Jude Treder-Wolff
Selden, New York, United States
Music
Press
There aren't many entertainers who combine standup comedy with psychological therapy and then toss into the mix some songs. Jude Treder-Wolff, however, has managed to do just that in her show If I Ruled The World. The sprite-like Treder-Wolff, trained as a music therapist, recently brought her ideas about people and their foibles to Judy's Chelsea. The show, directed by Erv Raible, aptly demonstrated that despite the mamy differences among people, we all connect on certain levels.
With a wry, bright smile, Treder-Wolff's comic delivery is less biting than empathetic, and with a vocal delivery that is smooth rather than textured. Treder-Wolff's song selections dovetailed neatly with her observations. Even the title song was rendered wistfully instead of with the aggressive tension other singers often apply. Her approach was brought to a peak in a particularly effective sequence presenting stages of romance beginning with two flaming toches, First for "Denial" with "I Don't Want To Know (by Jerry Herman) followed by How About Me, the perfect song for "Depression." Treder-Wolff deftly switched the mood to laugher in stage three, declaring determination via Charmmichale's I Get Along Without You Ver Well, while reaching for the Krispy Cremes, Sara Lee, and a can of Ready Whip. It was a slick and inspirted comical touch. She heightened the moood for the next stages, "Aggression, " and then "Regression," delivery two of her own lyrics to Bob Stecko's music, A Brighter Day following by a humorous I'll Do Anything.
Treder-Wolff, raised a Catholic, mischievously drew upon religious experiences for her observations, including a quick dress up in a nun's habit to sing "Sister Who's Smokin' a tune she wrote with music director Tedd Firth.
If I Ruled The World ala Jude Treder-Wolff is a comforting, if quirky idea. A touch of therapy with a lot of laughs and music seems exactly what the world needs now.
Elizabeth Ahlfors - Cabaret Scenes Sept 2002 p. 26
There aren't many entertainers who combine standup comedy with psychological therapy and then toss into the mix some songs. Jude Treder-Wolff, however, has managed to do just that in her show If I Ruled The World. The sprite-like Treder-Wolff, trained as a music therapist, recently brought her ideas about people and their foibles to Judy's Chelsea. The show, directed by Erv Raible, aptly demonstrated that despite the mamy differences among people, we all connect on certain levels.
With a wry, bright smile, Treder-Wolff's comic delivery is less biting than empathetic, and with a vocal delivery that is smooth rather than textured. Treder-Wolff's song selections dovetailed neatly with her observations. Even the title song was rendered wistfully instead of with the aggressive tension other singers often apply. Her approach was brought to a peak in a particularly effective sequence presenting stages of romance beginning with two flaming toches, First for "Denial" with "I Don't Want To Know (by Jerry Herman) followed by How About Me, the perfect song for "Depression." Treder-Wolff deftly switched the mood to laugher in stage three, declaring determination via Charmmichale's I Get Along Without You Ver Well, while reaching for the Krispy Cremes, Sara Lee, and a can of Ready Whip. It was a slick and inspirted comical touch. She heightened the moood for the next stages, "Aggression, " and then "Regression," delivery two of her own lyrics to Bob Stecko's music, A Brighter Day following by a humorous I'll Do Anything.
Treder-Wolff, raised a Catholic, mischievously drew upon religious experiences for her observations, including a quick dress up in a nun's habit to sing "Sister Who's Smokin' a tune she wrote with music director Tedd Firth.
If I Ruled The World ala Jude Treder-Wolff is a comforting, if quirky idea. A touch of therapy with a lot of laughs and music seems exactly what the world needs now.
Elizabeth Ahlfors - Cabaret Scenes Sept 2002 p. 26
"Evolving At The Speed of Life" is Jude Treder-Wolff's second go-around at Danny's Skylight Room. Her previous effort was title "Love And Other Forms of Transporation" each being a combination of songs and stand-up comedy relating to her life as a singer, actress and psychotherapist. Ms. Treder-Wolff's program is immensely entertaining. The songs arranged and played by Bob Stecko are very personal, all related to her life and range from standards such as Sondheim's "Losing My Mind" and "No One Is Alone" Cole Porter's "Its All Right With me," "Good Morning Heartache" by Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham and Ervin Drake, to three original songs by Treder-Wolff and her musical director Bob Stecko. She moves effortlessly from song to stand-up. Her observations are pithy, insightful and funny, and keep her audience laughing and identifying.
Jan Wallman - Applause! Applause! Vol VI Issue 1 ( 2000)
"Evolving At The Speed of Life" is Jude Treder-Wolff's second go-around at Danny's Skylight Room. Her previous effort was title "Love And Other Forms of Transporation" each being a combination of songs and stand-up comedy relating to her life as a singer, actress and psychotherapist. Ms. Treder-Wolff's program is immensely entertaining. The songs arranged and played by Bob Stecko are very personal, all related to her life and range from standards such as Sondheim's "Losing My Mind" and "No One Is Alone" Cole Porter's "Its All Right With me," "Good Morning Heartache" by Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham and Ervin Drake, to three original songs by Treder-Wolff and her musical director Bob Stecko. She moves effortlessly from song to stand-up. Her observations are pithy, insightful and funny, and keep her audience laughing and identifying.
Jan Wallman - Applause! Applause! Vol VI Issue 1 ( 2000)
Jude Treder-Wolff has put together a show that manages to combine her unique talents as a singer, social worker, actress and psychotherapist. Her show is a comedy cabaret about letting life change you. She infuses standards like "Good Morning Heartache" and "Seems Like Old Times" with endearing anecdotes and personal philosophies (e.g. "If you can't have the one you want, lower your standards"). She and music director Bob Stecko have even come up with some songs of their own about coping with the trials and tribulations of life. Going with the flow of disappointments ande unreached goals, she sings a love song to a doughnut, performs a mini-soap opera entitled "The Dark At the Pit Of Your Soul" and reveals that she was the only child in the fourth grade to have Social Worker Barbie. Treder-Wolff gives you an evening of pure musical entertainment complimented by comedy and her delightful perspective on how the world works.
Laurie Lawson - www.Electronic Link.com May 30, 2000
Jude Treder-Wolff has put together a show that manages to combine her unique talents as a singer, social worker, actress and psychotherapist. Her show is a comedy cabaret about letting life change you. She infuses standards like "Good Morning Heartache" and "Seems Like Old Times" with endearing anecdotes and personal philosophies (e.g. "If you can't have the one you want, lower your standards"). She and music director Bob Stecko have even come up with some songs of their own about coping with the trials and tribulations of life. Going with the flow of disappointments ande unreached goals, she sings a love song to a doughnut, performs a mini-soap opera entitled "The Dark At the Pit Of Your Soul" and reveals that she was the only child in the fourth grade to have Social Worker Barbie. Treder-Wolff gives you an evening of pure musical entertainment complimented by comedy and her delightful perspective on how the world works.
Laurie Lawson - www.Electronic Link.com May 30, 2000
In its beginnings, in Europe, cabaret carried social commentary on the times. Now Jude Treder-Wolff has revived the tradition with her new show, "Enchantments....The planet in the window," at the Duplex. Mixing music and monologue, and cavorting occasionally in costume, she has created an original show that flows with comedy yet carries an undercurrent of serious concern. The show includes a generous helping of songs, ranging from almost-anthems - for example, Rodgers & Hammerstein's You've Got To Be Taught, Judlie God's From A Distance, and Joe Darion/Mitch Leigh's Impossible Dream - to high humor including John Wallowitch's Cosmetic Surgery, William Spiven's Operator, Get Me Jesus On the Line, and the Tom Lehrer chestnut "We'll All Go Together When We Go. Drawing on her background as both a stand-up comic and therapist, and aided by Wells Hanley as music director and Erv Raible as director, Treder-Wolff succeeds in helping us laugh and think at the same time.
Peter Haas - Cabaret Scenes July 2004 p. 26
In its beginnings, in Europe, cabaret carried social commentary on the times. Now Jude Treder-Wolff has revived the tradition with her new show, "Enchantments....The planet in the window," at the Duplex. Mixing music and monologue, and cavorting occasionally in costume, she has created an original show that flows with comedy yet carries an undercurrent of serious concern. The show includes a generous helping of songs, ranging from almost-anthems - for example, Rodgers & Hammerstein's You've Got To Be Taught, Judlie God's From A Distance, and Joe Darion/Mitch Leigh's Impossible Dream - to high humor including John Wallowitch's Cosmetic Surgery, William Spiven's Operator, Get Me Jesus On the Line, and the Tom Lehrer chestnut "We'll All Go Together When We Go. Drawing on her background as both a stand-up comic and therapist, and aided by Wells Hanley as music director and Erv Raible as director, Treder-Wolff succeeds in helping us laugh and think at the same time.
Peter Haas - Cabaret Scenes July 2004 p. 26
Self=medicate at Thursday Nite Psycho Therapy Group. Expect the unexpected: Host (and psychotherapist) Jude Treder-Wolff updates the variety show weekly with guest vocalists and comedians spouting off their opinions-without the hourly rate. Upstairs at Rose's Turn, 55 Grove St.
Ed Tahaney - New York Daily News 25 Hours Section Dec. 5, 2004, p. 8
Self=medicate at Thursday Nite Psycho Therapy Group. Expect the unexpected: Host (and psychotherapist) Jude Treder-Wolff updates the variety show weekly with guest vocalists and comedians spouting off their opinions-without the hourly rate. Upstairs at Rose's Turn, 55 Grove St.
Ed Tahaney - New York Daily News 25 Hours Section Dec. 5, 2004, p. 8
Discography
Serious Fun
Photos
Bio
My work writing and performing my own shows originated with an opportunity to write a show to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in 1992, funded in part by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. I wrote a part for myself to save the money we would have spent to hire another actress with our limited budget, and enjoyed the process of putting my own words and ideas into a comic character so much that I decided to expand into doing stand-up and one-person shows. Again, so much cheaper to hire myself. Since then I have written and performed solo shows in cabaret, comedy, jazz and theatrical venues, often combining activism with performances, e.g. raising funds for Habitat for Humanity, Oxfam America, Hurricane Katrina survivors, and Time For Teens. I believe live arts events keep us connected and awake and sometimes even energize activism.
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