PHOTOS BY DANI EL M. LI PPI TT
`Rock'
Thera lly
A young actor and a local
veteran sing, dance and laugh
through 'Angry Housewives.'
SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
R
ochelle Rosen-
Ms. Rosenthal, 43, who spent
thal and Seth four years performing original
Hitsky first met numbers in New York clubs as
at an audition for part of a duo called His and Hers,
.Angry House- noticed some of her own ambi-
wives, the mu- tions as she rehearsed with her
sical comedy 17- year-old fellow actor, who is
running July 14-Aug. 14 at the about to enter the musical the-
Strand Theatre in Pontiac, and ater curriculum at the Univer-
quickly admired each other's sity of Michigan.
work.
"I can remember being put to
Ms. Rosenthal, cast as a di- bed as a child of 7 or 8 and then
vorced teacher, and Mr. Hitsky, singing," recalled Ms. Rosenthal,
cast as a teen-age band member whose character copes with the
taking instrumental music world by eating. "I know that I
lessons from her, are having fun had visions of Doris Day, and I
with the production that follows would sing her songs until I
four suburban women through would get so loud that my moth-
self-discovery, leading them to er would holler, 'Rochelle, go to
enter a talent contest as part of a sleep!' "
punk-rock band called Angry
Before she actually studied
Housewives.
singing, Ms. Rosenthal studied
"I just happened to be at the piano for eight years, as did Mr.
audition at the same time Seth Hitsky, and she was part of the
was there, and it was very funny Temple Emanu-El choir. Her
because I wasn't in the theater to voice lessons were with a nun
hear people's auditions," recalled from Marygrove College and oth-
Ms. Rosenthal, who grew up in er private instructors, first in De-
Michigan and has won parts with troit and later in New York.
After getting a teaching degree
the Michigan Opera Theatre and
the Jewish Ensemble Theatre.
in theater from Western Michi-
"He came with an electric gui- gan University, Ms. Rosenthal
tar, and I asked if he played it. taught at theater camp and
He said that he knew one chord schools before trying her luck out
and made up a song to sing with of state, where she was teamed
with former Detroiter Larry
it.
"I wasn't watching him, but I Fruitman, who used the stage
heard the laughter after this aw- name Larry Lawrence.
Back in Michigan because she
ful guitar, which was the whole
point. The kid in the play sup- missed family and friends, Ms.
posedly doesn't know how to play Rosenthal worked with the
Prince Street Players, a Detroit
and makes awful sounds.
"When I was told Seth was in Institute of Arts adult troupe that
the show, I was delighted. I knew toured programs for children.
I had seen a theater kid who has Later there were roles in Sweeney
Todd, The Mikado and Candide
talent."
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Rochelle Rosenthal and Seth Hitsky
with the Michigan Opera The-
atre.
"There's still a part of me that
thinks I'd like to go back to New
York," Ms. Rosenthal revealed.
"With my maturity and self-con-
fidence, I feel I could be a little
more successful there now than
when I was in my 20s, but I can't
go yet."
Married to Randy Forester and
the mother of a 5-year-old daugh-
ter, Ivy, the actress' priority is
keeping her own family close to
relatives and longtime friends.
For now, she is satisfied doing an
occasional play, commercials and Hitsky is glad to listen. .
industrial films.
"It's like having textbooks all
Ms. Rosenthal also works with -.around," said the young actor,
her husband at their home ac- wha has enjoyed professional the-
cessories and gift store, Studio ater roles in addition to parts won
330, which has a window display at school. "It's very nice to hear
devoted to the Strand production. about their experiences and get
Mr. Forester, who met his wife in all that information."
Mr. Hitsky started acting
1977 when they were both cast
members in dinner- theater pro- while still an elementary student,
duction of Guys and Dolls, has signing up for a summer program
— the Lathrup Youtheatre.While
left the stage to her.
Ms. Rosenthal, like the other attending Berkshire Middle
cast members-in Angry House- School in Birmingham, he played
wives, has stories to tell about her the title role in Joseph and the
entertainment career, and Mr. `ROCK' THERAPY page 83
a