One of the most admired men in the world, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, touching author and outspoken activist Elie Wiesel has died. He was 87. Wiesel brought Holocaust education to the forfront offering hope for those in pain. His book “Night,” was his account as a teenager in prisoned in Auschwitz .
Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel was born on September 30, 1928 in the Romanian town of Sighet. His life and that of his family was rudely interrupted in 1940, when all the Jews in town were forced to move into one of two ghettoes. In May 1944, the Nazis, deported the Jewish community of Sighet to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The teenage Wiesel was sent with his father Shlomo to the Buna Werke labor camp, a sub-camp of Auschwitz III-Monowitz, where they were forced to work for eight months before being transferred to a series of other concentration camps near the war’s end. Shlomo Wiesel died after receiving a beating from a German soldier on January 29, 1945. Wiesel’s mother Sarah and younger sister Tzipora also perished in the Holocaust. His older sisters Beatrice and Hilda also survived.
In 1948, he studied at the Sorbonne, but never finished becoming a professional journalist. He covered the 1961 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann for the New York-based Yiddish newspaper The Forward.
Despite the traumatic impact the Holocaust had on his life, Wiesel did not write about those experiences until encouraged to do so during a conversation with French Nobel Laureate for Literature Francois Mauriac, in 1954. “Night” went on to sell more than six million copies. In 2006, Oprah Winfrey selected a new translation of “Night” by Wiesel’s wife Marion for her book club, helping to push the book to a top spot on The New York Times’ best-seller list for nonfiction paperbacks. The book now appears in 30 languages. “Night” would form the first part of Holocaust memoir trilogy that would include “Dawn” and “Day.” Wiesel went on to write more than 40 works of nonfiction and fiction. Wiesel took Oprah on a well-publicized trip to Auschwitz. Three years later, he accompanied President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a trip to the Buchenwald concentration camp.
In 1955, Wiesel moved to New York to cover the United Nations. He was hit by a taxi and was required a prolonged convalescence in the hospital. Following his recovery, Wiesel applied for permanent residency and in 1963 became a U.S. citizen; this was the first citizenship he held since becoming displaced during the Holocaust.
An original copy of Night
Wiesel met his wife to-be, divorced Austrian Holocaust survivor Marion Rose, in New York. They married in Jerusalem in 1969. Marion served as the English translator for Wiesel’s subsequent books.
Wiesel received numerous awards and honors including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the rank of Grand-Croix in France’s Legion of Honor. He was knighted as Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 1986 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in speaking out against violence, repression and racism. Wiesel was the recipient of over 100 honorary doctorates, and received France’s distinguished Prix Medicis for his 1968 book “A Beggar in Jerusalem.” In 2007, Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested nominating Wiesel as candidate for president of Israel on behalf of the Kadima party, but Wiesel declined. Shimon Peres would later award Wiesel the President’s Medal of Distinction in 2013. When given the World Jewish Congress’ Theodor Herzl Award by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2013 Wiesel stated “There were two great men in Europe at that time: Herzl and Freud. Luckily they never met. Just imagine Herzl knocking on the door of Dr. Freud: ‘I had a dream.’ Freud would have said, ‘Sit down. Tell me about your mother.’”
From 1972 to 1976, he was professor of Judaic Studies at the City University of New York. He taught humanities at Boston University and Judaic studies at Barnard College of Columbia University from 1997 to 1999.
In 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter appointed him as chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Holocaust, a role in which he served until 1986. In that capacity, Wiesel became a major, driving force behind the establishment of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”
He and his wife established the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity to combat intolerance and injustice around the world through dialogue in general, and via programs for youth. In 2012, Wiesel gave back the Grand Cross Order of Merit award he had received from Hungary in 2009, in protest of what he called the “whitewashing of tragic and criminal episodes.” Wiesel was sadly one of the more prominent victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity lost $15.2 million it had invested with Madoff, and the Wiesels lost their own life’s savings, reported to be around $1 million. The foundation later managed to raise about one-third of the money it lost to Madoff from sympathetic donors, and to continue to function.
In September 2006, Wiesel appeared with George Clooney before the UN Security Council to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. In 2007, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity issued a letter criticizing the denial of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks; it was signed by Wiesel and 52 other Nobel laureates. In 2010, he came out publicly against the Netanyahu government’s decision to deport 400 children of migrant workers from Israel. In April 2010, he took out advertisements in four major newspapers, criticizing the Obama administration for pressuring the Netanyahu government to halt construction in Jewish neighborhoods located across the Green Line in East Jerusalem. Wiesel repeated that tactic in 2013 when he took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling on the U.S. administration to demand the total dismantling of the nuclear infrastructure in Iran because that country had called for Israel’s destruction. Until his death Wiesel fought for the rights of humanity.
Wiesel is survived by his wife Marion, their son Shlomo Elisha Wiesel, and his stepdaughter Jennifer and two grandchildren
This is a sad day for humanity, for there are some men who surpass what being a human means. Rest in peace.
Book Reviews
Meet The Playwrights of The NY Summer Theater Festival: Melvin Jules Bukiet a Novelist Who Takes on The Sarah Lawrence Cult
Runts, is a new play by Melvin Jules Bukiet and Finnegan Shepard will have its World Premiere as part of this year’s “Spring/Summer Festival” produced by the New York Theater Festival. There will be (3) three performances: Monday, May 15 @ 9pm; Wednesday, May 17 @ 9pm; and Saturday, May 20 @ 6:45 at Teatro Latea (120 Suffolk Street). For more information, please visit www.newyorktheaterfesitival.com.
Melvin Jules Bukiet, teaches at Sarah Lawrence College. and is the uthor of Sandman’s Dust, Stories of an Imaginary Childhood, While the Messiah Tarries, After, Signs and Wonders, Strange Fire, and A Faker’s Dozen;editor of Neurotica, Nothing Makes You Free, and Scribblers on the Roof. His works have been translated into a half-dozen languages and frequently anthologized He is the winner of the Edward Lewis Wallant Award and other prizes; stories published in Antaeus, The Paris Review, and several other other magazines. His essays have been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, as well as other newspapers. Runts is his first play.
Runts is loosely based on the so-called “Sarah Lawrence cult” which developed after the father of a student moved into his daughter’s college housing unit. Gradually, he charmed her roommates. He shocked them in ways that enticed and excited them until they believed that he alone understood them. Then he led them into Hell.
“Writers sometimes receive a ‘gift’ from the world, a narrative that arrives complete and compelling,” says Mr. Bukiet. “And writers accept that gift, even if it’s an evil one. When I heard of the awful sequence of events that started at the school I love, the lure of the drama was irresistible. It showed how a strong, amoral monster was able to convince a group of vulnerable young people to follow him. This happened in one small, “safe” campus, but similar events have occurred on a large scale throughout history. For example, America. Runts is not a parable. It’s a story. But still…”
Directed by Oliver Conant, the cast includes: Jack Coggins (Zander Bay), Carson Marie Earnest (Jane Bay), Arianna Wellmoney (Eggles), Chelsea Clarke (Lauretta), and Louis Rocky Bacigalupo (Leo). Original music by Anteo Fabris.
Runts will have three performances: Monday, May 15 @ 9pm; Wednesday, May 17 @ 9pm; Saturday, May 20 @ 6:45pm at Teatro Latea (120 Suffolk Street – NYC).
On May 4th between 7-8pm Chris Hart , son of Moss Hart and Kitty Carlisle Hart talks with Foster Hirsch. The talk will be held at the Lambs 5th Floor at 3 West 51st Street. To RSVP@The-Lambs.org
Chris Hart
Moss Hart’s Act One was published more than 50 years ago, but for his son, Christopher Hart, the recent stage adaptation is not a belated dusting-off of material from long ago. As a producer and director, Chris Hart has had a steady relationship with his father’s autobiography. “I always read something from Act One to the actors, whenever I am directing any of his plays. It helps them hear his voice before we get started, because the book captures the way he really sounded in life. And it gives the actors a sense of his affection for them – my father was a secret wannabe actor his whole life.”.
Moderator: Honorary Lamb Foster Hirsch, a professor of film at Brooklyn College and the author of 16 books on film and theater, including The Dark Side of the Screen:Film Noir, A Method to Their Madness: The History of the Actors Studio, and Kurt Weill on Stage: From Berlin to Broadway.
Magda Katz is the collie.
G.H. Harding
SHEERAN-CRITICALLY SPEAKING — (Via NME) Ed Sheeran has said that he doesn’t see the point in music critics.
According to Rolling Stone, the singer-songwriter was referring to the age of streaming and how music is now more accessible than ever. Sheeran suggested that critics are no longer needed to guide listeners or help them engage. “Why do you need to read a review? Listen to it. It’s freely available! he told the publication. “Make up your own mind. I would never read an album review and go, ‘I’m not gonna listen to that now.’”Sheeran’s comments were met with mixed reaction by people online. One person wrote: “ok except music critics aren’t just there for ppl to decide what to listen to?? taking a deeper look at music thru a deeper critical lense, both positive and negative, is a celebration of music as a whole if anything.”
Another said: “80% of the time I’d agree. But the best reviewers also help me learn how to interpret music in a new way. They also help me learn about the history of music. There’s a lot about music that goes beyond just how it sounds to my ear (in my humble opinion).”
Sheeran’s comments about music criticism were shared by Rolling Stone in supplementary material that was omitted from the March cover interview with the star.
Among that was the revelation that Jay-Z “respectfully passed on featuring on the singer’s hit single ‘Shape Of You.’ ‘Shape Of You’ was released at the start of 2017 and went five times platinum in its first year, becoming one of the biggest UK singles of all time on streaming services.
Sheeran told Rolling Stone that he was “in touch” with the legendary New York rapper’s team about a collaboration, but that it was turned down on Jay-Z’s side.
“We were in touch,” Sheeran said. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”
First off, Sheeran doesn’t need the critics anymore, but if you’re a new act, building awarness, a great review from a critics can only help. I loved the “Shape Of You,” but these comments are totally baseless and senseless. He actually should be ashamed of himself as he’s hurting the “new” artists on their way up.
Jan Wenner
Speaking of Rolling Stone, I just finished the 600-pager Jann Wenner book Like A Rolling Stone and just loved it. Wenner’s writing style is totally off the charts and you can quickly see why Rolling Stone was such a generational hit for decades. I urge you to read it.
Matt Lauer
SHORT TAKES — On Wednesday’s 70th salute to The Today Show, they actually showed for a mere moment of shot of Katie Couric with Matt Lauer. Missing completely was Ann Curry. Say what you will, but Lauer was an integral part of this show for years and while his off-screen antics weren’t right, he deserved more than he got on the salute. The show has still not recovered from his leaving …
Little Big Town
On that same Today Show, Little Big Town performed their version of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” Was pretty spectacular …
Brad LeBeau
Brad LeBeau, one of the country’s top music-gunslingers, celebrates his firm’s (Pro Motion) 40th anniversary in July. Congrats … Boy, haven’t heard about Amber Heard in quite sometime. I guess she really was Depp-sixed after all …
Ian Shrager, empresario. Foto de Eduardo Muñoz
Studio 54’s Ian Schrager has certainly re-created himself as a hotelier of the highest order. In NYC, Public is his and he just bought the old Standard Hotel in LA on Sunset. He also bought the Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn Heights … Micky Dolenz brings his Monkees Celebration tour to Long Island’s Paramount next Tuesday (4/11) and the fabulous Ridegfield Playhouse next Friday (4/14). Dolenz also spoke to Detroit’s Oakland Press Gary Graff Thursday … Leo D. Sullivan whose animation of a chugging train graced the opening of television dance party Soul Train for decades, died March 25 in Los Angeles. He was 82. For those of a certain age -and mindset- Soul Train was one of the best. Here’s Bowie doing “Fame” from the show in 1975:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy80bUKt54I And, Apple TV’s Ted Lasso continues to dazzle. Beautifully written with a hint of sadness, it’s just a terrific show. This week’s episode (“Big Week”) ended with a dazzlingversion of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think twice It’s All Right” by Peter, Paul and Mary and last week played “Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen. Just terrific music choices. Bravo!
To celebrate and kick-off the publication of her long-awaited book Chita: A Memoir, the legendary Chita Rivera will appear in conversation with her dear friend, the indomitable Nathan Lane (Pictures From Home) on Monday, April 24, 2023, 7:00 PM at the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center,10 East 66 Street, NYC. The ticket price to the one-night only event includes a copy of Chita: A Memoir, co-written with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco.
For tickets: https://streicker.nyc/current-season/rivera?fbclid=IwAR1XF0GSmh98IlkxICx-jxPv8wGpryHbgfGrNqnITMLVbrC1kXJsOzANHxI
The event is in partnership with The Entertainment Community Fund.
Chita says “I’ve long considered writing my memoir, but I’ve never been one to look back…until now. Now it feels right and with Patrick Pacheco, I couldn’t be more pleased to pass on my experience to a new generation. I hope my words and thoughts about my life and career resonate and readers just might discover some things about me they never knew.”
“Chita Rivera remains a force of nature, joy, energy and positivity,” said Gady Levy, Executive Director of The Streicker Cultural Center. “We are honored and excited to welcome her for an extraordinary evening of conversation and stories with the amazing Nathan Lane.”
The HarperOne book (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) will be published in English and Spanish on April 25, 2023 as well as the audio book recorded by Chita.
Join the iconic Tony Award winners Chita Rivera and Nathan Lane on Monday, April 24 and be a fly on the wall as Chita puts you in the room with Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Gower Champion, John Kander, Fred Ebb and so many others. From West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and Chicago to The Rink, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, The Visit and more.
G.H. Harding
For PR-guru David Salidor, late-February proved to be as hectic a week in his 40+-year career as ever. With client Micky Dolenz in tow; Monday night was The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; Tuesday held four different interviews at SiriusXM; later that night was the premiere for actor Willem Dafoe’s new movie Inside; and, Wednesday held an early spot back at NBC for NY LIVE with host Sara Gore.
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON — Episode 1803 — Pictured: (l-r) on Monday, February 27, 2023 — (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC)
For the music industry veteran, it was the latest chapter in a career that was sealed back in 1967 at Long Island’s Lido Beach Club when he saw a new group, The Who: Says Salidor, “My father who worked for Decca Records asked if I wanted to accompany him and go see a new group the company had just signed. Believe it or not, it was The Who, playing around the club’s swimming pool. It was unlike anything I had ever seen; Keith Moon with day-glow drumsticks and Townshend literally destroying his guitar at the end of the set. For me, that was it, this business was for me.”
Salidor also worked for the legendary My Father’s Place club in Roslyn, New York, that launched everyone from Bruce Spingsteen, to Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates. “If The Who whet my appetite, My Father’s Place solidified my journey,” Salidor adds.
London Records
His first job out of college (where he was music director the college-station) was for the much-missed London Records. “All of a sudden, I was working with the Rolling Stones and Moody Blues, Al Green and Gilbert O’Sullivan. I was the new kid in town, but learned about everything all at once. I was doing ad layouts, writing press releases and taking the artists to radio stations. It was a trial by fire for sure, but I loved it,” adds Salidor.
He went onto to work for other labels like Atlantic and the PR-firm the Howard Bloom Organization, which at the time was the hottest pr-firm in the country, with clients including Billy Joel; Prince; Genesis. Genesis stands out for him. “It was right when Peter Gabriel left the band and there was a tour which I went on. Imagine every night not only seeing a terrific show, but also a dazzling visual show. No question, they were the tops at that point,” he says.
He also formed a relationship with Tom Silverman – then running a very influential tip-sheet called Dance Music Report. He and Silverman, who was also his first and only partner for a spell, went onto create the New Music Seminar, which became a focal point for all the new labels and artists to network. Adds Salidor, “That first event was held at SIR Studios in NY and everyone who was anyone attended. It’s funny now to recall that we started it because we couldn’t get properly accredited for the Billboard Music Forum, which was then the featured industry event in the business; but really neglected the up-and-coming acts and labels.”
A two-year stint with indie ZE Records was also a fascinating run. “This was during the burgeoning new-wave/no-wave movement and I just loved it. Kid Creole & The Coconuts; Cristina; Material; Suicide ; james White and the Blacks and it introduced me to the The Mudd Club, which became an instant favorite.”
A life-long association with August Darnell and his Kid Creole & The Coconuts began as well. “August is without a doubt one of the most creative artists I’ve ever worked with, Totally unique.”
He decided to start his own firm in 1984. He adds, “I learned very quickly that working for someone else is a double-edge sword. If a good campaign happens, the head of the firm gets the credit; if the campaign doesn’t work, you get called on the carpet.”
His first success via his dis Company was with Profile Record’s Run-DMC. “Profile was an amazing label back then. Cory Robins was one of the premiere music guys and had a prescient nuance. Together we got Run-DMC on the cover of Rolling Stone and made them a major marquee attraction. They started the whole urban, hip-hop era. I know it was a long time ago, but they were the first along with Kurtis Blow. No question.”
The next big project to come his way was with a 15-year-old from Merrick, Long Island, named Debbie Gibson. “This was something I had never encountered before; a performer who wrote her own music; produced it and had just an engaging personality. Needless to say, she was a smash. Tours, videos, hit singles followed. Totally engaging and creative. I remember being in Bremen, Germany, when I sat with her at a piano and she played me her entire second album … that hadn’t even been recorded or released yet. Totally amazing talent,” adds Salidor.
Mark Bego and David
Also, a life-long association with celebrity-scribe Mark Bego began. Called the “prince of pop bios” by Publisher’s Weekly. 62-books later, their relationship continues to this day. Bego will be releasing a bio on Joe Cocker later this year via Yorkshire Publishing – also a client.
David, Mark Bego and Micky Dolenz at the Hard Rock Cafe in 1993
Bego would go on to pen several books on Salidor’s clients; including Debbie Gibson and Madonna. Also, Bego wrote the authorized bio on Micky Dolenz (I’m A Believer) in 1993 and Salidor set up a launch party at NYC Hard Rock Cafe. That was the first time Salidor met Dolenz,which foreshadowed a Dolenz/Salidor PR-connection down the road.
David with Jellybean, Madonna; and Russell Simmons photos from dis COMPANY archives)
He was also involved with Madonna in her early stages. “Madonna was always a star. You could just feel it. Repping her then boyfriend and producer John Benitez was key. She and I would constantly discuss pr and together we accomplished a lot. Signing her to Seymour Stein’s Sire was a major move for her.”
Salidor also recalls repping a number of prominent DJs turned producers as well, including Jim Burgess; Arthur Baker; Shep Pettibone and Mark Berry. Remembering, “It was an interesting time; people today forget the amazing contributions they made to music. Pettibone’s production and writing of ‘Vogue’ is still a gem to this day.”
Amid so much success, Salidor also recalls the low-points of a career. “When a client leaves after so much success, there’s certainly a mourning period, but it’s also part of the business. Loyalty is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but is not as evident as one would assume in this business. I just read where a major music personality personally delivered tour bonuses to his road crew. In all my years, I’ve never heard of something like that happening … never. Loyalty and professionalism are rare, rare traits.”
Gibson and Profile would eventually leave his purview; although he worked for Gibson on many of her other endeavors.
In 2004 Salidor met Micky Dolenz and they began working together. “No shade to former clients, but Micky is the most professional client we’ve ever had. Certainly, growing up in the family business, as I had, had everything to do with it. Last year Dolenz did a sit-down with CBS Morning’s Anthony Mason which was sensational. Mason, a fan, did a no-holds barred interviews that was universally embraced by not only Dolenz’s huge fanbase, but by other PR-persons as well, which is always an interesting development – having other experts compliment you!” Salidor recalls.
“When you set a campaign up, three things can happen. #1, everything goes well and it’s a smash. #2: It doesn’t go well, and, #3. It happens, but there’s no feedback. The reality is that sometimes, even bad feedback is good. It’s a funny business, but your reputation, contacts and experience is key.”
Regrets … he’s had a few: “There was a jazz/rock/fusion band that made some terrific records, on SONY of all places and though they had a #1 jazz album, they just did not get the respect that they should have had. I love jazz and watching them perform live was just great. The powers-that-be there had their own ideas, which weren’t at all realistic.”
And, “When Debbie Gibson was a hit, every parent that had a child who they thought could sing called us. 99% of them didn’t have it. Talent, success, know-how … it’s something that I’ve always been able to recognize. We’ve worked with several young female-singers, but they just didn’t have the right people in place. One from New Jersey had her father paying for everything, but doing exactly what he wanted and he just didn’t have any idea about the business. He installed solar heating panels!”
Continues Salidor, “Management is key and finding the right one is often not easy; there are a lot of people who profess to be a manger and they’re clearly not. Organizing a campaign is a lot of meticulous work; knowing what the client is capable of is key too. Being a PR-person is akin in some ways to being a closet-psychiatrist – you’ve got to know your limitations. That NYC-week with Micky Dolenz was prodigious because I knew exactly what would work and I knew how well he’d perform.”
Salidor is also currently repping involved writer Terry Jastrow (Anne Archer’s husband); Donnie Kehr’s Rockers on Broadway and writer C.W. Hanes.
What does Salidor see in his future. “Certainly, more of the same. Identifying the talent and trying to develop it to the point of releasing it in the most effective way. Many of my peers say the music business has changed and not for the better. I disagree as there are more opportunities for music and musical artists than ever before. Bring it on!
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