ENTERTAINMENT

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Jared Hoffert is no longer singing the blues.

IBROAIDWAY BOUND?

Jared Hoffert begins the University of Michigan
next September with hopes of having a
successful career in New York not as a waiter!

STEVE HARTZ

Special to The Jewish News

s a child, Jared Hof-
fert had major-league
dreams. He wanted to
be a professional baseball
player.
He later decided to defend
a new goal and become an
attorney.
Today, after months of
plea-bargaining with his
parents, the Southfield-
Lathrup High School senior
has made another dramatic
career decision.
Next fall, Hoffert will

begin studying musical
theater at the University of
Michigan. After competing
with 150 in-coming
freshmen who demonstrated
their acting, singing, danc-
ing and musical talents, he
and 19 others were selected
into the program.
Hoffert, 17, who grew up in
Southfield, was a late
bloomer in the world of
theater. At six feet five in-
ches tall, he cut his acting
teeth his freshman year in
high school when he played
the Fairy Godmother in The
Final Dress Rehearsal.
"The play was a spoof of a

high school class doing
Cinderella where everything
was going wrong," Hoffert
said. "So, I guess casting a
male as the Fairy God-
mother seemed appropriate.
What a way to start off!"
Since then, he has been
cast in several shows. As a
junior in high school, he ap-
peared in Little Shop of
Horrors as Bernstein, in
Lovers as Joe and in Our
Town as the Stage Manager.
"The Stage Manager was
my favorite role," Hoffert
said. "It was very challeng-
ing, but was a hard
character for me to play at

the time because my director
wanted me to be very friend-
ly with the audience and
smile all of the time."
Mark Finn, the play's di-
rector, explained, "The
Stage Manager is universal.
He is the person who runs
the show, narrates the show
and also acts in the show. He
is supposed to make the au-
dience feel comfortable and
can't be phony. The
challenge was tough for
Jared, who was sad and mo-
rose at the time because he
had a number of difficult
problems in his life. So, he
had to go through a
metamorphosis in order to
play the role, and he pulled
through. He did a great job."
Hoffert said that back then
he didn't see the good things
in life, and he always walked
around with a permanent
frown. But now he has
learned from the play's
moral, "Live life while you
have it because you can't go
back and live it again."
This year, Hoffert has had
to balance his academic
studies at Southfield-
Lathrup and Hebrew studies
at Congregation Shaarey
Zedek with high school fo-
rensics, madrigal choir,
band and a starring role as
Greg in A Chorus Line.
He also managed to fit into
his schedule Peanut Butter
Players' rehearsals, where
he appeared as the Cowardly
Lion in the professional
children's theater troupe's
production of The Wizard of
Oz.
On April 5, 6 and 7, he will
star as Judd Fry in his high
school production of
Oklahoma.
Hoffert has been playing
the trombone since the 5th
grade and has been recog-
nized for his talent at band,
vocal and forensics competi-
tions.
"My dad started me in
music. He is a saxophone
player and was pretty good
in his time," Hoffert laugh-
ed.
"Most students focus on
one area of theater, either
performing or working
behind the stage, but he's
done it all and has been con-
sistently good," said Jon
Swords, director of the com-
munications department at
Southfield-Lathrup. "Since
Jared has been here, he has
participated in every show.
And that's rare."
Hoffert occasionally finds
time to sleep (he dozes in
between scenes during
rehearsals) and presently
maintains a 3.7 grade point
average.
During the summer — in
his spare time — he par-

—

I GOING PLACES

WEEK OF
MARCH 30-
APRIL 5

JEWISH EVENTS

JEWISH ENSEMBLE
THEATRE

Jewish Community
Center, 6600 W. Maple
Road, West Bloomfield,
Last Resort, through
April 1, admission,
788-2900.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

West Bloomfield, Mark
Russell, political
humorist, 8 p.m. April 3,
admission, 353-5486.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SOUTHFIELD CIVIC
CENTER

Pavilion, International
Folk Dance Festival,
includes Hora Aviv
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County771.taimick:

April 224:77
ailk.V4700/4_,
-"•-•
377-3300.

DAYS HOTEL

17017 W. Nine Mile,
Southfield, Little Mary
Sunshine, through
March, admission,
557-4800.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

69

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