Staff members from the music and theater arts section and the Office of the Arts offered up these picks.
"The Odd Potato"--Judd Hirsch narrates this Hanukkah story with music performed by 20 Tony Award winners, including Elaine Stritch, Sutton Foster, Hal Linden and Hal Prince. It's produced by Variety--The Children's Charity, and a portion of the proceeds benefit children with special needs. Also, it's available from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, one of the nation's leading industry-based organizations raising funds for the care and comfort of those living with HIV/AIDS.
The Klezmer Conservatory Band: "Oy Chanukah!" (Rounder Records, 1987)--Originally produced as a radio show in association with Boston's WGBH Radio, this recording features the Klezmer Conservatory Band and snippets of oral history by special guest contributors.
"A Taste of Chanukah" (Rounder Records, 1999)--Recorded live in Boston's Jordan Hall, this compilation of Hanukkah tunes features folk musician and Broadway star Theodore Bikel, with musical director Hankus Netsky, students from the New England Conservatory, cantor Morton Shames and the Boston Community Gospel Choir. The "taste" of Hanukkah is literal as the recording also features a demonstration of how to make latkes (potato pancakes).
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on December 13, 2006 (download PDF).
