'Masada' musical to
bow at Shubert
Show unspools Dec. 15;
Producers hope for B'way
run

By PHIL GALLO, November 13, 1998

“Masada: The Musical,” with music
by Saban president of production
Shuki Levy, will receive its world
premiere Dec. 15 in a concert
performance at the Shubert Theater
in Century City

Starring Davis Gaines (“Phantom of
the Opera”), “Masada” will be
presented to raise money for DARE.
Jon Voight will host the evening.

“Masada” is based on the
2,000-year-old saga of the 967
Jewish zealots who stood atop the
mountain of Masada, in what is now
Israel, in defiance of the 15,000
Romans who sought to enslave
them. A love story is woven into the
epic tale of struggle. The musical is
based on Levy’s concept and
features lyrics by screenwriter and
actress Shell Danielson.

Producers are hoping for a
Broadway run, as well as
productions in Europe, the Far East
and atop the actual mountain in
Israel.

A cast album, featuring Gaines, Kim
Strauss, Michelle Nicastro and the
Moscow Symphony Orchestra, was
released this year in Israel.