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Emma Goldman, superstar? The Jewish anarchist has a surprising role to play in American musical theater

JL;DR SUMMARY Emma Goldman, a prominent Russian-born Jewish anarchist, is typically portrayed briefly in American musical theater, appearing in bit parts in productions like "Ragtime" and "Assassins." A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

American HistoryAnarchismEmma GoldmanRevolutionMusical TheaterRagtimeAssassinsE.G.: A Musical PortraitLeonard LehrmanKaren Ruoff Kramer

Places mentioned

New York, United States
"Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flahertys Ragtime, now in a lauded revival at Lincoln Center, devotes a song to her 1906 speech at Union Square."
Colorado, United States
"While on vacation in Colorado over New Years (I skied; the chair lift conked me in the head), I got an email about an upcoming production of a chamber opera called E.G.: A Musical Portrait of Emma Goldman."
Germany
"The pair met as expats in Germany, and, given that connection, gravitated toward her life in exile, which began in 1919 when the U.S. deported her as a radical alien."
St. Tropez, Var, France
"The action of the piece tells her life story through the various parts of a visa application she filled out from St. Tropez in 1933."
Russian Federation
"Emma Goldman, the Russian-born Jewish anarchist who attracted droves of followers in her 30-plus years in the United States."

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Cairo Item ID 72384
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Retrieved 2026-01-10 05:31:11 UTC
Curated 2026-01-10 08:31:38 UTC