ENTERTAINMENT
I GOING PLACES
WEEK OF AUG. 12-18
SPECIAL EVENTS
TOLEDO ZOO
2700 Broadway, Toledo, pandas
Le Le and Nan Nan, through
August, admission. 419-726-3272.
CITY OF SOUTHFIELD
Civic Center Plaza, Mini-Jazz
Festival, Sunday. 354-4400.
BRIGHTON SUMMERFEST
Downtown Brighton, 300 arts
and crafts exhibits, bands,
entertainers, puppet and magic
shows, comedy. 3 p.m. today
through Sunday.
RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
10 a.m. to 7 Rm. Saturdays,
Sundays and Labor Day at
Hollygrove in Holly, 150
entertainers on four stages,
admission.
COMEDY
BERKLEY COMEDY CASTLE
2593 Woodward, Berkley, Mack
and Jamie, today; Larry Miller,
Tuesday through Aug. 20,
admission. 542-9900.
Chaim Topol appeared as Tevye in the film version of "Fiddler on the Roof."
Top ol
Despite his world travels and acclaim,
Israel's premier actor hasn't lost sight
of his roots
FRANCES ULLMAN
Special to The Jewish News
BR
eet Chaim Topol, in-
ternational mega-
star, who flits be-
tween London and Tel
Aviv with the casual
negligence of a suburban commuter.
Probably best known for his definitive
role of Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof,"
he has come a long way since his ear-
ly kibbutz days when, he recalls, had
he been accepted as a member of its
choir, he would have been content to
remain there and might never have
made a bid for the professional stage.
He is currently involved in the
film "Queenie," television shows, a
musical and a straight film, and he
has recently completed an indepen-
dent documentary film "Israel 40
Years On," which, he says, has a taut
narrative reflecting the joy of a na-
tional cultural revival of a people who
have worked hard at the business of
survival.
Ibpol is a deeply committed Jew:
his attitudes reflect an almost moving
level of solidarity for his fellows,
which was especially evident during
his own emotional involvement in the
Yom Kippur war when leaving Lon-
don for Israel with his family for Rosh
Hashanah: "A few days later," he says,
"I had to be back in London. It was
Yom Kippur and I was preparing for
synagogue when the phone rang. By
the end of that day I was back again
in Israel.
"One of the joys of returning to
Israel has always been for me the
sight of the lights of Tel Aviv. There
were no lights that night: even the
airport was in total darkness. It was
war yet again."
Actor, writer, artist publisher —
Topol's span has diversified con-
siderably since his original intention
at the age of 14, to become a printer,
subsequently taking a course in
graphic arts.
"I find the art form wonderfully
relaxing," he says now. "When I am
THEATER
SHAW FESTIVAL
Films, television and the stage make a busy
schedule for actor Topol.
in a show I like to sketch members of
the cast, and usually end up giving
them the drawings."
His autobiography, "Topol by
Ibpol," is peppered with remarkable
line drawings of many friends and col-
leagues of the past 40 or so years.
Topol is now 53, married with three
children and one grandchild. "And,"
he says with a certain pride, "except
our granchild as yet, we are all con-
nected in some form or another with
show business."
tre performs in plays and
musicals as often as he can with his
wife Galia, nee Finklestein, whom he
met and married at a kibbutz in 1956.
His daughter Anat is married and
has one child — she is an actress in
Los Angeles. His son Omer is 26 and
has worked as an assistant director in
films and is also studying at a film
school. His youngest daughter Adi is
at a well known London drama
school. Topol is a great family man,
loving and concerned, and says they
are never far from his thoughts.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario,
"You Never Can Tell," and
"Dangerous Corner," through
Oct. 15, "Hit the Deck," through
Oct. 16; "Peter Pan;' through
Oct. 16; "Geneva," through Sept.'.
24; "The Voysey Inheritance,"
through Sept. 25; "The Dark
Lady of the Sonnets," through
Aug. 28; "Once in a Lifetime;
through Oct. 16; "Risks,"
Tuesday through Aug. 26,
admission. 416-468-2172.
OAKLAND COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
Smith Theater, 27055 Orchard
Lake Rd., Farmington Hills,
"Midwestern Memories,"
Saturday; "Alice and
Wonderland," Saturday and Aug.
19; "Midwestern Memories,"
Saturday; "Grease," today,
Wednesday and Aug. 20; "5, 6, 7,
8 Dance!!!" Sunday and
Thursday, admission. 471-7700.
GREENFIELD VILLAGE
Dearborn, "The Man Who Came
to Dinner," Fridays and
Saturdays, now through Sept. 10,
admission. 271-1620.
DETROIT INSTITUTE
OF ARTS
5200 Woodward, Detroit, open
auditions for actors, actresses, a
stage manager and percussionist,
by appointment, Sept. 1 and 2.
832-2731.
Continued on Page 61
TLIC
irinuou kirmo