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Sounds At Cranbrook
, ou could say that 12-year-old
Morgan Rose is hip-hopping her
way to Broadway. And it's a BIG
deal.
Her parents, Ed and Lynn Rose
of West Bloomfield, think so. Even better,
so do the casting directors for Big, the $10-
million musical that officially opened in
New York April 28, following a four-week
pre-Broadway trial and tweaking here at
the Fisher Theatre.
A dancer for nine years, Rose has been
featured in many Nancy Gurwin Pro-
ductions and dance competitions. But this
is her first BIG break. Her dad saw the
BIG audition notice in the paper — ad-
vertising for kids who were 11-15 years
old, 4-feet-8-inches to 5-feet-3-inches in
height and experienced hip-hop dancers.
"I was exactly in between there," says
the Abbott Middle School sixth-grader
who auditioned with about 15 of her
friends. 'There were about 100 girls at the
audition, and I thought, 'It will be sur-
prising if I even pass the first cut.' They
all looked so professional,
they had their hair back in
a bun, and they were all
warming up. And then I got
really nervous — but then
I forgot about them and re-
ally concentrated."
It worked. In a Chorus
Line-type atmosphere, Rose
made the first cut — down
to 17 girls. And the second
— down to 8. She learned
the dance combination and
sang the trolley song from
Meet Me in St. Louis. Then
the phone call: "You're on
the replacement list. De-
pending on how the show
does on Broadway, well call
you."
Above: Hopeful BIG cast member
Morgan Rose experienced what Tom
Hanks did when he danced on the
same 15-foot piano in the movie.
Right: Brothers Pat, 3, and Jeff, 6,
Larkin play the musical pipes at
Cranbrook.
In the meantime, Rose says she's not
getting her hopes up.
But her spirits were lifted, literally, at
the "Sounds of Science: "What Makes Mu-
sic?" exhibit at the Cranbrook Institute of
Science when she played "Chopsticks" on
the 15-foot-long "walk-on" piano.
The family exhibit lets would-be rock
'n' rollers tickle the ol' electronic ivories
and drums — and actually sound good —
in the Jamming Room. In the Music
Mouse display, they can aspire to Gram-
my Award potential as they write their
own electronic symphony. Or become an
understudy for Alvin and the Chipmunks,
Darth Vader or a munchkin from Wizard
of Oz.
The "What Makes Music?" exhibit lets
museum goers explore, interactively, the
basics of music, starting with the sound
wave — how vocal waveshapes compare
to an instrument; how music is created
on piano and violin strings; or how musi-
cians produce harmony and melody. In
addition, the exhibit includes a rare col-
lection of instruments from the Lucy
Wharton Drexel Collection.
So if you're looking to make Billboard's
Top 10 list, gargle with salt water, do your
finger-stretching exercises, and head over
to Cranbrook.
— Julie Yolles
This Week's Best Bets
Brunch with Bach
U)
cf)
This exhibit of the re-creation of
an Indian gathering place closes
this weekend.
Sat. & Sun., 1-4 p.m.
94
Cranbrook Institute of Science,
1221 N. Woodward Ave.,
Bloomfield Hills. (810) 645-3224.
Barry MacGregor,
veteran Stratford actor,
Sun., 11:30 a.m.
teams up with harpsi-
chordist Raymond Fergu-
son to perform words with
music from the Baroque
era. DIA Kresge Court.
(313) 833-2323.
MP:
Tamburitzans
The vethran folk
singer brings his tunes
to the Ark where he
will perform a chil-
dren's concert 637-112
S. Main. Ann Arbor.
(313) 761-1800.
Sun., 1 p.m.
Presented by
Musica Viva,
Sun., 8 p.m.
presents the Yiddish film
(with English subtitles) Mothers
the dance ensemble performs the
songs and dances of Eastern
Europe. Smith Theatre, Oakland
Community College, Orchard
Ridge Campus, Farmington Hills.
(810) 471-7700.
of Today I Ilayntege 114w- runes,
a tragi-comedy from 1939.
The film stars Esther Feld and
Cantor Yoselle Rosenblatt.
No charge. (810) 356-6668.
Sun., 1 p.m.