Michael Burstein (Hebrew: מייק ×'ורשטיין‎; born July , )
is an Israeli-American actor known onstage as Mike Burstyn. He was
born in New York City to the late Yiddish-language actors, Pesach
Burstein and Lillian Lux. His first cousin was Borsch Belt comedian,
Jay Lester. Mike began performing on stage at Yiddish theaters from
childhood, in musicals and melodramas produced by his father, Pesach
Burstein, especially as part of the Four Bursteins. (Mike and his twin
sister were billed as Motele and Zisele) in standard Pesach Burstein
productions like A Khasene in Shtetl (A Wedding in the Village). He
headed out on his own after reaching adulthood, in a bid to reach
audiences bigger than the Yiddish stage.He has performed on television
in the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands. He has performed on
Broadway, the Yiddish theater, and on the Israeli stage. He had his
own show, De Mike Burstyn Show (â€"). He was cast as the lead in
Israel Becker's The Flying Matchmaker, an Israeli film. In , he took
part in the Israeli heats of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
"Sviv kol ha'olam". The song was placed sixth.[citation needed]Among
his most noted roles in Yiddish theater was the part in his father's
production of Itzik Manger's Songs of the Megillah (the longest
running Yiddish production to date in Israel, released on Broadway as
Megilla of Itzik Manger).[citation needed]Burstyn appeared on Broadway
in Barnum, where he succeeded Jim Dale in the title role. He was
nominated for Drama Desk Awards for his performance as Mayer in The
Rothschilds off-Broadway in and in On Second Avenue in . In , he
starred in the title role of the stage adaption by Joseph Bologna's
Lansky.[citation needed]
is an Israeli-American actor known onstage as Mike Burstyn. He was
born in New York City to the late Yiddish-language actors, Pesach
Burstein and Lillian Lux. His first cousin was Borsch Belt comedian,
Jay Lester. Mike began performing on stage at Yiddish theaters from
childhood, in musicals and melodramas produced by his father, Pesach
Burstein, especially as part of the Four Bursteins. (Mike and his twin
sister were billed as Motele and Zisele) in standard Pesach Burstein
productions like A Khasene in Shtetl (A Wedding in the Village). He
headed out on his own after reaching adulthood, in a bid to reach
audiences bigger than the Yiddish stage.He has performed on television
in the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands. He has performed on
Broadway, the Yiddish theater, and on the Israeli stage. He had his
own show, De Mike Burstyn Show (â€"). He was cast as the lead in
Israel Becker's The Flying Matchmaker, an Israeli film. In , he took
part in the Israeli heats of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song
"Sviv kol ha'olam". The song was placed sixth.[citation needed]Among
his most noted roles in Yiddish theater was the part in his father's
production of Itzik Manger's Songs of the Megillah (the longest
running Yiddish production to date in Israel, released on Broadway as
Megilla of Itzik Manger).[citation needed]Burstyn appeared on Broadway
in Barnum, where he succeeded Jim Dale in the title role. He was
nominated for Drama Desk Awards for his performance as Mayer in The
Rothschilds off-Broadway in and in On Second Avenue in . In , he
starred in the title role of the stage adaption by Joseph Bologna's
Lansky.[citation needed]
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