Life Review
Life Review
The Hospice Musical

With more yesterdays than tomorrows, time to do a Life Review!

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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.

Watch the Trailer

MEDIA APPEARANCES

Life Review: The Hospice Musical explores subjects that touch us all…..the missed opportunities, regrets, milestones, joys and disappointments of our lives.  Filled with compassion, warmth and humor, this play tells us that even as we cling to life, we find hope and joy.  Not to be missed!

— Ruth Geneslaw

I have to say that you left me wanting more from your production. Of course, this hit home with my parents but also Dennis our little grand dog now up with Pope Francis on his lap. It was beautiful, your singing was touching and moving along with your acting. It was spot on! BRAVA! I cried. We all loved it! Your mom was wiping tears early on. So sweet. 

— Anonymous

It is often said - In the end, it's not the years in your life that counts but the life in your years. Ben Kintisch masterfully captures the nuance and humor of one of humanity’s greatest blind spots - end of life care.  Through brilliant musicianship, authenticity and pure talent, explore in this delightful production the mysteries and magic of life in a hospice.

— Tiana N.

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)

If you haven’t yet seen this…GO!!!  It’s funny and poignant. Well worth your time, and like a lot of great dramas, “Everybody dies in the end!”

— J.Y.

I’ve seen Ben’s readings of Hospice: the Musical, four times and have loved it every time. The characters and their stories are very relatable, and remind me of our shared humanity. I also love how Ben, refreshingly, incorporates humor into the stories and songs. As he belts out with his Broadway-worthy voice, ‘spoiler alert - everybody dies in the end’!

— Wendy H.

Click here for a full list of media appearances

Meet the team

 Click an artist’s name to learn more about them

  • … 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. 

  • … 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. 

  • … 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.

  • … 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.

  • … 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!

  • Kieran Casey is a biracial composer and musical director originally from Richmond, Virginia, whose musical influences stem from Japanese compositions, marching drum corps, Black hymns, folk songs, and jazz. His compositions aim to craft a timeless storytelling experience, drawing inspiration from his childhood memories of listening to his brother play guitar and his enduring love for anime. He received his B.A. in Music Education and Composition at Virginia Polytechnic State and University in 2023 and is currently studying Film and TV Scoring at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins.

A Short History

as told by Benjamin Kintisch, Creator

Who are you?

What did you do?

Where did you go?

Who did you know? 

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2016

Early Beginnings

First year of chaplaincy training at a residential hospice in New Jersey. 

“Life Review” style interviews yielded stories. These stories inspired the first song lyrics.

2017

First Song Shared

Summer ‘17, I shared an early version of “Will it Still Snow” with other songwriters at a song swap gathering. The song got an overwhelmingly emotional and enthusiastic response from the group. This reaction encouraged me to write more, now with wind in my sails.

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2017-2018

Musical Partners and Collaborations

I began to work with 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 solo song at Sue Horowitz’s Jewish Songwriter Retreat, (“Send Me a Sign”). That summer I connected with 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 small late-night show at a coffee shop. This small crowd included a conference leader who invited me to return a year later and present the play “however much is ready.” In time for the following year’s showtime, we would have ten songs ready to be shared. 

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2019

Portland, OR: The First Workshop Performance

“Life Review: The Hospice Musical” was first presented as work in public at NewCAJE in Portland, OR (August, 2019). This performance was a concert version, featuring ten songs, narration and light dialogue. The cast featured professional Jewish musicians performing solos.  Performers included Ellen Allard, Chava Mirel, Naomi Less, and Joshua C. Cohen. Andy Bossov served as musical director, accompanist and narrator. 

2020

Columbia, MD: the second workshop

Our second live performance occurred in Columbia, MD the evening of January 26, 2020. We recruited performers from the community theater world to present the show. We presented the show with books in hand. We presented to a standing-room-only crowd of over 250 people laughing, crying, and cheering together. 

2020-2022

“Virtual Tour.” Ten appearances, including performing for synagogue groups, chaplaincy training conference, death and dying conference, and more. 

Live show streamed to several hundred elderly residents at Charles E. Smith Life Communities 

Fundraiser co-hosted by Karen Wyatt of “End-0f-Life University Podcast.” Benefited Denver Hospice. 

Over a dozen podcast interviews during this time. Many of these are now posted in a list on the website. 

2023-2024

April 2023. Asheville, NC. Appeared at Asheville Fringe Festival to favorable audience reviews.

January 2024. Silver Spring, MD. House show presented in a private home. 

May 2024. Hyde Park/Chicago, IL. Two house shows presented in a private apartment. 

September-October 2024. Baltimore, MD. Charm City Fringe. Four performances to engaged and emotional audiences. 

2025

March 21, 2025. Baltimore, MD. SETC Conference Fringe Festival 

May 11, 2025. Columbia, MD. MSAC Grant-Funded Public Show - The Meeting House. World premiere of new orchestrations by Dennis Erickson. Live musicians from Peabody Conservatory played music. 

June 7, 2025. Prince George's County. MSAC Grant-Funded Public Show, Greenbelt Arts Center. Presented in partnership with Adelphi Friends Meeting. Following the show, audience members participated in small group discussions. 

June 29, 2025.  Congregation Songs of Israel. CSI Nyack.  Community show, over 100 community members from Nyack and throughout the Hudson Valley.

November 1, 2025.  Columbia, MD. House Show and livestream