Rio de Janeiro—There are some wonderful Cariocas, or local characters, who may have passed away but continue to live on immortally!

Brazil´s 20th century Moliere, playwright, actor, director and drama teacher Joao Bethcourt (Budapest,1924-2006, Rio de Janeiro) is one of these “figuras,” a they call charismatic personalities in Portuguese.

In my first years in Rio de Janeiro, writing for the Brazil Herald (newspaper in English) about cultural events, I had the privilege to get to know this graduate of the Yale University school of drama, a contemporary of Paul Newman.

And although my Portuguese was limited, the Brazilian playwright´s comedies which were translated and quite successful in Germany and other parts of Europe, including the hilarious” The Day the Pope was Kidnapped,” (1972) and “Bonifacio Bilhoes” (1975) “were quite understandable and touched this theater lover.

In fact, in some way the hilarity of what Bethencourt created onstage reminded me of Neil Simon “(New York,1927- NYC,2018) and his inimitable comedies “Barefoot in the Park,” the “Odd Couple” which had made me laugh to tears at Broadway theaters in my native city of New York.

“Are you the Neil Simon of Brazil?” I asked Bethencourt for an interview for the Brazil Herald.

“No, Neil Simon is the Joao Bethcourt of Broadway,” the playwright wryly answered.

Bethencourt´s biggest dream was to have a comedy of his playing on Broadway, the famous theatrical district of New York where the myth is “a heart is broken for every light on Broadway.”

So, he gave the text of the hilarious comedy I attended Saturday night at its premiere, Circumcision in New York,” for the opinion of a New York theatergoer.

My opinion at the time decades ago was the play was too much of burlesque, slapstick comedy for the so-called sophistication of audiences of the Great White Way.

But times have changed and marriage between the same sex is not only (almost) acceptable to all but the law in many parts of the world.

And many of these couples if not adopting children are bearing children by artificial insemination (once called “test tube babies.”)

Therefore, the main premise of the play: two lesbians having a baby generated by artificial insemination and celebrating a “bris,” –or circumcision (surgical procedure to remove the foreskin of the penis) is today a reality for many so-called gay couples.

And in my humble opinion although this comedy is in the tradition of the Yiddish theater it is a theatrical piece which could have international appeal…maybe even for the perfectionist tastes of Broadway, if not off-Broadway.

Two lesbian Jews fall in love and have a lovely baby boy?

Never mind that two traditional Jewish fathers, Samuel and Abraham almost have heart attacks at the discovery that their beloved daughters, Emily and are “married,” the “show” or circumcision must go on.

Tradition and circumcision are not only a Jewish custom but revealment in Islam, Druze faith and some Christian denominations.

So, despite the presence of head covering, yarmulkas and presence of a mohel (a person who performs the circumcision)—who is called a Rabbi for theatrical purposes onstage—this hilarious comedy has potentially a wider audience.

Bethencourt Hungarian -Jewish origins who had settled with his parents in Brazil before World War II, would gladly return from the grave and taken a box before the packed house of laughing- with- tears theatregoer at the recently re-opened Teatro Briggite Blair, here in Copacabana.

A shame he couldn’t be at the opening and subsequent staging’s which are programmed. As a director, actor who was a perfectionist Bethencourt would have been at every presentation, taking notes and making corrections and modifications according to what he viewed and how the audience re-acted.

From my experience as a viewer of Bethencourt ´s other comedies, the choice of actors and actresses (unfortunately the audience had no written program) was exactly in the tradition of the thespians Bethencourt would have chosen.

The comedy continues this evening at 18hs and is ably directed by Guilherme DelRio, direction supervised by the playwright´s daughter, actress, theater professor and director Cristina Bethencourt.

The official and quite believable cast includes: Jalusa Barcellos (Jewish mother, Sarah), Narjata Turetta (daughter, Miriam), Araci Breckenfeld, (Miriam´s partner Emily) Sergio Fonta (Miriam´s father, Abraham), Rogerio Freitas (Samuel, father of Emily), Danton Lisboa (Ralph, who was NOT the father of the baby), scenery and costumes by Augusto Pessoa. Carlos Loffler(the Rabbi-Moel who performs the circumcision—was ill and replaced by an actor who managed with two rehearsal to ably perform his part.