2013]

Isle of Klezbos music featured...

…Music from our Greetings from the Isle of Klezbos CD will be heard in new documentary, Esther Broner: A Weave of Women (excerpt from Rachelle's Doyna Indigo is on film soundtrack). …Isle of Klezbos music was featured in the comedy-centric Vox Tablet podcast, featuring the personal Purimspiels of Josh Gondelman, Emily Heller, Rob Kutner and Judy Batalion. [November 2013]

Unofficial as of yet...

Isle of Klezbos won a juried competition, so our full sextet will perform for a prestigious event in mid-January. Tell you more when it's announced as public: Manhattan location. [November 2013]

Midwest mini-tour

In July we'll play our Chicago debut at The Mayne Stage (Sunday 7/21, 7:30PM). We'll also perform for Evanston's Ethnic Arts Festival the day before on the outdoor stage at 3:30 in the afternoon. [July 2013]

Klezbos plays Museum Mile at The Jewish Museum

Isle of Klezbos premieres at this year's Museum Mile Festival, performing at The Jewish Museum on Tuesday, June 11: Fifth Avenue open for pedestrians only, and all museums free, 6PM-9PM! Full sextet outdoors at 92nd St (or in Scheuer Auditorium in case of rain). [June 2013]

Isle of Klezbos at the 2013 KlezBiGay Pride Show

Our 15th annual KlezBiGay Pride Show

Isle of Klezbos: Music for a Sustainable City (Wednesday, June 12, 2013) will feature fab MC Lisa Kron [Obie Award-winning actor & playwright for Tony-nominated Well; co-founder, The Five Lesbian Brothers] as well as renewable energy maven Margarett Jolly and a solar-powered generator, both courtesy of Con Edison. See our new KlezBiGay Pride page. FREE with support from Manhattan Community Arts Fund, The Fund for Creative Communities, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the East Village's El Sol Brillante Garden. (In case of rain: JCC Manhattan.) We are proud to be chosen as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's June Grantee Spotlight! [June 2013]

Time Out NY Music Pick

Our Isle of Klezbos-plus-Metropolitan Klezmer double bill at Brooklyn Center for the Arts (Brooklyn College) was a Time Out NY Music Pick! Watch for new video footage coming up at our YouTube channel. [May 2013]