"From Oy to Vey" & "The Lady of the Castle" Musical Tales of Jewish Humor & Heartbreak

Theater for the New City and The After Dinner Opera Co had a and early bird special:  2 shows with live music & singing for the special price of $18 per person.  Vat a deal!  Actually it is more than you bargain for and the earnest cast & musicians bit off a little more than we could all chew.  "From Oy to Vey" is Jewish comedy popular in the Borscht Belt or Yiddish Theater.  It was all kidding aside, kitschy.  In a politically correct sensibility there was stereotyping.  I didn't find it offensive.  As for hilarious, meh.  But, each of the 5 short singing skits had its zinger punch lines that earned a laugh.  A Henny Youngman humor for the not so young, sung with a lot of zip.  I enjoyed this 1/2 hour comedy schtick of yesteryear.  "The Lady of the Castle" was an about face & too long in the tooth based on a true story; "A Ghostly Operatic WWII Tale."  The horros of WWII didn't just end in 1945.  We follow 2 Jews, Dora (mezzo Darcy Dunn) & Sand searching to find surving children, relatives & belongings stolen by the Nazis.   Their quest leads to an ancient castle that served as a Nazi headquarters.  Zabrovsky (Bennett Pologe) is the quasi-sinister owner of the manor.  His manners are at first brusk, dismissing Dora & Sand.  He relents & offers them hospitality for the stormy, eerie night.  Dora senses something is amiss.  They discover Zabrovsky kept a young Jewish girl, Lyda (Amanda Yachechak) hidden in his castle during the war & 2 years more.  Zabrovsky changed from Lyda's savior to her captor.  We're meant to feel outrage at Lyda's forced imprisonment & simultaneously sympathetic for Zabrovsky who had protected & loves Lyda.  He sings a lyric much more than politically incorrect, it's sexually perverse & unlawful.  "I've loved you as a daughter, sister & wife."  "The Lady of the Castle" is a smorgasbord with too much schmaltz.  Still, the earnest ensemble cast were all commendable especially Amanda Yachechak with a lovely singing voice. The impressive original musical score was performed by a pianist, cellist & flutist.  This was an all you can eat entertainment bargain at $18.  You will leave feeling overstuffed.