2024 update: My new show, “The Expiration Date,” an honest, raw, and sometimes humorous look at the aging process and my life as a “junior-senior citizen” is happening now. I have upcoming performances at Medfield Public Library on April 4, Norwood Public Library on April 13, at Turtle Street Studios in Newton on April 28, and at Concord Public Library on June 27. I’m doing a special Boston premiere of the show–which will also be streamed live–at the Beacon Hill Friends House, Sunday April 7 at 4 PM. Get your tickets for the online or in-person performance in Boston at:
2023-24 Shows: The Expiration Date
- August 3-5, 2023 @ BorderLight Festival, Kennedy’s Cabaret, Cleveland, OH
- October 2, 2023 @ Beverly Public Library, Beverly, MA
- April 7, 2024 @ 4 PM Beacon Hill Friends House, Boston
- April 13, 2024 @ 1PM Norwood (MA) Public Library
- April 28, 2024 @ 2 PM Turtle Street Studios, Newton, MA
- June 27, 2024 @ 6:30 PM Concord (MA) Public Library
- August 2-10, 2024–A series of performances at the Calgary Fringe Festival, Calgary, AB
- Fall 2024 performances at Medfield Public Library and Lynnfield Senior Center, dates TBD
“It’s Now or Never” is a humorous and poignant look at one man’s life in late middle age, the challenges of living outside the box of a conventional 9 to 5 existence, and dealing with times when one man planned, and God laughed.
2022-23 Shows: It’s Now or Never
- March 20 @ 2 PM Duxbury (MA) Public Library
- July 21 & 23 @ Kennedy’s Cabaret/Playhouse Square–BorderLight Festival, Cleveland, Ohio
- October 19 @ 10 AM Akamai Technologies, Cambridge, MA (hybrid show)
- October 23 @ 4 PM Beacon Hill Friends House, Boston (hybrid show)
- December 13 @ 6:30 PM Hopkinton (MA) Public Library (hybrid show)
- December 29 @ 7 PM Assemblage Art Space, Boston’s Pop-up Fringe Festival in the Seaport
- March 23, 2023 @ Jamaica Plain Branch, Boston Public Library, Boston, MA
- May 25, 2023 @ Duxbury Senior Center, Duxbury, MA
“Judah had our patrons laughing and engaged throughout his performance of It’s Now or Never: My Life in the Late Middle Ages. He built a great rapport with the audience and was a pleasure to work with.” – Ona Ridenour, Head of Communications, Beverly Public Library
Winnipeg’s Jewish Post called the show, “intriguing” and “masterfully told,” and it was chosen as “Best of Festival” at the Calgary Fringe, 2019.
During the Covid pandemic, in 2021, I presented a video of “It’s Now or Never” filmed before a live audience in Winnipeg, Canada at the Kansas City, Saskatoon, and Calgary Fringe Festivals. I also showed the video at the Elgin Fringe in Fall 2020.
During spring and summer 2019, I performed “It’s Now or Never” in the Boston area and at the Calgary and Edmonton Fringe Festivals. In 2018, I performed at the Piano Craft Gallery in Boston, and at the Regina and Winnipeg Fringe Festivals.
You can check out clips from the show below:
In summer 2017, I performed “One Man’s Journey through the Middle Ages” at the Indianapolis Fringe Festival in August, and the Elgin (IL) Fringe near Chicago in September. I got very positive responses from my audiences, and a good review from a local blogger, ending with, “You may think you could never relate to an aging, single, gay Jewish man, but this piece will make you feel like marrying one.” (Elgin Review)
Read the full review here: elgin review
In summer 2016, I did five shows at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in Minneapolis, and I got a great review from Lavender, the local gay paper.
Check it out here: Lavender Magazine
Over Labor Day weekend 2015, I performed at the Chicago Fringe Festival in Jefferson Park. In summer (2014), I performed “One Man’s Journey” at Cleveland’s Masonic Auditorium, sponsored by Gay Games 9! I also performed the show at Boston’s Hostel International.
In November 2014, I did the show for the “Prime Timers” group for older gay men in Boston.
I’m also did a show with Somerville writer/storyteller Randy Ross on Thursday November 13, 2014 at Somerville Library. Our show, “He Said/He Said” is a mostly humorous look at single life in middle age through the eyes of two men–one straight, one gay.
I’ve gotten great feedback from both audience members and sponsors/hosts, as reflected in the comments below:
“Judah’s work allows diverse audience members to see their own stories. His skilled writing really goes deeply to the human experience. His poignant stories are portrayed with integrity and humor…As one of my students said, he had my attention for the entire show. This show is well worth the time to sit back and receive, to laugh, cry and learn.”
Prilly Sanville
Priscilla H. Sanville Ph. D.
Director of the Arts, Community and Education Masters Degree, Lesley University
“Judah Leblang’s one man show ‘One Man’s Journey through the Middle Ages’ at Temple Beth Zion was a wonderful collection of stories from his life, filled with poignancy, humor and grace. Life moments that anyone can understand and relate to. Beautifully scripted and beautifully shared with his audience. I loved every minute of the show.”
Jenni Seicol
Co-President, Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, Mass
In 2014, I performed “One Man’s Journey” in Somerville, Mass, and at Gay Games 9 in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 2013, I took the show, based on the book and some newer material, to the following sites:
Living Soulfully Toronto @ Canadian Lesbian/Gay Archives,Toronto, Canada Oct 2013
MuCCC Theater: Rochester Fringe Festival, Rochester, NY September 2013
Urban Orchid, Cleveland, Ohio August 2013
Buffalo Infringement Festival, Buffalo, NY July 2013
MuCCC Theater–guest artist–Rochester, NY July 2013
Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA April & September 2013
Congregation K’hal B’raira, Cambridge, MA September 2013
In November 2011, I did the show at the Cambridge Center for Adult Ed in Harvard Square. The show was booked for one night only–Saturday November 19 at 7:30 PM. It sold out, and I did it again on February 27, 2012 7:30 PM at Arlington Street Church.
Here’s a clip from an earlier show, “Remembering Jerry”