CtIl l IDI
ENTERTAINMENT
dining room, carry-out and trays
fl
• breakfast • lunch • dinner
fter-theater • kiddie menu
BletS
For A Song
open tuesdays thru sundays
10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
lincoln shopping center, 10 1/2 mile & greenfield, oak park
/
968-0022
A Tradition
Since 1934
&E. Taitat/ —14' r : . 94.146
Jim- 21 inin9 al
Continued from preceding page
LocLici.i4
Fred Bayne at the organ nightly
1128 E. Nine Mile Road (1 1/2 Mile East of I-75))
i *
Recommended by AAA & Mobile Guides
FUNG L
(313) 541-2132
_
'S
SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE & AMERICAN
Mon.-Thurs. 11-10, Fri. & Sat. 11-11 Sun. 12-10
CARRY OUT • CATERING
BANQUET FACILITIES]
8410 W. NINE MILE, W of Livernois . 5441021
GOLDEN BOWL
Restaurant
22108 COOLIDGE AT 9 MILE In A & P Shopping Center
•DINE IN & CARRY-OUT. —. _. 398-75501ot 398-5503
•
SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE & AMERICAN CUISINE
OPEN 1 DAYS—Mon.-Thurs. 11-10, Fri. & Sat. 11-11, Sun. & Holidays 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Banquet Facilities
Your Chef: FRANK ENG
. „. . 11'
A
40
IL :.,,
COMPLETE
CARRY-OU _
AVAILABLE
4 4 .: 11 ] a .
1
THE GOLD COIN
OPEN 7 DAYS —
YOUR HOST: HOWARD LEW
SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE
*- AND AMERICAN FOOD
24480 W. 10 MILE (iN TEL-EX PLAZA)
353-7848
West of Telegraph
INE GPEAT WALE
SERVING YOUR FAVORITE EXOTIC
- - DRINKS & CHOICE COCKTAILS
I
•
PRIVATE DINING ROOM
BANQUETS • PARTIES • BUSINESS MEETINGS I
Your host . . . HENRY LUM
Businessmen's Luncheons • Carry outs • Catering
35135 Grand River, Farmington
(Drakeshire Shopping Center)
476-9181
.H0A KOW INN
Specializing In Cantonese, Szechuan & Mandarin Foods
Open Daily 11 to 10:30, Sat. 11 to 12 Mid., Sun. 12 to 10:30
— Carry-Out Service —
13715 W. 9 MILE, W. of Coolidge • Oak Park
KING LIM'S GARDEN
Mandarin, Szechuan & Cantonese Food
26196 GREENFIELD, LINCOLN CENTER, OAK PARK
Mon.-Thurs. 11 to 10:30
Fri. 11 to 11. Sat. 11 to 12 -
Sun. 12 noon to 10
,
968-3040
547-4663
OPEN 7 DAYS
A WEEK
NEW KING
LIM'S
3305 Auburn Rd.
Carry Out Service
Catering To Parties Available
852-8280
-
Exotic Cocktails
FLOWN IN FRESH
EXPRESSLY FOR YOUR DINING
at
the
ENGLISH DOVER SOLE
KINGSLEY INN 642 0100
-
KOW KOW INN
• Famous Chop Suey • Cantonese Food • Steaks • Chops • Sea Food
OPEN Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-12:30 a.m.. Sun. & Holidays 12 Noon-12:30 a.m.
CARRY OUT SERVICE
EASY PARKING
322 W. McNichols Bet. Woodward & Second
66
868-7550
Friday, December 12, 1986 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
S.
who she had dated since high
school, she took time off from
music to work and help with
his career as a certified pub-
lic accountant.
She began working as an
insurance underwriter, but
always figured she would re-
turn to music at some point.
However, after Rofel had her
daughter, Leslie, she de-
veloped thyroid cancer — a
devastating experience that
changed her life since it was
not known if she would ever
be able to perform again after
the corrective 'surgery. "I
bargained with God: Give me
my voice back and I'll do
something with it."
It took a full year of hard
work after the surgery to
strengthen her voice. Rofel's
original 21/2 octave range had
diminished to a mere four
notes while recuperating
from the surgery. But when
her voice did return, it did so
with a bang. Rofel claims
that it never sounded as
strong before the surgery.
"My voice came back with
a gusto. All that talking to
God and then he came down
with a sledgehammer. I don't
think I had this much talent
before the surgery, I think
this is a gift from God."
Perhaps it is a God-given
gift or perhaps it is the result
of long hours of work. What-
ever the c.e, Rofel is using
her "new and improved" voice
in a variety of ways in order
to develop a strong foothold
in Detroit's performing corn-
munity.
Currently, she is singing
with the David Jollet
Chorale, a professional, 24-
member singing ensemble
which specializes in a capella
style singing (without accom-
paniment).
"I don't have to be in the
limelight. It's okay to be in
choirs. People ask 'Are you
going to sing a solo?' Well,
no, I'm not but I'm having
fun.
"You have to have confi-
dence in yourself -to not take
yourself so seriously and feel
the need to be center stage.
Of course, I think I'm good,
but there a lot of other good
people as well."
Rofel recently performed in
the Jewish Community Cen-
ter's production of Funny
Girl, directed by Nancy Gur-
win, and is actively looking
to work in other similar
productions.
"I'm operatically trained
and yet I don't kvetch. I
really like the Broadway
stuff. I'm at a growth point. I
study the classics, but my
heart is in easy listening.
"Recently, I was at a point
of searching. Do I do opera?
Do I do stage shows? I can't
do everything. A voice ma-
tures at 40 so mine is still a
young voice, there's time."
Rofel spends much of her
time performing at churches
where she sings liturgical
music and feels that she
sings "a lot more `Jesu
Christes' than a nice Jewish
girl ought to."
She sees a need for more
cultural programs within the
Jewish community and is
hoping to do more to gain ex-
posure and expand the scope
of performing arts in syna-
gogues and Jewish organiza-
tions.
"There has not been a ve-
hicle for Jewish entertainers
and I would like to bring
more back culturally into the
community. While syna-
"I bargained with
God: Give me my
voice back and I'll
do something with
it."
gogues may have their own
choirs, they often bring in
professionals from New York
or Israel as soloists. What
about our homegrown talent?
A handful of local theaters
and producers have found
success in the Detroit area
like the Hilberry, the Attic,
Jimmy Launce and Nancy
Gurwin and Phil Marcus Es-
ser, the latter two Rofel ad-
mires.
"I don't want to run to New
York. I have a husband and a
family although if someone
handed me a part in a
Broadway production, I'd
have to take it but Esser has
an audience. Nancy Gurwin
Dinner Theater has a built-in
audience. What's the dif-
ference?"
In fact, Rofel would like to
develop a similar following
with shows of her own. She is
trying to put together a
one-woman show concentrat-
ing on Broadway showtunes
in a cabaret style.
It would seem that some-
one interested in a singing
career would be tempted by
all the glamour and glitter
that becoming a big success
could bring.
Not so with Marsha Rofel.
Rofel is one of those rare per-
formers who is not in it for
the money or the stardom. It
means more for her to ex-
press herself and perhaps
touch someone through her
singing than to have her
name up in lights.
"Music is about having fun.
Every note does not have to
be perfect. Every nuance
need not be perfect. I could
tell you everything wrong
with one of my performances,
but that's not what music is
all about."
And Rofel has had her
share of less than perfect per-
formances. During a recital
in French she suddenly forgot
the lyrics and had to make
up gibberish to fit the music.
A few people smiled and
nodded to let her know they
were aware of the confusion,
but enjoyed it all the same.
In fact, everyone enjoyed it.
It didn't matter.
"If you can just connect
with one person, it's worth it.
It can be tremendously re-
warding to get a response."
Rofel also is interested in
working for charities and has
performed at B'nai B'rith
functions. Whether through
dinner theater or recitals, she
would like to work in con-
junction with philanthropic
organizations for the expo-
sure and for the results
which could be brought about
by her performing.
One of the nicest parts of
performing has been the ef-
fect it has had on Rofel's fam-
ily. Their support has played
an intrinsic part in the de-
velopment of her music
career and indeed, it was
music that first brought Rofel
and her husband John to-
gether.
Both were involved in Oak
Park High School's music de-
partment and performed with
the Brandenburg Singers, an
award-winning ensemble.
They attended Michigan
State University, where Rofel
was a voice performance
major. They dated throughout
college and were married a
year after graduating.
"It's so easy to be suppor-
tive because music is the only
thing that truly makes
Marsha happy," says John.
"It's her whole life and I
understand her hectic rehear-
sal schedule like she under-
stands tax season."
The Rofels recently re-
turned to their musical roots
when John joined the David
Jollet Singers. Even three-
year-old 'Leslie Rofel gets into
the act. The beautiful,
sparkly-eyed tyke parades
around singing "New York,
New York" and plays a mini-
ature piano that stands next
to her mother's full sized one
used for practicing and pri-
vate voice instruction.
Rofel says that teamwork
and a lot of patience allow
her to do all things that
make her happy although the
time factor can be a problem.
"When I find I have time for
a class I don't know whether
I should go for insurance cer-
tification or take an opera
class."
Whatever the choice, it is
sure to be a success since this
full-time singer/actor/
insurance underwriter/wife/
mother does not do anything
half way.
"I thought, how am I going
to get this all together, but I
did. And I did it on my own.
No help from professionals.
"It makes no difference if
someone tells me I'm good or
not. I think I'm good and I'll
establish a reputation by
word of mouth. It's starting
to happen."
❑