THE ART OF THOMAS WILMER DEWING

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The Man Behind The Matzah Ball

An Interior (detail), Thomas Wilmer Dewing: c. 1915

Nourish your love of beauty with the
spectacular paintings created by American
artist Thomas Wilmer Dewing, one of the
foremost painters of the 19th century.

"MODEL WOMEN:
DEWING'S TRANSFORMATION OF THE
WORKING GIRL INTO THE IDEAL FEMALE"

Sunday, December 8, 2 p.m.

Exhibition co-curator Barbara Dayer Gallati
lectures on this aspect of Dewing's work. Free with
museum admission, recommended $4 adults,
$1 children, members free.

Exhibition admission: $4 adults, $1 children,
members free.

Hours: I I a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays,
I I a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

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Nrams made possible with support
from the MichigatrCounrilfor
Arts and Cultural AS-airs.

.TS EATS'

TREATSEATS discount
coupons available at participating
Target and Hudson's stores.

THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202

American Heart
Association.

Fighting Heart Disease
and Stroke

If this is the
only pressure
yoqu check,
your tires may
outlast you.

Checking your tire pressure is a good idea. Checking your blood pressure
is an even better one. High blood pressure greatly increases your risk of
stroke and heart attack And those are harder to deal with than a flat tire.
To learn more, contact your nearest American Heart Association
at 1-800-AHA-USA1 or online at http://www.amhrt.org

This space provided as a public service. ©1992, 1996. American Heart Association

I

do a lot of work in the Catskill competitive as it is today. Every-
Ellis moved to Los Angeles in
Mountains. My favorite hotel body was helping each other '81 to try to make it in television
is the biggest one. It's got a lot with their acts," says Ellis, who sitcoms, just around the time of
of mishegas going on — the started doing comedy at The Im- the comedians strike in L.A.
most crazy stuff. It's called the prov the same time as Elayne
"I was walking the picket
Concord Hotel. Are you familiar Boosler, Richard Lewis and Joe lines with them, but I didn't
with the Concord? For those of Piscopo. "I'm fortunate to be able want to get political," says Ellis.
you who have never been there, to say I was there then, and it "But it was very harried. Be-
it's considered the last re-
helped me with my cause of that, I dropped out for
sort."
Jewish act."
a
Ba da bump.
Occasionally,
"The day I became a cantor
Kenny Ellis really
Robert Klein, David was the day [started a real life,"
knows how to work a
Brenner or Bette Mi- says Ellis, who's been a cantor
room. Whether it's as the
dler would walk in for six years. It was at the Con-
cantor at Temple Beth
and do a set.
servative Temple Beth Haverim
Haverim in Agoura Hills,
"She used to call me that Ellis met his wife, Laura, a
Calif., or at the Maple
JUL IE YOLLES
Kenny Ellis Island," classical flutist in the choir.
Drake JCC where he'll
ARTS &
Ellis says of Midler, "Now, I have a mortgage, a wife
perform at 8 p.m. Satur-
ENTE RTAINMENT who began her career and a 6-month-old who laughs
day, Dec. 14, as part of
EDITOR
at The Improv as a nonstop at all the punchlines.
the Encore Series, he's
waitress.
He's a natural."
the "One-Man Variety Show."
"At The Improv, I started
Though he loves his life as a
"How do I speak Yiddish? writing mainstream humor, but Hollywood cantor, Ellis still goes
When I was younger, my grand- I was pulled in the direction of out regularly on auditions for
mother lived in the house with the Jewish community," adds El- film and TV work and travels
us," says Ellis on his live cassette lis, who now incorporates across the country performing
recording of The Man Behind the Broadway, Hebrew and Yiddish his variety act at least five times
Matzah Ball. "I used to call her songs, comedy, mime and im- a year.
`Bubba.' In those days, Bubba' personations into his variety act.
Time matzahs on. ❑
meant grandmother. Of course "I am what I am. I can't change
today, `Bubba' means football
player."
Ba da bump again.
Now, Ellis really did have a
Bubba, who practically raised
him in Philadelphia until she
died when he was 10. And she
really did teach him Yiddish and
all the special Jewish traditions
she brought with her from
Lithuania.
"My Bubba had this incredi-
,:K,,K<, :,:::?;V:::*,NV.,MKre:, 4 M, •
ble record collection of 78s, with
all the great cantors and opera
singers," he fondly recalls. "She
had few 45s in those days. You
— ask kids today 'What's a 45?"
and they say a gun.
"My Bubba had a record of
Perry Como singing Rol Nidre.'
It was my first lesson in how to
be a cantor. Perry Como was a
big inspiration in my life. He had
a song called 'It's Impossible.'
When I first heard that song —
and I'm not kidding you — with
Cantor Kenny Ellis combines popular
my Jewish ear, I didn't know
songs, Yiddish andilebrew pieces,
Broadway hits, mime, comedy and
what he was singing. I thought
impersonations into his one-man
he was singing 'It's a Matzah
variety act ...
Ball."
And so, a cantor/comic was
Ellis developed his trademark song,
born.
"It's a Matzah Ball," by interpreting
To escape the upcoming fan-
Perry Como's "It's Impossible" in a
fare of the Bicentennial in
creative Jewish way.
Philadelphia and have a go at
making it on Broadway, the that. People say I look and act
As part of the Encore Se-
Temple University theater arts Jewish; no matter what, I was a
ries, Kenny Ellis will appear
major moved to New York in Jewish act. So if you can't beat
at the Maple-Drake Jewish
1974. On the way to the Great 'em, join em. So I went to the
Community Center at 8 p.m.
White Way, Ellis stopped by The Catskills, and I loved it."
Saturday, Dec. 14. Reserved
Improv at 44th and Ninth to
seating and general admission
For five years, Ellis paid his
check out the stand-up comedy rent by performing at both The
tickets are $10 - $25, with dis-
scene. It turned out to be a life- Improv and in the Catskills,
counts available for JCC mem-
altering detour.
bers, students and seniors.
while his fellow comic buddies
"The Improv was very laid- struggled as waiters, busboys
Call (810) 661-7649.
back at that time, it wasn't as and bookstore employees.

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