Avi Liberman's quirky style has made him a favorite in comedy clubs and at laugh festivals from Los Angeles to New York, and beyond. Born in Israel, raised in Texas, college-educated in New York, and now living in Los Angeles, his style is a winning combination of life experiences and topical issues told through a varied blend of characters and voices, with worldwide expertise.
Avi has performed stand-up comedy on CBS's Late Late Show, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Make Me Laugh, as well as NBC's Friday Night. His acting credits include Dave's World, Boston Common and Andytown USA. He can also be seen regularly on the E! Channel's popular countdown series.
Based on his firsthand exposure to the Jewish community, entertainment industry and socio-political scene, Avi has the uncanny ability to turn convention on its face — not by mocking and denigrating, but by pulling back the curtain and enabling the audience to laugh with glee at life's absurdities, rather than wring their hands over them. The diverse makeup of the Chabad Gala guest-list thus makes a fertile audience for "The Avi Liberman Experience."
Asher Laub has been playing the violin since the age of 2. By the time he was Bar Mitzvah, he had already performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and has since participated in well over a thousand band, orchestral and recital performances. His speed, mastery and improvisational skills on the strings, covering all genres of music, led him to a career as a soloist in high demand, dazzling audiences at venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hammerstein Hall, Lincoln Center, the Javitz Center and across four continents. Asher has also been featured on PBS, CNN, ABC and NBC, among many other TV stations and media outlets.
Asher performs with two state-of-the art violins: traditional-acoustic and modern glass-electric — each of which creates its own mood and evokes its own powerful response. The audience at Chabad's upcoming Gala at the Four Seasons will be treated to both instruments, as Asher presents an eclectic mix of popular, middle eastern, classical and Jewish numbers. As an added treat, he will be accompanied by a talented dance troupe, performing Asher's choregraphed routines, thereby turning awesome and inspiring into thrilling and exhilarating.
"A violinist who could dance and play at the same time. He truly blew us away!" remarked an audience-member after one of Asher's recent performances. "There are times when words can't do justice, this is one of them," said another. "It was literally magical. I felt like I was transported somewhere else!"
There are some singers who have an almost transcendent ability to melt the heart and penetrate the soul with their mellifluous voices. Itay Benda is one such talent.
Born and raised in a home in Jerusalem where music was a constant, Itay learned to play the piano, drums and guitar, and sing in 11 different languages, at an early age. After appearing on concert-stages across Israel, at the age of 21, he joined the world-tour of "Tararam," a widely-acclaimed, high-energy stage production that was part Stomp, part Blue Man Group and part Riverdance (middle-eastern style).
After six years on the road, Itay settled in Southern California, where he continues to pursue his passion for writing and arranging his own music, while singing and performing some of the greatest songs of all time before enraptured audiences.
Accompanied by Naftali Finkel and the Shira Orchestra, Itay Benda will take to the stage at Chabad's upcoming Gala to perform some of his – and your – favorite songs.
