Not so many years ago, blue jeans were practically legal tender in the Soviet Union. Maybe that’s one reason playwright Caryn Huberman Yacowitz is pleased to see a stage full of kids — all them children of Russian émigrés — starring in her musical comedy “Jeans!”
Palo Alto resident Yacowitz co-wrote the 2003 show, which tells the true story of the two Jewish men who invented the world’s favorite pants.
“Having children of Russian émigrés brings the whole thing full circle,” she said. “[The show] is funny, historical and has a strong message — that persistence, hard work and cooperation can win you the prize.”
“Jeans!” will have two performances at Congregation Beth Am, March 18 and April 1. It features a cast of amateur child actors, all members of TheaterGames drama studio, an educational program geared toward émigré children.
TheaterGames director Masha Farber directs the new production. An émigré herself from St. Petersburg, Farber has been working with Russian American youth for more than 14 years as a teacher and mentor. Early on, she discovered that theater was a great way to help kids adjust to a new life in a new land. “I used the stage as a vehicle to develop an interest in reading,” Farber said. “I try to emphasize the Jewish flavor.”
That wasn’t hard to do with “Jeans!” Her cast of 13 kids, ages 5 to 13, recount in song, dance and comedy the unusual path of Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, the inventors of blue jeans. It’s mostly based on historical fact, with a little Broadway-style creative license thrown in.
In “Jeans,” penniless Jewish immigrant Jacob Davis, a tailor, comes to the United States in the 1850s with his family to make his fortune. He heads west, teams up with fellow immigrant Levi Strauss, and the rest is sartorial history — in an irresistible boy-meets-pants kind of way.
Initially Yacowitz and co-writer Diane Claerbout conceived the piece as a straight play. It quickly became clear, however, that musical comedy was the way to go. Since the two couldn’t afford to hire a composer to write an original score, the show features 14 songs, with new lyrics by Enid Davis, set to old chestnuts like “Oh, Susannah,” “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Hava Nagilah.”
The show premiered in 2004, with two staged readings in the Bay Area and a full production in Vermont.
Because the show covers big subjects like the settling of the Old West and the Gold Rush, Yacowitz believes any audience can enjoy it. For Jewish audiences, though, there’s a little something extra.
“There’s a fair amount of Jewish content,” she said. “In the show, the brachah is said, and Levi Strauss talks about tzedekah and how he wants to give back to the orphans. I would say nobody’s shy about portraying these guys as Jewish with Jewish values. I’m still proud and amazed that jeans are an American icon.”
Though best known as an author of children’s books (her titles include “The Jade Stone: A Chinese Folk Tale,” “Pumpkin Fiesta” and “On Stage/Back Stage”), Yacowitz is a lifelong lover of musical theater. The first show the New York native saw was the original Broadway production of “My Fair Lady,” starring Julie Andrews. When she and Claerbout were writing an article about Jewish pioneers for the now-defunct Shofar Magazine a few years ago, both realized they had the makings of a work for the stage.
For the two Beth Am performances, director Faber wanted to make sure the Old West was a tactile experience for her child actors. She brought in relics of the period, including a trio of old sewing machines of the sort Jacob Davis himself might have used to make the first pair of jeans.
Of course, when working with fearless child actors, there’s always the risk of a few bumps and scrapes along the way. Indeed, the old theater salutation “Break a leg!” could have a deeper meaning when it comes to the new cast of “Jeans!”
“I have one child with a broken nose, two with poison oak,” Faber laments. And with a ski week coming up, she added, “there could be some broken arms.”
“Jeans!” runs 4:30 p.m. Sundays, March 18 and April 1, at Congregation Beth Am, 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills. Tickets: $10-$15. Information: (650) 559-09505 or online at jeansthemusical.com.