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About me

Biography, background, press, and tidbits both musical and nonmusical

My musicals

Five shows I've written, including one that ran Off-Broadway in 2006 and one currently in development

The Chagall Suite

A commissioned 8-movement piano piece inspired by Marc Chagall's artworks, and a tribute to Chagall and Elvis

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Musical direction

See my ideas regarding musical direction, see my resume, or let me coach you for auditions and give you accompaniment tracks to practice with

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Travelogues

Read accounts of my long-term trips and my experience on the Fosse tour

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News


December 13, 14, and 21 | Elana Polin's Jumping off the Roof at the Triad, NYC

Conceived by and starring Elana Polin | Featuring Kai Pucher-Parent as "The Child" and Veronica Carpenter as "The Fiddler" | Musical direction by Seth Weinstein 

"Jumping off the Roof" flyer

A one-woman musical midrash on the sacred book of Tevye or “What goes down with Tzeitel in the New World?” Life is so shaky — you may feel like — like — jumping off the roof!

Elana Polin explores the iconic seven-member family from Fiddler on the Roof. But this time, we get to hear from the females — as we’ve heard enough whining from Tevye. (There were, after all, six other women in the nuclear family.) What really happens to Tzeitel in the New World? How does she really feel about Motel, the tailor? How has the "dairyman" mentality and community protected her and prepared her for life?

The music is jubilant and familiar, but the exploration of new questions from Sholom Aleichem’s 1894 Yiddish story and the Bock-Harnick-Stein 1964 musical is finally unearthed with humor, great singing, and political fervor. Whimsical set pieces grace the Art Deco Triad stage, evoking traditional Yiddish theatre and the art of Marc Chagall.

When Saturday, December 13, 3:30 p.m.
Sundays, December 14 and 21, 3:30 p.m.
Where Triad Theater
158 West 72nd Street, New York City
(Directions via Google Maps)
Tickets $29, via InstantSeats (no drink minimum; full bar and Harlem dessert menu available)
Purchase tickets for December 13 | December 14 | December 21
More Elana Polin's site
Triad Theater site
West Side Campaign Against Hunger site

February 7 | Creative Stage Spectacular at Symphony Space, NYC

Presented by the Creative Stage Collective

The Spectacular returns for another year of imaginative sketches, hilarious song parodies, and moments of joy that will stay with you long after the curtain falls!

This year's performance features an all-star lineup, including beloved voice actor and master comedian Jim Conroy, whose award-winning work across Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, Disney, and Netflix has made him a favorite for audiences of all ages. A longtime Creative Stage collaborator, Jim brings his signature blend of warmth and wit back to our production.

Jim will be joined by powerhouse singers from the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, offering a delightfully reimagined Act I finale from Mozart's opera Così fan tutte (spoiler alert: chickens may be involved).

Alongside them, a host of phenomenal guest artists, the incomparable CSC troupe, and our live Spectacular band bring to life a dazzling mix of unforgettable characters, stories, and musical moments from Bach to Beyoncé. This is a celebration that delights audiences of all ages.

When Saturday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.
Where Symphony Space
2537 Broadway (at 95th Street), New York City
(Directions via Google Maps)
Tickets $80 or $35 depending on location ($72 or $32 for students)
Reservations
More Creative Stage Collective site

June 21 | The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus: With Poetry and Justice for All: Three Anniversaries in Song at Merkin Hall, NYC

Binyumen Schaechter, conductor | Seth Weinstein, pianist

We’re celebrating three anniversaries! For America's 250th, you’ll hear tributes you haven’t heard, at least not in Yiddish! It’s also 150 years since the birth of the beloved Yiddish poet Avrom Reisen, known for the tender “Afn nil” (On the Nile) and “Borekh ate” (Blessed Are You), the moving “May ko mashme lon” (What Does It Teach Us), the defiant “Zog, maran” (Tell Me, Marrano), and the adorable “A kind a goldene” (A Golden Child). And it’s 125 years since the birth of the equally beloved (but radically different) Yiddish poet Itzik Manger, known for the heartrending “Afn veg shteyt a boym” (On the Road Stands a Tree) and “Di Goldene pave” (The Golden Peacock) and the delightful “Yidl mitn fidl” (Yiddle with His Fiddle) and “Di Megile lider,” a modern retelling of the story of the Megillah.

Supertitles and a program with translations are provided; no knowledge of Yiddish is necessary!

When Sunday, June 21, 1 p.m.
Where Merkin Concert Hall
129 West 67th Street, New York City
(Directions via Google Maps)
Tickets $54 reserved seating (on sale March 2026)
$40 per ticket for groups of 10: Reserve at (212) 501-3330
More Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus site
Kaufman Music Center site

 The Abecedarian Walks | Updates on Instagram | Bluesky | Twitter

My endeavor to walk the perimeters of 26 islands, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Long Island (Abecedarian Walk #26, November 2025)
Prince Edward Island (Abecedarian Walk #25, July-August 2025)
Ikaria (Abecedarian Walk #24, April 2025)
Réunion (Abecedarian Walk #23, October-November 2024)
Fasta Åland (Abecedarian Walk #22, June 2024)
Yell (Abecedarian Walk #21, April-May 2024)
Niue & Dogojima (Abecedarian Walks #19 and #20, February-March 2024)
Quinchao (Abecedarian Walk #18, December 2023-January 2024)
Usedom (Abecedarian Walk #17, November 2023)
Jeju & Xiamen (Abecedarian Walks #15 & #16, August 2023)
Eysturoy (Abecedarian Walk #14, June 2023)
Kangaroo Island & Singapore (Abecedarian Walks #12 & #13, February-March 2023)
Vieques (Abecedarian Walk #11, November 2022)
Hiiumaa (Abecedarian Walk #10, June-July 2022)
Isle of Wight (Abecedarian Walk #9, May 2022)
Bonaire (Abecedarian Walk #8, February 2022)
Tenerife (Abecedarian Walk #7, January 2022)
Curaçao (Abecedarian Walk #6, November 2021)
Malta & Gozo (Abecedarian Walks #4 and #5, August 2021)
Oahu (Abecedarian Walk #3, May 2021)
Zanzibar (Abecedarian Walk #2, February-March 2021)
Aruba (Abecedarian Walk #1, December 2020 to January 2021)

Diners of New Jersey Walk (October 2020)
NYC-Boston Walk (August-September 2020)

The Train to That Thing in the Desert (by train, mostly, from the 2022 Scrabble Players Championship in Baltimore to Burning Man in the Nevada desert)

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