The Thomashefskys

Through Feb. 20, free, Borowsky Gallery, Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-545-4400, gershmany.org.

by Deni Kasrel

[ memorabilia ]

In The Producers, Max Bialystock claims to have learned his trade from "the great Boris Thomashefsky." That's pure fiction, of course, but there really was a Boris Thomashefsky, and he was indeed a legendary theatrical impresario. Boris and his wife Bessie, basically created American Yiddish theater in the late 1800s. The pioneering pair enjoyed colorful careers, the life and times of which are brought to life at an exhibit at Gershman Y. Original posters, sheet music and photos offer a view of their lives as well as a window into a once-vibrant, now-nearly-lost art form that expressed the immigrant experience and greatly influenced American popular entertainment.

Through Feb. 20, free, Borowsky Gallery, Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-545-4400, gershmany.org.