'Fannie Lou' Musical

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“It’s about civil rights and injustice, and the racial issues that are important for people to know about.”

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Sometimes, spending time away from

something is all a person needs in order to know he never wants to leave it again.

That's what happened to Jacob Berger after working in theater as a youngster. After a 10-year break he yearned once again to experience the proverbial greasepaint and crowds. The 2012 world premiere of Fannie Lou was among his return engagements to the stage, and he was back with the production for the Oct. 9, 2014 performance of "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall."

"I grew up doing musical theater with TADA! Theater," recalled Jacob, a lifelong New Yorker, about the award-winning youth theater and arts education entity. "I think I've always been a very creative person. I get great joy in entertaining people."

Jacob played the role of The Reporter for the world premiere. He reprised that role for the Carnegie Hall performance and added another, Sheriff Bedford.

"Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall" featured selected music and dialogue from the new original musical Fannie Lou, inspired by the life of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. It was offered as a one-night-only special event at the world-renowned venue, and served as a fundraiser for the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, CUNY.

Mrs. Hamer grew up impoverished in rural Mississippi, and did not get past the sixth grade because of racial prejudice and the need to help support her family financially. Jacob, who is from an upper middle-class white Jewish family, was afforded many privileges that evaded people like Mrs. Hamer. Yet, he said, he can identify with her and with the themes in Fannie Lou, which tells the story of the struggle for voting rights from different perspectives. 

“It’s about civil rights and injustice, and the racial issues that are important for people to know about,” Jacob said.

Jacob has a penchant for delving into – and trying to help improve – people’s individual and social circumstances. He majored in psychology at the University of Buffalo, then earned a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University’s School of Social Work. He worked in the field for a while, but got laid off in 2010.

He was ready for a change.

“I got tired of the bureaucracy,” he said. “I liked helping people, but there’s a lot that weighs you down.”

Jacob began to turn back to acting. Gigs included commercials and MCing children’s parities. A 2011 comedic rap parody video in which he portrays a “New York City Jew from the ’hood” went viral. Around that time Jacob decided he ought to turn back to his first love: performing.

“I reassessed my life, and that’s when I made the decision,” he recalled. And he doesn’t merely want to act. He wants to act well. To help him do that, he’s learned to shun the kind of pettiness that can derail even the best-laid plans not only in the theater world, but in any profession.

“I avoid the negative attitudes,” he said, adding, “I hope to leave a legacy behind. I want people to say, ‘You remember that Jacob Berger? He was good.’” 

Jacob said he’s much more determined to stick with his artistic goals this time around. He added that he’d like to work in “all types of mediums, from theater to TV.”

“There’s lots of time, but I’m very focused,” said Jacob. He noted that he enjoyed being part of the world premiere cast.

“Fannie Lou is one of the first theater pieces I did once I started acting again. I really enjoyed the experience. I think it touches on a lot of social issues. It enriched me.”

Jacob's dedication and enthusiasm also enriched the production, and reprising the role of The Reporter for the Carnegie Hall event, as well as taking on the role of Sheriff Bedford, showed different aspects of his acting abilities. Jacob said he had been looking forward to that Oct. 9 Carnegie Hall performance. 

“I’m just happy to be on board,” he said, adding, “It’s also a testament to, you never know where life will take you.”