The Jewish holiday Purim is about remembering persecution, celebrating redemption, and pushing identity, examining who we really are in contrast to how we present ourselves to the world (that’s where the costumes come in). That’s the serious stuff – but there’s also a lot of fun to be had. One of the traditions of Purim is to launch a Purim shpiel, a play or collection of comedy sketches that poke fun at identity or current trends. In cities such as NYC and L.A., where celebs live, work and play, sometimes Purim shpiels and events draw some famous star power.For the last several years, one of the leader in comedy shpiels has been The Shushan Channel, which, in addition to its live shows written by top comedy writers (from “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien,” “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” “30 Rock,” et al), has been producing videos to promote the shows, including last year’s Meshugeneh Men, and the previous year’s Jewno. Their latest is “Wolfman DDS.” (In all three, keep your eyes peeled for some famous faces.) This year’s show, this Saturday night at 92Y Tribeca, features Lizz Winstead (co-creator, “The Daily Show”) and promises sketches named “Persia Shore.” “Flight of the Conquereds.” “Glee-vey!” among others. Taking a slightly different approach, The New York Synagogue is launching “Purim and the City,” featuring Chris Noth (“Sex and the City”) as the celebrity host. The hosts bill the event as the “ultimate networking experience for married, singles, professionals, and business people. If you have a job or want a job, need more clients or looking for new friends, this is the place to be in New York City.” Previous years have seen “Remember the Beatles Purim,” and “Slumdog Megillah Purim.” Are you dressing up for Purim? Share your costume ideas here.

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