Esther in the Spotlight

a new musical comedy

book, music and lyrics
by Rich Orloff

An irreverent retelling of the Biblical story of Esther, ESTHER IN THE SPOTLIGHT is written in a style described as “Mel Brooks meets The Bible”.   Beyond the plentiful gags, however, is the story of a woman who questions the culture of her time, wonders about her destiny, and yearns for meaning.  The 80-minute musical has five major characters, with a chorus of four (or more) playing a variety of additional roles.  The show can be performed with no set and simple costumes.

Six of the show’s ten songs can be viewed on YouTube.  They include:

The smart and ever-questioning Esther wonders about the limited paths she’s offered in ancient Persia, as she asks WHAT IS MY SONG?

The deliciously evil Haman encourages the audience to boo him in I LOVE TO BE BOOED.

The pious Mordecai wrestles with whether or not to bow to Haman in WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The feisty (even when dead) Queen Vashti encourages a reluctant Esther to confront the King about her people’s plight in IT’S YOUR TIME.

Esther admits to the King that she has mixed feelings about her people, but she still wants him to save them in MY PEOPLE.

The playful King Ahashvayroash turns figuring out who the bad guy is into a guessing game, as he sings LET ME GUESS.

ESTHER IN THE SPOTLIGHT was originally performed at Romemu in New York City in March 2022.  You can view the performance at ESTHER.  The production was directed by Gary Slavin, with musical direction by Michael Kaish, who arranged and orchestrated the songs.

No gefilte fish were harmed in the making of this musical.