By Maria Esteves - January 2, 2010

The Off Off Broadway musical of THE LEMON TREE, directed by Mahayana Landowne, co-created by Maria Logis (Singing My Way Through It, And You Gave Me Music, Inside the Oyster, Love, Longing and Separation: Songs and Stories) and Makaria Psiliteli Kazakos performed at the Wild Project Theater, New York, November 6 - 15, 2009. The closing night performance commenced Sunday, November 15, 3:00 PM.

THE LEMON TREE is a passionate and heartfelt musical set in Greece and the United States during 1920s-1930s. 12-year-old Dimitri (Leo Giannopoulos) from the village of Kalentzi goes to the city of Smyrna with his father in search of work, then at 15, fulfilling his father's wish sets off to America in search of a better life. As a young immigrant working 14 to 16 hours daily at a Brooklyn restaurant, with hope of owning and operating his own place, Dimitri returns to Greece, marries Eleni (Maria Niora) and brings her to New York only to realize she is unhappy with life. This great play by Maria Logis intertwined traditional Greek music and the 1922 historical account of Smyrna's destruction. The direction and performances were outstanding. To watch the online trailer of THE LEMON TREE, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxV-SwtAGJA. For further information, please visit http://www.marialogis.com.

Cast members of the Off Off Broadway musical THE LEMON TREE, held
at Wild Project Theater, NYC, November 6 - 15, 2009. Photo credit:
Jun Oshima.

Performing artists Maria Niora, left, and Leo Giannopoulos, THE LEMON TREE,
Off Off Broadway musical. Photo credit: Jun Oshima.