Six13 entertains at JCC Community Chanukah celebration
Six13, a New York-based male a cappella group that entertained at the White House’s Chanukah party last week, performed for an hour as the centerpiece of the JCC’s Community Chanukah Celebration. The event, held in the Uptown JCC, 5342 St. Charles Avenue, occurred over a very rainy and chilly Sunday Dec. 18 afternoon, in contrast to the warm and festive feeling inside the Mintz Auditorium.
Six13 performs at the Uptown JCC on Dec. 18. (Photo by Alan Smason)
A group of more than 200 people attended the event. Prior to the performance, hot dogs and latkes by Kosher Cajun Delicatessen and New York Grocery were served. The entire supply of latkes was exhausted by show time.
Six13 encouraged the youngsters, many of whom were assembled in front of the seated audience and just below the stage, to dance and sing along. Members of the troupe encouraged a young girl to come up and create beat box sounds made popular by hip hop singers.
One of the more joyful Jewish holiday renditions offered up by Six13 was their “Hamilton” remix in which the name “Judah Maccabee” was substituted for “Alexander Hamilton.” A number of other popular pieces from the Broadway hip hop musical “Hamilton” like “My Shot” were altered to express meaning about celebrating freedom from Antiochus and the Hasmonean dynasty.
Following the concert, Six13 members sold compact discs and black yarmulkas emblazoned with their logo. Representatives from Jewish Children’s Regional Center also were on hand to help sign up children for their P.J.Library programs.
