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“Dazzling, clever and a lot of fun!
By the end of the show, it was clear
that the audience had fallen in love.”
- The Globe and Mail
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“The hottest ticket in town!”
- The Jerusalem Post
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“A blazing visual spectacular!”
- El Mundo
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ANNOUNCING THE AMERICAN PREMIERE PRODUCTION
OF THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PHENOMENON
MAYUMANA’S
"BE"
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Conceived, Created and Directed by
EYLON NUPHAR and BOAZ BERMAN
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PREVIEW PERFORMANCES BEGIN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2007
AT OFF-BROADWAY’S UNION SQUARE THEATRE
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OPENING NIGHT IS TUESDAY, MARCH 13 AT 7 P.M.
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW
BY PHONE: 212-505-0700
OR TICKETMASTER.COM: 212-307-4100
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This winter, MAYUMANA (my-‘YOO-mah-nah), the internationally acclaimed rhythm-dance-performance art phenomenon from Israel, makes its American premiere with its newest high-energy stage spectacle, BE. Created and directed by Eylon Nuphar and Boaz Berman, MAYUMANA’S BE begins previews at Off-Broadway’s Union Square Theatre (100 E. 17th St.) on Friday, February 23, 2007. Opening Night is Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
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Conceived by Nuphar and Berman in Tel Aviv in 1996, MAYUMANA (from the Hebrew meaning skill) is a purely theatrical event that combines elements from various art disciplines based on music, movement, acting, dance and rhythm. An ever-evolving performance piece, MAYUMANA has gone through constant re-creation in its ten-year history, giving focus to the individual talents of its evolving roster of cast members, who come to the show from all parts of the globe.
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“It’s not easy to classify this show,” said Nuphar. “It’s music, it’s theatre, it’s percussion, it’s dance, it’s wit. It’s us being ourselves and basically, anything goes. Creativity and energy are our main themes. We put an emphasis not only on the technical skills of the performers, but also on their ability to play both among themselves and to the audience.”
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“These performers are artists who were carefully selected by talent, versatility and personality make up,” added Berman. “Each contributes to the overall piece by creating specifically tailored singing, dancing and acting roles. With all of these elements coming into play and working in unison, every performance is usually somewhat different.”
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MAYUMANA has been experienced by more than 3.5 million people worldwide and is the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Theater Production byIsrael’s National Academy of Theater. Since 1996, MAYUMANA has performed over 5,000 shows in more than 30 countries worldwide.
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Throughout the past six years, there has been a MAYUMANA show – usually two or more – performing somewhere in the world almost every evening.
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MAYUMANA’S BE is an explosive new 90-minute production specifically created for its American premiere.
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The multinational Off-Broadway premiere cast of MAYUMANA’S BE includes co-creator Boaz Berman, Sharon Ben Naim (Israel), Vicente de Andres (Madrid), Michael Feigenbaum (Switzerland), Alba Bonal Garcia (Barcelona), Silvia Garcia de Ves (Palma de Mallorca), Ido Kagan (Israel), Yael Mahler (Israel), Eva Boucherite Martin (Spain), Taly Minkov (Mexico), Reut Rotem(Israel), Ido Stadler (Israel), Aka Jean Claude Thiemele (Ivory Coast) and Hila Yaffe (Israel).
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The production features scenic design by Nizan Refaeli, costume design by Neta Haker, lighting design by Eyal Tavori and sound design by Amir Schorr.
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MAYUMANA’S BE is presented Off-Broadway by Marc Routh, Thomas Viertel, Steven Baruch, Roy Ofer, NBO, Pamela Cooper and Annette Niemtzow.
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The performance schedule for MAYUMANA’S BE is Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 p.m., Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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Tickets are scaled at $2o -$60 and are now available by calling 212-505-0700, or through Ticketmaster.com at 212-307-4100. Tickets are also available in-person at the Union Square Theatre Box Office beginning Monday, February 12. For groups of ten or more, please call 800-677-1164.
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CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
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EYLON NUPHAR (Co-Creator, Co-Director). Born in New York, Eylon moved to Israel with her family at the age of six. She started out as a gymnast and a long distance runner. A graduate of music and theater studies in high school, she then studied photography and cinematography, working as an editor for several years. She studied percussion, oriental music and belly dancing both in Israel and abroad, and played in various ensembles touring internationally for several years. In 1996, Boaz and Eylon came up with the idea of creating a show together and performing in it. Since creating Mayumana, they have continued to collaborate, creating and directing Adraba, Mayumana's show for kids, which has been running in Europe and Israel for the last six years. In 2006, a new show called Bejuntos starring David Brozaand Mayumana was created and in 2007 they devised together the new Mayumana show, Be. Nowadays, Eylon is spending a great deal of time writing about her experiences as a cancer survivor, and working on a photography exhibition and a documentary film.
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BOAZ BERMAN (Co-Creator, Co-Director, Performer). Born in Tel Aviv, Boaz Berman spent most of his childhood by the sea or playing rhythms on any instrument he could get his hands on. Boaz studied music at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Afro-Cuban percussion in New York. He was a member ofthe Israeli Thai boxing team, participated in surfing competitions in the U.S., worked as a diving instructor at a diving center in Tel Aviv and is a certified skipper. He played and recorded with leading Israeli and international artists. Boaz and Eylon Nuphar, his co-creator of Mayumana, are the artistic force behind the Mayumana organization, making sure that the shows maintain the high standard they have set. Together they have created Adraba, Mayumana's show for kids, and Bejuntos, a new show featuringa unique collaboration between Mayumana’s theatrical language and talents and David Broza's music, allowing Boaz to further explore his musical talents. Boaz writes music for films and continues developing new ideas for Mayumana while taking part in the daily artistic management of the shows and performing in them.
PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES
SHARON BEN NAIM (Performer) was born and raised in Israel in the town of Or-Akiva. Sharon worked as an entertainer in holiday resorts for three years in Israel's southernmost city, Eilat. Three years ago he joined Adraba, a children's show choreographed by the Mayumana troupe, and a year ago started to perform as an actor in the Mayumana show.
VICENTE DE ANDRES (Performer) is a native of Madrid, where he received a degree music education. For awhile, he played with various music bands of different styles, including playing on the Kahon (acoustic drum/box) for a flamenco company. He joined Mayumana six years ago, first with the children's show Adraba and then joined the current show.
MICHAEL FEIGENBAUM (Performer), a native of Switzerland, grew up in Haifa. As a teenager he discovered his passion for rhythm, rap, beat-box and breakdance. Michael was studying mechanical engineering when he joined Mayumana, and his life has not been the same ever since.
ALBA BONAL GARCIA (Performer) is a native of Barcelona. She moved to northern Pamplona at a very young age. A youthful and energetic flamenco dancer, Alba joined Mayumana a year ago with the desire to expand her knowledge in other fields of music and dance.
SILVIA GARCIAS DE VES (Performer) is a native of Palma de Mallorca. She was engaged in gymnastics for ten years and became a sports teacher. She loves to dance and to work with rhythm. When she attended a Mayumana show in 2004 she felt that the troupe was where she belonged.
IDO KAGAN (Performer) is a keyboard and guitar player, who likes to drum on every bone of his body. After graduating from Arts school, he worked as a tour guide in the desert. He continued to drum on all his trips around the globe. He is one of Mayumana's original founders and cast members and participated in its very first shows. He is married to Reut Rotem, fellow performer and mother to their son.
YAEL MAHLER (Performer) discovered the world of dance and hasn't kept still since. She majored in dance and studied many different styles: classical and modern ballet, jazz, hip-hop, African dance and more. While taking her graduation exams she discovered rhythm and drumming and decided to audition for Mayumana. She has been with Mayumana since 2000.
EVA BOUCHERITE MARTIN (Performer), a native of Spain, is a dancer. She participated in shows with different dance companies such as Rafael Aguilar, Antonio, Noevo Bniet Espanol, Marquez, Joaquín Cortés and others. Eva is one of Mayumana's leading flamenco dancers.
TALY MINKOV (Performer). Born to a Mexican mother and an Israeli father, Taly has spent most of her life traveling between Israel and Mexico. Taly majored in performing arts and studied dance and vocal training in New York. Before joining Mayumana, Taly worked as a Salsa instructor in Argentina.
REUT ROTEM (Performer). When she was twelve years old, Reut decided to abandon classical ballet for gymnastics. At sixteen she performed in a nationally successful youth group as a singer, dancer and actor in various television shows and concerts throughout the country. She joined Mayumana in 1999. She is married to fellow Mayumana performer Ido Kagan.
IDO STADLER (Performer). From early childhood, Ido searched for a way to channel his hyperactive energy into various sports activities, including dressage (stylish horse riding) and training horses. At the age of 15 he discovered drumming. He quickly realized that any imaginable object could be used as a drum kit. Ido teaches rhythm classes to Mayumana on tours.
AKA JEAN CLAUDE THIEMELE (Performer) was born in the Ivory Coast, and had worked as a professional dancer with leading companies across Africa. Before moving to Spain, Aka danced and choreographed for his national dance company with which he toured throughout the world. In Spain, he formed the Tam Tam Karibu Group and held the position of director and dancer.
HILA YAFFE (Performer). For ten years, Hila was a member of Israel’s national gymnastics team, where she held the title of National Champion for five years in a row. At the age of fifteen she joined Tnuatron, a modern dance group. With Mayumana, she expresses her unique artistic talents and overwhelming elasticity.
PRODUCER BIOGRAPHIES
MARC ROUTH, THOMAS VIERTEL and STEVEN BARUCH (Producers) have produced and general managed a wide range of plays and musicals on and off Broadway, in London and on tour for the past 20 years. Currently: Hairspray, The Producers, Company, The Fantasticks, Stomp and Trevor Nunn's new production of Porgy and Bess in London. Previous productions include Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, Swing, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Weir, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Angels in America, Driving Miss Daisy, Penn & Teller, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Oleanna, Mnemonic, The Cocktail Hour, Love Letters, Marvin’s Room, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Forever Tango, Little Shop of Horrors, Jeffrey, Song of Singapore, Later Life and others. They are principals in Broadway Asia Entertainment, a new production and management company focusing on the Asian market. Tom Viertel is the Chairman of the Board ofThe Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and Marc Routh is the President of the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers. Their shows have been awarded 33 Tonys, 40 Drama Desk Awards, 32 Outer Critics Awards, four Grammys, three Olivier Awards and two Pulitzer Prizes and have been featured in The New York Times crossword puzzle ten times.
ROY OFER (Producer). Roy was born and raised in Israel. After returning toIsrael from a year-and-a-half of traveling around the world, he began hisstudies in television and film production. While studying, he embarked on a professional career in entertainment production, working his way up to being a producer of televised and live entertainment. As a producer, his stageproductions include major entertainment shows and a considerable number of television programs, such as the prestigious “Israeli Advertising Awards,” a series of prime time talk shows on Israel’s commercial channel 2, a main event in the Israel Festival, the Independence Day special event and more. Roy recognized the potential inherent in the ideas of Eylon Nuphar and Boaz Berman when he was invited to see a 20-minute rehearsal. That encounter led to the collaboration that enabled the realization of what is now the Mayumana show and organization – a collaboration based on true talent,vision, unique ambition and perfectionism.
NBO (Producer) is a partnership with principals Eylon Nuphar, Boaz Berman and Roy Ofer, whose biographies appear above.
PAMELA COOPER (Producer) is a personal manager and producer who is involved in developing and producing material for Broadway, film and television, aswell as representing writers, actors, producers and director/choreographers. The Cooper Company has been in business for over 25 years as a production management firm, having co-produced in New York My Old Lady (with Richard Frankel, Marc Routh, Steve Baruch and Tom Viertel), The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at City Center, developed movies for television and produced live concerts throughout the world. The company is currently developing both The Rose (based on the film) and Embrace (a dance musical) for Broadway, and “The Seeker” for television.
ANNETTE NIEMTZOW (Producer). Broadway credits include: Jane Eyre, The Kentucky Cycle. Off-Broadway credits include Nicky Silver's The Food Chain. London credits include: Ragtime with Maria Friedman; Absolutely! (perhaps), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Joan Plowright; Edward Hall's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, also presented at BAM; A Voyage Round My Father starring Derek Jacobi; and Frost/Nixon, by Peter Morgan, starring Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, which will open on Broadway thisApril. She also placed her investors in Rent (NY) and Billy Elliot (London).Productions with which she has been involved have gathered two Pulitzer Prizes, 18 Tony nominations resulting in four Awards, nine Olivier nominations and five Olivier Awards. Annette is also the co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Transport Group, the acclaimed not-for-profit theatre in New York. Future productions: Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard, Tosca's Kiss by Kenneth Jupp.
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