EN IE1tIAINMEN1 GOING PLACES I WEEK OF DEC. 11-17 SPECIAL EVENTS DETROIT SYMOHONY LEAGUE Tapper's Jewelry, Franklin Savings Center, Southfield, "An Evening of Elegance," holiday party to benefit Detroit Symphony League, 6-9 p.m. today, free, 886-1933. FAR CONSERVATORY Attic Theatre, 7339 Third Ave, Detroit, "A Holiday Cabaret," to benefit conservatory, 7:30 Wednesday, admission, 646-3347. MUSIC CD CD Michael Unger and David Nackman take a break on the set of "Biloxi Blues." Biloxi lues Two nice Jewish boys portray two nice Jewish boys in Part II of the Neil Simon trilogy HEIDI PRESS B News Editor ing Jewish was not a re- quirement for the roles of Arnold Epstein and Eu- gene Jerome in Neil Si- mon's Biloxi Blues now playing at the Birmingham Theater through -Dec. 20. But for David Nackman, formerly as Epstein and currently as Jerome and Michael Unger as the current Epstein it didn't hurt. According to Bronx-born Nackman, being Jewish gave him a special feeling for the character of Jerome, a nice Jewish boy and a bud- ding writer who chronicles his ex- periences at the Mississippi based U.S. Army training camp circa World War II. "I connect to this play very strongly in a lot of ways. When I first saw it in New York, there was some- thing in Epstein, in the Yiddishkeit of him, how he uses Talmudism the way he examines both sides of a ques- tion, his essential decency and prin- cipledness" that attracted Nackman. On the other hand, Unger said that parallel life experiences at- tracted him to the character, rather than the fact that both he and Eps- tein are Jewish. "What makes me connect to Epstein in a very special way is that I've been through a lot of things this character's been through." As an example, he recalled how in junior high he was bullied by some fellows of larger physical stature, much as Epstein is bullied by the character Joseph Wykowski. But, he added, one doesn't have to be Jewish to play a Jew; an actor just has to bring "truth" to the role. "Whatever role you're doing as an actor, you have to approach it in the same way, whether it's Jewish and you're Jewish or you're Buddhist or you're Chinese. I mean it doesn't mat- ter. You have to have a certain truth to bring to the role. I mean that's an actor's job . . . I do ken to Epstein's sensitivity in a very strong way. Not because I'm Jewish, because I'm a sensitive person!" What he finds attractive about the character of Epstein is that he's a fighter, not physically, but morally. "I love the fact that Epstein won't give in. He'll fight. And it's not that he's got an ego. It's as if he knows what's right." At the same time, Nackman found a certain sweetness and in- nocence in Eugene Jerome, and the fact that the character is a close observer of humankind, also was found to be inspiring. "The thing I like about Eugene, I don't know if it's really to like so much, but it is the way he chronicles life. That he takes it all in and he's always watching and waiting to use it later. He never lets anything pass by!' For Nackman, Jerome is the se- cond role he's portrayed in Biloxi Blues. At first, he understudied the role of Epstein and Jerome. Later, he auditioned for the role of Epstein and had the role as the play opened at the Birmingham. When a new director came in recently, he turned the lead of Jerome over to Nackman and brought in Unger to do the Epstein role. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GILBERT AND SULLIVAN SOCIETY Michigan League Building, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, Ann Arbor, Patience, 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, admission, 763-1085. FARMINGTON COMMUNITY BAND Harrison High School, 29995 W. 12 Mile Rd., concert, 3 p.m. Sunday, admission, 661-4610. LYRIC CHAMBER ENSEMBLE Wayne State University, Community Arts Auditorium, Detroit, music by Heitor Villa- Lobos, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, admission, 357-1111. CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK 27375 Bell Rd., Southfield, Halevi Choral Society, 7 p.m. Sunday, free, 357-5544. OAKLAND UNIVERSITY Varner Recital Hall, Oakland University, Rochester, choral concert, 8 p.m. today; classical guitarist Alice Artzt, 3 p.m. Sunday, admission, 370-3013. DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY 5201 Woodward, Bel Canto Choral Society, Hanukkah concert, noon Tuesday, free, 224-0580. CONCERTS- IN-THE-GARDENS Prudential Town Center, Southfield, David Jorlett Chorale, 10 a.m. Sunday, admission, 354-4717. CHILDREN PEANUT BUTTER PLAYERS Austin Hall, 18000 E. Warren, Detroit, Pinocchio, lunch at noon, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, admission, 559-6PBP. Continued on Page 83 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 81