John Malkovich to Return to Israel for 'The Music Critic' Performance

Renowned American actor John Malkovich is set to perform in Tel Aviv on April 13, 2027, at the Heichal HaTarbut venue in a show titled 'The Music Critic.' The announcement was made on September 2nd, according to Ynet. Malkovich, along with violinist Aleksey Igudesman, first premiered 'The Music Critic' in 2010, and the production has since toured globally.

The show features real, often scathing, reviews written by music critics over many years, which are incorporated into the performance. While musicians play works by composers like Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Schumann, and Debussy, Malkovich embodies a critic who does not hold back. For instance, Brahms is described as a "talentless scoundrel" in one review, and Schumann is portrayed as someone who merely imagines himself a composer. The critic also targets Debussy, Dvořák, and others.

The concept for the show originated with Aleksey Igudesman, a violinist, composer, and showman born in Leningrad to a musical family. His father was a violinist and orchestra leader, and his mother was a music educator. The family emigrated to Germany when Igudesman was six. He later formed the comedic musical duo Igudesman & Joo with pianist Hyung-ki Joo, whom he met at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Both Igudesman and Joo perform live with Malkovich, presenting music from Bach and Mozart to Prokofiev and Piazzolla.

This will be Malkovich's third visit to Israel. He previously attended the Jerusalem International Film Festival in 2008 and returned in 2013 with a production called 'The Infernal Comedy, Confessions of a Serial Killer,' which was shown at the Eilat Chamber Music Festival and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Malkovich expressed his enthusiasm for returning, stating, "I am happy to return to Israel and will gladly meet the passionate Israeli audience again, with whom I feel a great closeness and affection. I hope to see you happy and full of optimism! Sending you much love." Israeli producer Alon Yurik commented on Malkovich's "heartfelt response" to performing in Israel, viewing it as a step towards restoring major international performances to the country.

Despite his surname, John Malkovich does not have Jewish roots. His father was the son of Croatian immigrants, and his mother's ancestry includes English, Scottish, French, and German heritage. Malkovich himself has humorously remarked about this, saying it "didn't work out."