Temple Israel invites you to

THE HARRY LAKER MEMORIAL CONCERT

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ZAMIR VISITS THE SHTETL

THE WORLD OF OUR GRANDPARENTS

Portrait Of Pop

Ann Arbor's Bolcom and Morris perform pop
classics in a Vivace Series concert at the
Birmingham Temple.

SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

B

etween the recording of their
19th album and its release
in June, William Bolcom and
Joan Morris bring a concert
of American popular songs to the
Birmingham Temple.
The composer-pianist and the
mezzo-soprano, a husband/wife
team, take the stage at 8 p.m. Sun-
day, April 13, as part of the tem-
ple's Vivace Concert Series for the
third time.
"Our latest CD, Carioca on the
Arabesque label, has music by
Vincent Youmans," said Morris.
It follows an earlier recording of
Youmans' music, Orchids in the

Moonlight.

The couple, performing togeth-
er since the 1970s, accept 40 con-
cert engagements a year. Based
in Ann Arbor, where they both
teach, the two have appeared to-
gether on American and European
stages.
'We like to include songs by the
composers we call 'The Big Five'
— Gershwin, Kern, Berlin,
Rodgers & Hart and Cole Porter,"
said Morris, explaining that their
CDs include individual tributes to
each of the 'Big Five' members.
'We pretty much like the same
type of music, and we keep pro-
grams of our concerts so we won't
repeat when we're invited back."
Cabaret music was an impor-
tant part of their individual work
before they met and married.
After working in theater in
Portland, Ore., Morris won a schol-
arship to the American Academy
of Dramatic Arts in New York.
She worked off-Broadway and at
prestigious venues such as the
Cafe Carlyle and the Waldorf.
Bolcom, who studied music at
the University of Washington in

Seattle, earned a doctor of musi-
cal arts degree from Stanford Uni-
versity. He supported himself
through school by playing the pi-
ano.
After teaching at Queen's Col-
lege in New York, Bolcom accept-
ed a position teaching music
composition at the University of
Michigan, where he has been since
the early '70s. His many composi-
tions include "Piano Etudes,"
which won a Pulitzer Prize in
1987.
When the university opened its
musical theater program in 1981,
Morris began teaching cabaret
performance.
"One reason for holding on to
jobs in one place is that it frees the
other time for concert travel," said
Morris, whose career highlights
include performances at Tangle-
wood and Lincoln Center with her
husband.
During the 1995-96 season,
they also conducted residencies on
American popular song at the In-
ternational Hugo-Wolf-Akademie
in Germany, Bishop's University
in Quebec and the University of
Colorado.
Besides their summer perfor-
mances, which include the Mo-
hawk Trail Concerts, the duo is
planning a Dec. 2 show at the
92nd Street Y in New York.
'We're not ready to tell what
songs we'll be presenting at the
Birmingham Temple," Bolcom
said. 'We want them to be a sur-
prise." 0

William Bolcom and Joan Mor-
ris perform at 8 p.m. Sunday,
April 13, at the Birmingham
Temple, 28611 W. 12 Mile, Farm-
ington Hills. For information, al
(810) 788-9338 or (810) 288-3953.

The Zamir Chorale of Metropolitan Detroit
Benjamin Cohen, Director

Cantor Harold Orbach

Evelyn Orbach

and the TEMPLE ISRAEL JUNIOR CHOIR, directed by Elaine Greenberg
with soloists, instrumentation and narration

SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 1997, 3:30 p.m.

TEMPLE ISRAEL
5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield

for complimentary tickets, call (810) 661-5700

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Before you take another bite, think about the fact that a diet high in cholesterol and fat can load
your blood with cholesterol, which raises your chance of heart attack. In fact, more Americans
may die by the fork than by any other weapon.

American Heart Association

William Bolcom and Joan Morris: Life is a cabaret.

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