There is no evidence in either his appearance or his behavior to show that he is a millionaire who has sold 14 million albums, composed soundtracks for hundreds of television shows, wrote scripts, directed movies and lives in a villa with a recording studio and a private zoo in Los Angeles. Levi, in jeans and tee shirt looks like he has never seen a tuxedo up close. When a waiter in the hotel lobby tells him politely that we are sitting at a reserved table, he apologies and changes tables. Another with his position and status would have "bought the hotel and ended the story."

Shuki began his career in the late '60s in the clubs of Tel-Aviv. He participated in the Isareli production of "Hair" and had his own musical group. He always knew he couldn't make his big dreams come true in a small country. In the mid-70s, he travelled to France as half of the couple, Shuki and Aviva. Then, making a big change in his life, he separated from Aviva in a decision to "conquer America."

He has lived in America for 21 years. He manages the huge entertainment concern - "Saban Entertainment" with another Israeli, Arie Saban. This is the same production company who created and produced "Power Rangers," the worldwide hit which alone can secure his economic future for a lifetime. BUT Shuki's dreams are way beyond a group of High Schoolers who, between homework assignments and exams, save the world from "bad guys" from space! Levy is headed for Broadway, and he is doing it as he does everything -- in a modest way, personally, but with a grand scheme, economically and professionally.

"What did you like so much about this story?" I asked him. "I rememer being taken to Masada as a child and I was moved to tears. It never left me -- the idea that a group of revolutionaries prefered suicide to losing their freedom. I think there was a historical mistake in the way people described it as a "mass suicide." The motto we built into this musical is "Let no man be another man's slave." That is the message that, in my opinion, will find its way to people all over the world. It's a fact that it happened. Shell Danielsohn, who wrote the lyrics to all the songs in the musical, is an actress. At the begining of the project, she had very little experience in lyric writing. But she was so enthusiastic about the story that she read all the written material she could find about what happend at Masada -- and made a HUGE investigation."

This Tuesday, Levy is going to be on Dan Shilon's show. Davis Gaines, the American musical theatre star who portrays the main character, "Eleazar Ben-Yair," on teh CD, came to Israel especially to sing two of the songs from Masada on the program. This will be the kickoff of a campaign to promote this very ambitious project. Its climax is anticipated to be the end of 1999. Levy then plans to produce a full stage production on Broadway at a cost that he estimates to be at least $18 million.

"I have a very clear picture of what needs to be done" Levy says. "The whole musical is moving between two main places -- the camp of the Jewish revolutionaries atop Masada, and the Roman camp at the base of the mountain. Huge video screens will be put on the stage to show authentic pictures of Masada , thus enabling all who come to see the musical to see the real Masada. All this demands a huge ammount of money. I travelled to Masada a few times during my last visits to Israel and, unfortunately, it is in a state of neglect.

The CD will be released internationally in April, and I intend to dedicate a certain percentage of the income to improve the situation in Masada and restore it. I am not expecting to awaken tomorrow and find the CD at the top of the Hit Lists all over the world. During the first stage, my goal is to make the audience pay attention to the project. This is one of those things that you sell slowly, over years.

Why do you wait till the end of 1999 to take it to Broadway? "Because it's a new issue for me. I was never involved in the production of a huge musical, and everytime I try something new, I put a lot of time in studying. I need to go step by step. This is the first full musical that I composed. You know what is wierd? In the beginning of the '70s, I left Israel for the first time and went to London. I didn't have one penny. I washed dishes in a restaurant. Somehow, I managed to arrange a meeting with a local producer who had heard several songs that I composed, and he told me, even then, "You need to write musicals." I have no idea why he said it, but at that meeting he gave me a tape and said, "There are a few songs here that were composed by a young composer that I signed a contract with recently, and I believe he will have huge sucess." The tape was of a musical called "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The "guy" that was just signed on the contract was Andrew Lloyd-Webber!"

This is a double CD, 2 hours and 15 minutes of music with a lineup of experienced Broadway stars as the main characters. While unsure how many of them will actually be in the final stage production, there will also be midpoints on the way to Broadway. This summer there was supposed to be a huge show with the songs from this musical at Masada as a part of Israel's 50th Independence Day celebration. With all that project entails, Levy understands that if he wants to see a show at all in Israel he must begin exploring the possibilities himself.

For now, this musical is supposed to be performed in June -- in the place which historically fits the best AFTER Masada itself -- even though a bit more modest -- The Cesarea amphiteater.

Says Levy, "I wanted very much for the show to be at Masada, but to make the place ready for such a show in proportions this large, I would need $100,000 for only the subsoil of the stage! Without government support it will simply not be worth it so we decided to move it to Cesarea. By all opinions, it is the perfect option next to Masada itself.

"Are you angry with the organizers of the 50th Anniversary?" Levy was asked. (it was said that Masada would be one of the main projects) "Lets just say I was hurt by some of the media people who wrote that I am trying to "catch a ride on the coattails" of the 50th Anniversary to promote the musical . Thats stupid as the work on the musical started a long time before.

"You have been very successful for many years, but why is it only lately that you have had this exposure?" "Because I am a very shy person, even more than during the years where I learned to make big business. This is one of the reasons I never liked to stand on a stage in live performances. Even when I came to Israel, I didn't like to play the "big shot" from America and tell my peers about my sucesses. Also , the attitude here is changed. A few years ago, I had a very bad "image" as one who "left the country." I had to deal with that image a few times, and I was hurt.

"Do you mean that the song "Tonight" that you composed for the Isareli group "Hakol Over Chabibi" which was the Israeli entry to the Eurovision contest of 1981, and which made people angry that 'one who left Israel can't compose a song that represents Israel'?" "That was one of the main examples. I, all along my career, saw myself as an Israeli, and always represented myself as such. I had a lot of pressures during the "Shuki and Aviva" times to change the name to something more "international." I totally refused! I didn't compose that melody for the Eurovision contest at all. It was originally composed for an American singer and I played it shortly before I visited Israel. One called me and said "This fits well for the Eurovision contest. Do you mind if we take it and record it?" I agreed. Then i heard it was selected to represent Israel. Today, thank God, I feel that these stigmas are mostly over, and I think that i will visit Israel more often. I even think about buying an apartment here by the sea."

"The 'Power Rangers' is your baby. Will you have time to go on dealing with this series, or will it come to an end?" "I will ALWAYS have time for 'Power Rangers'. In April the second movie is to be released in the USA. We produced it and we plan two more seasons for television. They will go on developing and next season, they will fly to space. The season after that, they will go down into the center of the earth."