Theodore Bikel

Self-described as "a general practitioner in the world of arts," Theodore Bikel is indeed a Renaissance man. A star of the stage and screen -- at least back when The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof were big attractions -- he has also played an important role as a folk music archivist. He has made numerous recordings of folk songs from Israel and Russia, in addition to albums focusing on Yiddish theater music. Recent albums such as A Taste of Passover and A Taste of Chanukah find the friendly baritone singer continuing in his dual role as a proud keeper of Jewish traditions and as an old-fashioned entertainer working in a realm that otherwise doesn't exist so widely anymore.