A tribute to the late, great American singer songwriter Tom Lehrer, creator of “Hanukkah in Santa Monica!” His brand of comedic song and political satire has delighted audiences for generations, and now you can hear a sampling of his work and life through the voices of composer Zalmen Mlotek and comedian Bobby Underwood.
This hit show sold out multiple performances at City Winery in NY, and now it's your chance to see him in Boston. Guaranteed to be a beautiful and funny evening!
Doors open: 6:30 PM
Show begins: 7:00 PM
Dessert Reception: 8:30 PM
About Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew Lehrer was an American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist and mathematician, who later taught mathematics and musical theater. He recorded pithy, humourous, and often political songs that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s. His songs often parodied popular musical forms, though they usually had original melodies. An exception is "The Elements," in which he set the names of the chemical elements to the tune of the "Major-General's Song" from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Lehrer's early performances dealt with non-topical subjects and dark humor in songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park." Lehrer is a son of Boston who studied and taught at Harvard and MIT, and passed away in his Cambridge, MA home in 2025.
Bobby Underwood
Bobby Underwood is an actor, comedian, and lifelong Tom Lehrer fan. He first met and bonded with Zalmen Mlotek over their mutual adoration of Lehrer while working on the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s production of Amerike - The Golden Land. They subsequently worked together in the Folksbiene’s productions of The Sorceress and the long running, Drama Desk Award-winning production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish directed by Joel Grey. Bobby is honored to play Tom Lehrer in this special performance, bringing his quirky musical stylings and conversation to us.
Zalmen Mlotek
Zalmen Mlotek, Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, is widely regarded as a leading authority in Yiddish folk, theater and art song. He has been a devoted fan of Tom Lehrer since his childhood, when family gatherings would culminate and a joyous sing-along of Lehrer's hilarious, satirical and deeply relatable repertoire. Mlotek's life has been intertwined with the revival of Yiddish culture in the post Holocaust generations. He co-created and produced the first Yiddish musical on Broadway, Those Were the Days, which received two Tony nominations. As Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theater he has overseen 20 years of musical theater productions which have received multiple Drama Desk nominations and several awards. He was the initiator of the widely acclaimed Yiddish production of Fiddler On the Roof directed by Joel Grey.