Mike Brant resurrected
Thirty-three years after jumping to his death, biggest Israel-turned-international star returns to stage. The play 'Mike' scheduled to debut in January
"Mike" - a play based on the life of superstar singer Mike Brant, who committed suicide 33 years ago - is scheduled to debut in January at the Beit Lessin Theater.
The play, written by Gadi Inbar and directed by Micah Levinson, tells the tragic story of the biggest star Israel ever produced, who – like many other celebrities – failed to handle fame.
"Mike's story is no different than James Dean's, Elvis Presley's, or Marilyn Monroe's," says Dan Shira, who plays Brant's character.
Mike Brant, back on stage
Dan was not familiar with the tragedy behind Brant's handsome features. "I uncovered an artist with a gentle soul who got trapped in a demanding, stressful framework that was not flexible enough to accommodate his needs. He lost himself in it," he says. "The schism between his need to be loved and creative and the pressures that turned him into a product was too large. He was a sensitive, talented man who was mistreated."
Dan hopes Mike Brant's fans do not expect an impersonation. "If I try to mimic him, I'm sure to fail. I am a different person and my goal is to tell his life story my way."
Dan Shapira and co-star Maya Dagan rehearsing
For playwright Gadi Inbar, bringing Brant's story to the stage is a dream come true. "I've been waiting for Mike to return to the limelight for 33 years," he says. "It is the fascinating tale of a young Israeli man, the son of Holocaust survivors, who grew up in a poor Haifa neighborhood.
"Mike, who didn't utter a single word until he reached the age of five, returned 22 years later to the same Europe his parents fled and conquered it. This was the climax. From that point on, he was headed for a crash.
"When you looked at Mike you saw a handsome man who projected power, like a rock. Yet, he was fragile. He couldn't handle show business," says Tzvika Brant about his brother.
Tzvika is excited about the new production. "As I watch the rehearsals, I am flooded with emotions. It is heartbreaking to see that Mike still touches people, that his story's still alive."
Director Micah Levinson hopes the play will be viewed as an allegory about the mad race for success we all participate in.
