Dec. 24
at the
JCC
For other creative suggestions
for spending the day, see our
Picks on page 64
It's going to be a
tropical night at the
JCC with Jo-Nab.
F
or about 40 years, the
Jewish Community
Center has billed itself
as "The Only Spot in Town"
for Dec. 24 socializing and enter-
tainment. And there's more than a
nugget of truth in that.
But this year's party reinvents the
annual singles event in several po-
tentially interesting ways.
First of all, it's not just for singles
anymore. The JCC and Star Trax,
the West Bloomfield entertainers
who are organizing the event, are
aiming for an audience of singles
and couples to lighten up the at-
mosphere. (They seem to have real-
ized that a roomful of
sweaty-palmed singles searching
desperately for soul mates to the
wistful cries of Mariah Carey is just
not conducive to FUN).
Second, this is no generic "DJ
plays Top 40 hits and everyone
stands around not wanting to dance"
party. The theme is Caribbean and
the JCC has chucked the DJ for an
authentic steel drum band (local fa-
vorites Jo-Nab), tropical decorations,
exotic (albeit non-alcoholic) drinks,
food and a raffle.
"We decided we wanted to do a
higher-quality program," says Mar-
go Weitzer, the JCC's director of pro-
gramming. And by marketing to a
broader audience, "we're really hop-
ing we'll be able to expand on the
number of people," she adds. "This
is really a trial for us."
Everyone is welcome at the par-
ty —Jewish, Episcopalian, Mormon,
etc. — the organizers stress.
The raffle drawing, open only to
those who buy tickets in advance, is
a trip for two to a secret tropical des-
tination. Everyone at the event is el-
igible to win one of several
memberships to the JCC, which also
will be raffled off.
So ask yourself: Would you rather
This Weekend's Best Bets
Bela Fleck
and the
Flecktones
•
Escanaba in da • Spike and Mike's 3rd
Annual Sick & Twisted
Moonlight
• Closes Dec. 23.
Animation Festival
Blu-bop,avant-
grass & hillbilly
fusion. Orchestra
Hall, Detroit. Dec.
22. (313) 833-3700.
Purple Rose Theatre
Friday,
8 p.m.
Company, Chelsea.
Dec. 22 and 23.
(313) 475-7902.
. and Sat ..5
Dec. 22, 23, 26 and 27.
18 and over. Magic Bag;
18
Woodward north of 9 Mile.
•
'
Fri. & Sat.,
8 & 11 p.m.
Winter
Solstice
Celebration
with Paul Priest
and Brian Bates..
Dec. 23.
Saturday,
9 p.m.
Lavender
Moon Cafe.
(810) 398-MOON.
be listening to Kathie Lee Gifford
crooning "Little Drummer Boy" or
sipping virgin margaritas beneath
plastic palm trees with a bunch of
friends?
No contest.
— Liz Stevens
`& "An Evening in the Car-
ribean" will be held 9 p.m.-1 am.
at the Jewish Community Cen-
ter in West Bloomfiea The event
is co-sponsored by The Jewish
News and Gateway Tnivel. Tick-
ets are S20 in advance, $24 at the
door. CO (810) 661-7678.
.
An Evening
In The
Caribbean
I vIVSIDE:
JN ENTERTAINMENT
Dec. 24. Jewish
Community Center,
West Bloomfield.
(810) 661-7678.
All about PuppetArt: The American-
, Russian Theater. page 62
Sunday,
S p.m.-1 a.m.
The art of "Crowd Control." page 74
For The -Week's Best Bets See The Calendar On Page 68
LC)
0,
0,
Picks: Not just Chinese and a movie
anymore. page 66
Reviews, Eye Spy,
Best Bets and more.
59