Jay Kholos was inspired to write "A Stoop on Orchard Street" after visiting The Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Thus, he takes us through the teeming turn-of-the-century immigrant world, following the fortunes and vicissitudes of one Jewish family. While this is certainly familiar territory ("Hester Street" and "Crossing Delancey" come immediately to mind), it is nonetheless an engaging little musical.
No, Kholos does not break new ground, and sentimentality abounds, but the nostalgic piece should certainly appeal to a selected audience. Anyone who recalls tales his grandparents shared with him about this world should find the show appealing.
There are no villains in "Orchard Street," and ultimately it all ends happily as several characters go on to fame and fortune. The only one who comes close to villainy is the father, who deserts his family seeking a better life north of Orchard Street. But even he is justified in his yearning and his dreams. The real villain, as such, is the hard grueling life of the immigrant. But Kholos stresses the positive, depicting the strong community life, centering on the front stoop, where the women gossip and the boys play games. As the Narrator (played by director Lon Gary) says: "The stoop became a place of news and social intercourse."
At its best, the show offers a nostalgic reminder of the past through its appealing songs, particularly the love ballads "Sarah" and "Another Man's Wife," and a rousing number on Jews who change their names. Several cast members have fine voices that do justice to Kholos' tunes, particularly Sarah Matteucci, who plays Sarah. Also worthy of note, as performers and singers, are John Kirkwood (Simon), Eleni Delopoulos (Ruth), Anne Tonelson (the Bubbie), and Gary. Though staging is awkward and rather amateurish, Kholos' many pleasant musical numbers rise above this problem.