Soul Doctor will be playing in theaters around the country for one day only, June 13, as part of a special Fathom Events screening.
Soul Doctor is an uplifting musical which tells of the life of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, legendary singer whose songs changed the face of Jewish music and the Jewish outreach movement. For the many people who don’t know his origin story, the film is both educational and entertaining.
After playing live performances on Broadway and across the world, Soul Doctor now comes to the big screen. Filmed live in Jerusalem, the play/film focuses on the beginning of Carlebach’s career and how his friendship with the acclaimed singer and activist, Nina Simone influenced his path. With some of Carlebach’s Hebrew songs sprinkled throughout and many of his tunes with new English lyrics by David Schechter, the film follows Carlebach from childhood in Europe through his start at igniting the spirit of many around the world with his soul-stirring melodies and transformative storytelling.
Through the plot, written by Daniel Wise, we gain a sense of the controversial nature of Carlebach’s vision and his iconoclastic work at reaching out to “lost Jewish souls.” The film draws parallels between Simone’s work as a black musician breaking barriers and striving to instill black pride and identity to Carlebach’s desire to bring Jewish people back to their roots.
The film stands on the performances of the two leads: Josh Nelson (Tony Award Nominee for Jesus Christ Superstar) and Nya (star of Caroline or Change) both have wonderful voices and their portrayals of Carlebach and Simone are heartfelt.
If you haven’t had a chance to see the play, this event is the perfect opportunity. Be sure to watch the end for some historical clips.
Find a showing of the film on June 13 in your area HERE.
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