Take a Bow!
This month’s edition of Performance Counts is brought to you through the joint efforts of our Visitor Services Coordinator Paige Woodhouse and our Interim Program Manager Lindsey Davis.
~Marvin
Usually one of the quieter Lloyd Street neighbors, our lobby echoed with the sounds of Punk Rock, Sephardic Ladino fusion, and Hollywood legends. From February 11-March 25th, 10 full days and 16 different programs brought 393 visitors in to the Museum specifically to attend JMM Live! Our JMM Live! series included three films, nine musical events, two author talks, and three theater performances. The turnout was outstanding – and nearly 20% of event attendees were new visitors to the Museum.
But she had some competition, with 3 “runners up” each attending five different programs, and 2 more folks attending four programs each!
Never before have we played Yiddish punk rock videos on our projector, or had first-hand accounts told from the stage about Jazz clubs and the Jewish Mafia. We welcomed the tales of Gershwin and Hammerstein, listened to one-woman plays, and heard true stories from our living history characters. We even held a few dance parties in our library as our little ones not only listened but danced to – and made – their own music.
From all of us at the JMM, we’re grateful for your willingness to participate differently, help us express ourselves creatively, and your ability to be challenged intellectually through new stories and new methods of storytelling. As the curtain closes on JMM Live!, we hope each of you takes a bow – we couldn’t have done it without you.
~Lindsey & Paige
(And in case you were wondering, our screening of Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story wins the prize for most popular program – we sold out not once, but TWICE, sharing the experience with 160 people between the two showings!)