Film Sponsors: Beldock & Saunders, PC; Evan & Greg Karzhevsky

New York pianist Roger Peltzman’s one-man show, Dedication, recounts his family’s tragic history fleeing the Nazis in war-torn Europe using drama, powerful images, and musical performances of everything from blues to Chopin. Drawn into the story of people he never knew, Peltzman develops a 'relationship' with his uncle, Norbert Stern, the finest pianist in Belgium, until he was murdered in Auschwitz at age 21. A singular tale from the Shoah that is at once extraordinary and relatable, Dedication is also a coming to terms with second-generation survivor trauma and the role of music in helping to manage wounds that will never fully heal.

Dedication will be immediately followed by a performance and discussion featuring Roger Peltzman, moderated by Celeste Simone.

Please note that this discussion is exclusively taking place at the in person screening on Tuesday, May 4th. It will not be available virtually.

Roger Peltzman, star and director of Dedication, will join us at JCC Rockland for our screening of his one-man-play. Roger is a native Rocklander who grew up in Blauvelt and attended Tappan Zee High School. He is thrilled to be a part of his hometown's Jewish Film Festival.

Roger is currently a pianist and teacher in New York City. Among his many public performances, Roger has played to sold out audiences at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York's cutting-edge venue—Le Poisson Rouge and in various European venues. He is also an actor, writer and director. 

In 2018 Roger began writing his one-person show Dedication under the tutelage of renowned actor/director Austin Pendleton. During the pandemic in August of 2021 the play was filmed without an audience. In 2022 the live version finally made its world premier at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, receiving 4 star reviews and award for best overseas play. In June 2023 - the play will be staged at the Marlyebone Theatre in London.

Roger will be interviewed by Celeste Simone. As a vocal teacher and coach Celeste has worked with Kristin Chenoweth Chita Rivera, Gossip Girls Adam Chandler-Beret, Didi Conn, Sally Kellerman, Loni Ackermann, Elaine Joyce Simon, Academy Award nominee actress Amy Irving, composer David Shire, American Idol’s Kimberly Locke, Dancing with the Stars’ Mark Ballas, Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess, from the TV show Legacies Danielle Rose Russell, Broadway Empire’s and Netflix’s The Family Ben Rosenfeld, recording artist, Eleri Ward. She has worked alongside Andrew Lloyd Weber and director Joel Schumacher as the NY vocal coach on the movie Phantom of the Opera.

Celeste’s voice students have appeared on Broadway in Moulin Rouge, Hamilton, The Lion King, Chicago, Gypsy, Nine, Wicked, Spamalot, Tarzan, The Color Purple, The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys, Hollywood Arms,The Grinch, The Carnegie Hall concert version of South Pacific (starring Reba MacIntyre, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Alec Baldwin), West Side Story, Baby It’s You, Rent, Follies, Next to Normal, Billy Elliot, Peter and the Star Catcher, Shrek, Once, Newsies, Kinky Boots, Matilda, Beauty and The Beast, The Producers, the 1st national of The Band’s Visit and Mean Girls and A Beautiful Noise 

Celeste has directed over 400 cabaret shows and has been nominated numerous times for Best Director by MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabaret). She has been vocal coach on productions of Anything Goes, Singing In The Rain, Ragtime, Pippin and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She directed the nationally seen An NBC Christmas.  Celeste was HIGH5 Vocalworks artistic director for ten years. Her Onstage Cabaret Workshop is one of the most popular performing workshops in NYC. The New York Times article “Life is a Cabaret” says “Celeste is the one to go to when you want the best in Cabaret direction.Celeste has performed around the world as a singer/comedienne. Celeste has appeared in numerous TV commercials and was featured in the movie DIRT, which was seen at the Cannes and Toronto Film festivals. She has shared the stage with Rita Moreno, Wayland Flowers & Madame, Linda Hopkins, Marty Allen, Kaye Ballard, The Pointer Sisters, Bill Irwin, Alan Ruck, Barry Boswick, and American Idol Arranger/Pianist Michael Orland. Her Television credits include the NBC series Fantasy with Leslie Uggams and Tom Wopat. She hosted MCTV’s Cabaret Beat. Among her theatre credits are the off-Broadway production of Rappicicini’s Daughter, The Good Speed Opera House, The Birmingham Theatre and The Paper Mill Playhouse.

Celeste teaches from her studios on Manhattan’s West Side and Nyack, New York. She is a former faculty member of the Coupe Theatre Studio and Turtle Bay Music School. She holds a position on the Board of Directors of the Bel Canto Institute in residence in Florence, Italy.

Celeste is on the Faculty of Acteen NYC, Broadway Artists Alliance NYC and Bergen Community College, NJ.and frequently gives Master Classes at the Westchester Conservatory. Celeste has been the vocal coach for the HHYT double cast productions of Les Miserable and Chicago. She was the vocal coach for ABC’s ALEX INC. starring Zach Braff, vocal and performance coach at St. Louis Cabaret Project, St Louis University and at the Kristin Chenoweth Broadway Boot Camp. Celeste received her BM in Voice from the Manhattan School of Music