ENTERTAINMENT
Now Starrin
I GOING PLACES
WEEK OF FEB. 10-16
SPECIAL EVENTS
EURO-AMERICA CUP
TENNIS
The Palace, 3777 Lapeer Rd.,
Auburn Hills, players include
Steffi Graff, Pam Shriver and
Tracy Austin, now through
Sunday, admission. 377-0100.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
OF ARTISTS
Highland Park Community
College, arts festival, now
through Sunday, with works by
contemporary African American
artists and a children's
workshop/demonstration today.
964-5775.
GREAT DOLL AUCTION
Children's Museum, 67 E. Kirby,
Detroit, silent auction benefits
the museum, Tuesday,
admission. 494-1223.
Wherever he appears,
16-year-old Danny
Gurwin proves to be a
class act.
STEVEN M. HARTZ
Jewish News Intern
S
tart spreading the news;
Danny Gurwin's leading to-
day on stages all over town.
Gurwin, a junior at South-
field-Lathrup High School,
has appeared at several theaters in
the Detroit area, from the Jewish
Community Center's Aaron DeRoy
Studio to the Fisher.
Thanks to his mother, Nancy Gur-
win, director of her own production
company, Gurwin was able to begin a
theater career at a young age. "When
I was 8 years old, I auditioned for and
received the part of Little Jake in the
Nancy Gurwin production of Annie
Get Your Gun," said Gurwin. "It was
very exciting being that young and
having the chance to perform in a pro-
I. fessional dinner theater. It was my
first look at the theater from an in-
sider's point of view"
As Little Jake, Gurwin played his
mother's little brother (she portrayed
Annie). "It was fun playing my mom's
ow brother," Gurwin admitted. "I had to
stop myself from calling `Mom' on the
stage when something went wrong."
At age 9, he performed in his
•
mother's production of South Pacific
as Jerome, a little native boy. Last
year, he appeared in Gypsy, Starting
Here, Starting Now and a Broadway
revue called Broadway Lullaby.
Recently, Gurwin starred in his
mother's production,Snoopy, last
month at the Jewish Community
Center. On Feb. 18, he will appear
with his mother in a kosher dinner
theater, Over The Rainbow (a tribute
to Judy Garland) at the Jewish Com-
munity Center.
Gurwin doesn't have any conflicts
appearing in his mother's produc-
tions. "When I work for my mom, I
0 don't look at it as being her son," Gur-
win noted. "I look at it as being an
actor in her company who received a
certain role and act as professionally
as I can."
After his theater debut in 1980,
Gurwin reprised the role of Little
COMEDY
COMEDY CASTLE
2593 Woodward, Berkley, Robert
Wuhl, today and Saturday; Gary
Kern, Tuesday through Feb. 18,
admission. 542-9900.
THEATER
Gurwin plays a beagle who enjoys life in the doghouse.
Jake with the Birmingham Village
Players. Then, in 1985, at age 13, he
starred as Billy Ray Jr. in the Village
Players' production of On Golden
Pond.
During this time, he auditioned
for the Peanut Butter Players,
Detroit's only professional children's
luncheon theater, and has been in the
company for the past five seasons.
Gurwin has performed in several
shows with the Peanut Butter
Players. He starred as PT. Barnum in
PT, The Life Story of Barnum, a
musical produced especially for
children. He played Charlie Brown in
its production of You're A Good Man
Charlie Brown which ran through
last November. This past December,
Gurwin performed in Happy Holidays
from the Heart at the New Center One
Glenn Triest
building in Detroit. "It was a story
written by the Peanut Butter Players
cast," he said. "It was about Santa
Claus, toys, love and the heart of the
holidays." Last month, Gurwin, along
with other members of the Peanut
Butter Players, recorded a radio com-
mercial for Velvet Peanut Butter,
which is currently being aired local-
ly on several radio stations.
The same year he joined the
Peanut Butter Players, Gurwin_got a
big break when he performed on stage
at the Fisher in I Pagliacci with the
Michigan Opera Theater. "It was just
an incredible experience to be able to
work with professionals and to per-
form on the Fisher stage," Gurwin
noted.
At age 14, opportunity once again
knocked on Gurwin's door when he
HILBERRY AND
BONSTELLE THEATRES
Wayne St. University, Detroit,
Wild Honey, now through March
4; The Scarlet Pimpernel, now
through April 15; admission.
577-2972.
BIRMINGHAM THEATRE
211 S. Woodward, Birmingham,
Company, Wednesday through
March 19, admission. 644-3533.
MEADOW BROOK THEATRE
Oakland University, Rochester,
The Andersonville Trial, now
through Feb. 26, admission.
377-3300.
PERFORMANCE NETWORK
408 W. Washington, Ann Arbor,
On the Verge, or the Geography of
Yearning, now through Sunday;
In the Traffic of a Targeted City,
admission. 663-0681.
THE THEATRE COMPANY
Smith Theatre, University of
Detroit, Two, now through
Sunday, admission. 927-1130.
FARMINGTON PLAYERS
32332 12 Mile, Farmington Hills,
The Butler Did It, now through
Feb. 18, admission. 538-1670.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL
SOCIETY
Power Center, Ann Arbor,
Mummenschanz, Saturday and
Sunday, admission. 764 2538.
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Continued on Page 67
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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