Joys and Heartbreaks.
Triumphs and Sorrows.
With more yesterdays than tomorrows, time to do a Life Review!
It’s a chorus line meets fiddler on the roof.
Life Review: The Hospice Musical is a new musical celebrating life, love and loss through three seasons at a residential hospice. The story follows our young Rabbi David, the new chaplain at the facility. He arrives in autumn, eager and naive, caring but lonely. As he ministers to the patients, Rabbi David learns from his patients even as he cares for them. and their loved ones.
In Life Review: The Hospice Musical, each patient sings their story. We hear from a proud mother remembering snow, a brave but scared young man wondering what's to come, an older man looking for one last friend, and a man of God singing praises.
A Short History
as told by Benjamin Kintisch, Creator
Who are you?
What did you do?
Where did you go?
Who did you know?
2016
Early Beginnings
In 2016 began my training as a chaplain at a residential hospice in New Jersey. My favorite part of this journey was using “Life Review” during pastoral visits with patients. “Life Review” – the clinical term – means asking questions to invite the telling of stories, often highlights of a person’s life.
I remember calling home one night and saying to my wife Elana, “Honey, these stories I’m hearing bedside, they are amazing. I think they want to be songs.” She replied, matter of fact, “Get writing.” That night I got writing, and I completed my first song sketch by midnight. It would become “Will it Still Snow.” It was inspired by a poem of the same name by Rosellen Brown.
2017
First Song Shared
That summer of 2017, I shared a rather rough version of “Will it Still Snow” with other songwriters at a song-swap workshop during the Jewish educators’ conference, NewCAJE, held that summer in Moraga, CA. After sharing my song, I was greeted with an overwhelmingly emotional and enthusiastic response from the group. This reaction encouraged me to write more, returning home with wind in my sails to continue developing the project.
2017-2018
Musical Partners and Collaborations
I began to collaborate with friend and local music professional and songwriter Jason Spiewak of Westfield, NJ. He co-wrote our first five songs and helped to shape early ideas. The following summer, July 2018, I wrote one song at Sue Horowitz’s Jewish Songwriter Retreat, (“Send Me a Sign”), where I also met our second and third composers – Michael Miller (Rochester, NY) and Andy Bossov (Chicagoland, IL). Andy composed music for two songs, and Michael co-wrote seven. I am grateful to all three of these talented composers for pairing my lyrics with their wonderful music.
2018
More Sharing and New Opportunities
That same summer of 2018, at NewCAJE in Hartford, CT, I shared two of the early songs from the musical at a late-night coffee shop. This small crowd included Sue, who invited me to return a year later and present the play “however much is ready” the following summer. With a stage promised, I was motivated to write more. By the time the workshop arrived, we had ten songs ready to be shared.
2019
Portland, OR: The First Workshop Performance
“Life Review: The Hospice Musical” was first presented in public at NewCAJE in Portland, OR (August, 2019). This performance of the project, now a one-act musical featuring ten songs, narration and light dialogue, was an exciting moment for the project. The cast featured some of the professional Jewish musicians who attend NewCAJE, (Ellen Allard, Chava Mirel, Naomi Less, and Joshua Cohen.) Andy Bossov served as musical director, accompanist and narrator. We received a warm and emotional reception from over 100 conference attendees in the majestic Reed College concert hall. Following the performance, we had an audience talk-back I hosted along with Andy Bossov. We collected written surveys from audience members. I also sat down with individuals over the next few days to have longer conversations with people who had seen the show. All of this information helped us to make revisions as we continued to develop.
Upon returning to my home in Columbia, MD, I continued co-writing songs, and partnered with our new script co-writer Beth Broadway to expand our play further. When our work was done, the next version of the play which we presented in January of 2020 had four additional songs (for fourteen total) and was now a robust two act musical with full dialogue throughout.
2020
Columbia, MD: the second workshop
Our second live performance occurred in Columbia, MD the evening of January 26, 2020. We recruited talented performers from the local community theater scene to rehearse together for a month in advance of the show. Miriam Kook, a local accompanist and experienced musical director, joined the project and helped to lead rehearsals. We presented the show with books in hand. It was an exhilarating night with a standing-room-only crowd of over 250 people laughing, crying, and cheering together.
TODAY
Baltimore Playwright Festival
“Life Review: The Hospice Musical” was entered into the Baltimore Playwright Festival in March, 2020. The project recently received overwhelmingly positive feedback from readers at the Festival. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, we are awaiting news about if and when selected plays will be presented live at some point in the future.
Even with the current pause in live performances for most of the country, we hope to enter this project into additional playwright festivals throughout the United States and Europe.
VIRTUAL Performances
The “Life Review” creative team has begun developing several additional versions of the project for virtual presentations. One version will be a 45 minute cabaret version of the musical, featuring songs and narration. A second version will be a musical presentation, with the story of the project and highlights of the themes, presented along with several songs from the project.
MEDIA APPEARANCES
“I don’t know how and when live theater will return, but I don’t want this beautiful and important piece of theater to lay fully dormant in the proverbial drawer. Better that I hustle during this time of dormancy so that I can share the moving songs and stories with an ever-expanding audience.”
— Ben Kintisch
I feel grateful to have experienced Life Review Musical. The relief it provides a lay person, knowing that clergy can also struggle with knowing what to say at end of life is reassuring and reminds me we’re all human. The lessons taught through song I will carry with me for the rest of my life! The value of listening. The concept of a life review. Thinking about my mortality in a nuanced way. I recommend anyone with a beating heart goes to see Life Review. It’s a fantastic piece of work that oozes love and wisdom. Not to mention the songs are catchy as heck!!
— Cassandra Geisel (Lifting the Lid Festival, London)
I had the pleasure of hosting Ben Kintisch and his virtual cabaret presentation of Life Review: A Hospice Musical as a fundraiser for The Denver Hospice. Ben was a delight to work with and graciously accommodated our needs for scheduling and time limitations. After his performance he added an educational session on grief, which was powerful and very fitting for the challenges we are experiencing now in our society. We attracted a larger-than-expected audience who thoroughly enjoyed the entire presentation and raised significant funds for the hospice. Many attendees commented that this event was not only entertaining but also provided them with much-needed inspiration and comfort. I highly recommend Ben Kintisch and Life Review: A Hospice Musical for fundraisers, donor appreciation events, conferences, community outreach programs, and any other setting where entertainment plus education about end-of-life issues is needed.
— Karen M. Wyatt, MD (7 Lessons for Living from the Dying)
Meet the Creative Team
Benjamin Kintisch
Creator, Lyrics, script co-writer
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… is a Cantor, a chaplain and a music teacher, in addition to his involvement with theater and songwriting. “Life Review” is the first musical he has created.
He has loved singing and performing on stage since his youth. He graduated from Brown University with concentration in Judaic Studies. Graduate studies at Jewish Theological Seminary included a Masters in Sacred Music along with a Cantorial degree. Kintisch recently completed his fourth year of chaplaincy training, having served in both hospice and eldercare facilities. Most recently he became a middle school chorus teacher in Dundalk, MD. He currently lives in Columbia, MD with his wife, daughter, and dog.
Michael Miller
Composer
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Michael Miller is a Jewish educator, storyteller, and singer/songwriter from Rochester, NY. He has worked in many different capacities in the Rochester Jewish community over the years, from Camp Seneca lake director to religious school storyteller and musician. His most treasured positions have been 1) PJ Library ambassador, taking stories and songs into Jewish preschool classes in Rochester, NY. He is co-leader of the JRoc Band, a musical group of Rochester teens that rehearse together and perform for the community. Michael is a seasoned storyteller who has entertained children and adults of all ages for decades. In 2019, he released his first album of original music, entitled Shelter.
Jason Spiewak
Composer
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… has been a NARAS (Grammy) voting member since 2003, and is an accomplished artist manager, producer, pianist, studio musician, and songwriter. Spiewak learned the music business on the independent side of the record company world, with early work experience at Artemis Records and TVT Records. Spiewak co-founded the Warner Music (ADA) distributed-label Rock Ridge Music in 2004, later to be named that company’s President. While at Rock Ridge, Spiewak’s A&R credits included artists as diverse as Reel Big Fish, Kittie, Ingram Hill, Tony Lucca and Pat McGee. Additionally, Spiewak donates his time to the Music Is Love Exchange, a charitable organization that leads groups of musicians and fans to Guatemala annually for week-long service trips.
Andy Bossov
additional music, arranging and music director of the Portland Workshop (Aug. 2019)
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… is a lifelong pianist who studied music theory and composition at Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University. He worked in public relations, artist management, concert and theater production and recording studio administration all before becoming a Reform Rabbi at HUC-JIR New York. After 19 years of congregational work and receiving a kidney transplant in 2007, he then directed a seniors program while also serving as a cruise ship rabbi. He returned to his native Chicago in 2016 to pursue a varied career in music — including performing as a singing pianist and studio musician, teaching, arranging, transcription and composing, and also serves as Rabbi in various senior facilities and life cycle settings. Visit him at andybossov.com.
Miriam Kook
additional music, arranging, and music director of the Columbia, MD Workshop (Jan. 2020)
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… collaborated as composer and music director with playwright and lyricist Steffi Rubin on a play about adoption called “My Other Mother” which enjoyed two staged readings in the Maryland area recently. She music directed a staged reading and collaborated as composer with writer and lyricist Ben Kintisch on his new hospice musical called “Life Review.” She is currently writing the book, music, and lyrics to her own musical about fatherless girls called, “Daddy’s Girl.” She has music directed, accompanied and acted in community theatres and for high schools in New York City, Maryland, Israel, and Egypt. Credits include “West Side Story,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Chicago,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Hairspray,” “Lion King,” and “Beauty and the Beast.” She volunteers for a local hospice where she plays and sings piano for residents and so is grateful for this opportunity to see this beautiful show about hospice patients come to life. Thanks to God, Doug, and my wonderful family for a lifetime of encouragement and support. Enjoy the show!
Get Involved
Life Review: Virtual Tour 2021 and Beyond
Due to safety and health considerations, live theater performances were on hold for most of 2020 and a good portion of this year as well.
While live theater is slowly coming back, our virtual tour will continue into 2022, as we are so delighted to book performances of our virtual cabaret show: "Life Review: Stories and Songs."
We are also in early planning stages for a live workshop performance slated for early September 2021 in Howard County, MD.
