Summary: Jewish Identity
Assignment 2, Article Summary by Felix Polendey
- Most, Andrea. “‘Big Chief Izzy Horowitz’: Theatricality and Jewish Identity in the Wild West.” American Jewish History 87, no. 4 (1999): 313-341.
To Jewish immigrants of the late 1920s and early 1930s, the goal was to assimilate into the the American way of life. This proved to be a huge undertaking given that Jews were considered a racially distinct people who could never become true Americans. Immigrant Jews at this time were not being defined at “white”, but as “non-white” individuals. Transformation and theatricality were key elements for Jews to assimilate themselves into the American culture. Theater proved to be a valuable platform for that to become possible.
Whoopee by composer Walter Donaldson and lyricist Gus Kahn (1928), and Girl Crazy by composer George Gershwin and lyricist Ira Gershwin (1930) are two musicals that Andrea Most uses to prove this theory. These musicals were set in the Wild West to give Jewish characters a neutral place to transform. Like the streets of New York City, the Wild West was considered an environment where individuals could redefine themselves. It provided a backdrop to eliminate the social and racial hierarchy of whites and nonwhites.
Transformation and theatricality play a huge part in the plots of Whoopee and Girl Crazy. Most lists the following devices used to drive the story: wit vs. brawn, “feminine” characterization of Jewish characters, and disguise. The idea of the Jewish, witty, comedic character vs. the All-American, brawny, “boring” character was a way for these musicals to connote difference within the show. The comedic character would often have the most dialogue and would interact with the audience, while the cowboy character would simply act as a bystander oblivious to the humor. In addition, the comedic character is also in the forefront and controls the outcome of the story.
The feminine characterization of Jews also played a key role in driving the plots of these shows. Characteristics such as physical weakness, illness, and passiveness were exaggerated. Examples of this include the character of Henry Williams in Whoopee as being a hypochondriac. Described as weak, cowardly, and afraid of guns, he is seen as a character that needs someone to take care of him, which is hardly a man at all. One interesting point that Most makes is that the musical alludes to his circumcision in a way that makes him seem feminine and possibly even a homosexual.
Finally, both musicals use disguise as a means to deal with conflict within the plot. Gieber Goldfarb, the Jewish taxi driver and sidekick of Danny Churchill in Girl Crazy, uses drag to disguise himself as he is running for his life. This also alludes to the feminine characterization, but isn’t quite exaggerated in this show. Both Gieber and Henry both don American Indian disguises to hide from their respective bad guys. This theatrical device is important to point out because in a way this made Jews seem more “American”. Indians were perceived as the first true Americans, and by using these Indian disguises, Jews, albeit metaphorically, can finally be accepted as Americans.
It’s important to note that though these actors go through these situations during the show, their characters are still at the forefront. Production numbers were built around talents of female stars, who were then supported by less prominent male characters. As Gieber and Henry don drag, they are also supported by less prominent male characters which in turn puts them in the spotlight.
Sources.
Primary sources include the libretti and scripts for Whoopee and Girl Crazy as well as theatrical reviews. Secondary sources include scholarly works on gender and race studies, specifically on Jews and Indians.