Gad Oron is one of Israel’s leading concert and entertainment promoters. He is responsible for bringing great entertainers such as Robbie Williams, the Harlem Globetrotters, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Sir Tom Jones, Juliette Greco, Metallica, Rod Stewart, Justin Bieber, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon to Israel.
He recently brought Jerry Seinfeld to Israel for four sold out nights of comedy at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv.
Liberate Art: Congratulations on bringing Jerry Seinfeld to Israel for four sold out nights at the Nokia. What was he like to work with?
Oron: One word – Pleasure. Jerry Seinfeld surrounds himself with a top-rate professional team. They were cooperative, efficient, and effective. Mr. Seinfeld himself is nice and cooperative. I had a great experience promoting his shows in Israel.
Jerry Seinfeld ©Thomas Hawk/Flickr
Liberate Art: Hundreds ofinternational musicians perform in Israel every year, but comedy can be culturally specific. What topics did he touch on in his performance that you feel resonated most strongly with the Israeli audience?
Oron: Actually, his entire act resonated with the audience. Seinfeld broke the ice in the beginning by describing the typical audience member at his shows here. The rest of the show was easy after this.
Liberate Art: As one of the most successful concert promoters in Israel, you have been behind bringing so many big name talents to Israel. Is it just as exciting today as it was when you first started?
Oron: Every talent that we bring in is a new start, and it’s exciting. This is why I am still in this business. This was the first comedy show that I dealt with and it was a challenge, I must say. I didn’t know for sure that people would “goggle up” tickets the way they did because it was 100% in English.
Liberate Art: Israel hosts many international film and music festivals every year. What do you think about an international comedy festival?
Oron: We are working on this now. Keep it a secret.