The L'chaim Players

publicity shot

Bat Mitzvah Party
                10-21-2006
The L'chaim Players at Kehilath Israel, October 21, 2006

The L’chaim Players were a group of Kansas-City-area Jewish musicians who love to make music.
We came together at the beginning of 2006 from mutual respect and the desire to give Jewish music a new and improved voice in the area.

Our musical goal was to move the heart with beauty, the head with thought, and the feet with energy. We aimed to please audiences in any Jewish setting, from worship to wedding.

Our base configuration was “two couples and a drummer.” Andy and BelleAnne Curry are one couple, and Harold Steinhardt and Lori Levens are the other.

Each member of the two couples had at least thirty years of musical experience.  We had several excellent drummers "on call."

Lori Levens plays keyboards, accordion, and guitar, as well as singing alto harmonies.
She combines classical training with experience in songleading, lounge acts, teaching, directing, and accompanying choirs, instrumental and vocal soloists, and cantors.

Harold Steinhardt plays clarinet, flute, and saxophones. In addition to playing with us, he also arranges music, gives lessons, repairs instruments,
and plays for musical shows at dinner theatres and Starlight, as well as gigging with his rhythm-and-blues band, Souled Out.

BelleAnne Curry sings and plays percussion. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from UMKC and had been singing in the area for many years, most recently with the Nigun Orchestra.

Andy Curry sings and plays bass and guitar as well as arranging most of our music.
Andy has a long history in popular music in the Lawrence/KC area, but he had turned most of his attention to Jewish music,
playing in the Nigun Orchestra for several years, serving as cantor/shaliach tzibur locally and elsewhere,
and singing, arranging, and composing for Shireinu, the Jewish Community Chorale of Greater Kansas City.


Here are some demo recordings we made.  Hava listen!

Chiribim, Chiribom

A wedding medley of
Siman Tov Umazal Tov, Y'varech'cha, and V'haer Eneynu

Dodi Li
Zemer Atik
Lu Y'hi


Lori and Harold
Lori Levens grew up in the KC area and was a  songleader at B'nai Jehudah as a teenager.  She plays keyboards, accordion, and guitar, as well as singing alto harmonies.

Harold Steinhardt grew up in the KC area and plays clarinet, flute, and saxophones.  He makes his living in music, giving lessons, arranging, and maintaining and repairing instruments.  He is a mainstay player for many theatrical productions at Starlight, American Heartland Theater, and the New Dinner Theater.  He also plays in the rhythm-and-blues band Souled Out.

Lori and Harold are married, by the way.
BelleAnne Curry
BelleAnne Curry (not Friedman).  BelleAnne is my wonderful wife.  She may be the best "natural" musician I know.
Andy with upright bass
Andy Curry playing the bass in his living room.  I won't bother with a bunch of information about me, because everything you need to know, and more, is already on this web site.
Buddy 10-21-2006
I don't know what it is about drummers, but good ones are busy.  We've used five drummers: Sam Wisman, Marc Caplan, Mike Goldman, David Spritzer, and Bud Pettit, shown here at KI synagogue on 10-21-2006.  If you've read the rest of my website, you know about Bud.

Example of our Calendar

Mar. 2 - Erev Shabbat at Congregation Kol Ami
Mar. 3 - Village Shalom, Purim megillah reading
Mar. 4 - JCC, Purim Seudah party (Esther's Grill)
May 10 - Jewish Federation, Women's Division
May 20 - Kosher Kansas City, Ohev Sholom
Memorial Day Weekend - wedding
June 1 - Kehilath Israel Friday night live


Copyright 2006, 2022 by Andy Curry