From Shut To Showplace

by dance classes from ballet to tap Five Guys Named Moe, Oct. 26;
and workshops such as French, Ron Coden and Josh White Jr.,
calligraphy, photography, oil Nov. 16; the New Reformation
painting, guitar and hypnothera- Dixieland Band, Feb. 15; Black-
py.
thorn, March 8; and Mojo Hand,
Series of events already are be- May 3.
ing scheduled into next year:
The Classic Cinema Series on
Kids Koncerts feature comedi- Friday nights project Gentlemen's
an O.J. Anderson, Oct. 18; The Agreement, Oct. 17; Stormy
Weather, Nov. 21; and Les Miser-
ables, Jan. 16.
A Family Theatre Series show-
cases The American Magic
Lantern Theater on Feb. 8 and
Radical Radio on March 28. Li

The Southfield Centre for the Arts
celebrates its grand opening.

SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

weekend filled with one-stop
entertainment is in store for
everyone celebrating the
opening of the Southfield
Centre for the Arts.
Theatrical and display spot-
lights have replaced the religious
candles of observance so familiar
to worshipers in the building that
once housed Congregation B'nai
David.
"Celebrate the Arts," the open-
ing gala Friday-Sunday, June 6-
8, lights up the stages with stellar
acts and fills the walls with dis-
tinctive art, all providing a pre-
view of what will be the standard

formance space.
"Throughout our opening and
into the future, we will offer di-
versity of arts programs in a sin-
gle facility," said Rick Behar, who
is coordinating the premier week-
end. "This kind of programming
is rarely found."
Kicking off the three-day ex-
travaganza Friday evening will be
Michigan Opera Theatre's Broad-
way to Hollywood Revue and the
Mosaic Youth Theatre's Mosaic

The Motown sounds of the Platters, the
Coasters and the Drifters will light up
the stage 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

e Mosaic Youth Theatre's Mo-
saic Tales and Michigan Opera
Theatre's Broadway to Holly-
wood Revue will be performed 8

Tales.

Saturday night highlights the
Motown sounds of the Coasters,
the Platters and the Drifters, pre-
ceded by Heidi Helper and
Michele Ramo (featured on our
JN Entertainment cover), who
just returned from a European
tour that showcased their guitar
and vocal talents.
The Centre opens at 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday evenings,
and the shows start at 8 p.m.
Daytime acts Saturday and
Sunday include the Motor City
Brass Band, Ben Moore and the
Blues Express, the Wilbert Pea-
gler Trio with Pamela Smith,
Rainbow Poetry, Tomorrow To-
day and the Lyric Chamber En-
semble. They are among over 30
free performances and presen-
Members of the Michigan Opera Theatre
tations
open to the public.
will perform a Broadway to Hollywood
Although based in Southfield,
Revue 8 p.m. Friday, June 6.
the center has a membership of 50
fare for this special-events show- arts groups, including many from
place.
outside the city. They will use the
Just for the opening, Oakland performance areas, rehearsal halls
County Showmobiles will provide and classrooms of the facility to re-
outdoor stages to increase the per- alize their goals.
"Marlowe Belanger, director of
Southfield's Cultural Arts Divi-
sion and the Centre, had a vision
for this type of facility in 1979,"
Behar said. "When B'nai David
chose to move north, it was a rare
and fortunate opportunity."
The first phase of renovating
the structure cost $2 million. Fu-
ture renovations are being
planned for the main auditorium,
which is offered to interested or-
ganizations, as are the multi-pur-
pose room, 10 classrooms, a dance
studio, kitchen and administra-
tive space.
The official ribbon cutting will
be at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The free shows on Saturday
The Mosaic Youth Theatre performs Mosai I C
and Sunday are complemented
Tales8 p.m. Friday, June 6.

Magic of Chris Linn, Nov. 15; com-
ic Jerry Jacoby, Jan 10: storyteller
Miz Rosie, Feb. 21; juggler Ben
Spitzer, March 21; magicians
William and Di Schulert, April 18;
and puppeteer David Stewart,
May 30.
Concerts in the Garden include

- p.m: Friday, June 6. Doors open
at 7 p.m. General admission
tickets are $10. The Motown
sounds of the Coasters, the Plat-
ters and the Drifters, with spe-
cial guests Heidi Helper and
Michele Ramo, can be heard 8
p.m. Saturday, June 7. Doors
open at 7 p.m. Reserved tickets
are $25/$30. For information on
upcoming events or reserving
space at the Southfield Centre
for the Arts, call (810) 4249022.

Opening Weekend
Free Performances

SATURDAY —
Multi-Purpose Room

Noon: Rosemarie Floyd's Con-
temporary Civic Ballet
1 p.m.: Music with Wilbert Pea-
gler
2 p.m.: Sharpe Ballet
2:30 p.m.: Operatic Tenor Ruben
De La Vega
3:20 p.m.: Contata Academy
4 p.m.: Lyric Chamber Ensem-
ble

SATURDAY —
Showmobile #1

Noon: Birney Middle School
Jazz Band
12:40 p.m.: Motor City Brass
Band
2 p.M.: Tee Turner & the Awe-
some Crew
3:30 p.m.: Serious Lee

SATURDAY —
Showmobile #2

Noon: Rainbow Poetry
12:30 p.m.: Tomorrow Today
1:45 p.m.: Ben Moore and the
Blues Express
3:15 p.m.: Metropolitan Singers

4:30 p.m.: R&B Hap-
pening

SATURDAY —
Room 101

4:30 p.m.: Czech Drama

— Ave Maria Played
Softly

SUNDAY
Multi-Purpose Room

Noon: Daughters of Peace
Dancers
12:45 p.m.: Ruben De La
Vega
1:45 p.m.: Southfield Sym-
phony Brass Quintet
2:45 p.m.: Artistry in Motion
Dancers
3:25 p.m.: McDowell Elemen-
tary Dance Club
3:40 p.m.: Artistry in Motion
Dancers
Tee Turner,

SUNDAY —
Showmobile #1

12:40 p.m.: Folk Rock-
er Janet Halley
2 p.m.: Music Study
ClubChoral Group
2:50 p.m.: Moken Nun-
ga Cameroonian
Raza Music
3:45 p.m.: Singers
Leonard Poma and
Connie Randall

SUNDAY — Showmo-
bile #2

Noon: Sign Language Per-
formance
1:10 p.m.: Private Enter-
prise Rock Trio
2 p.m.: Shirley St.
Mary's Kickline
Dance
2:45 p.m.: Birney Mid-
pictured, & the
Awesome Crew
SUNDAY —
die School Concert
perform in a free-
Main Auditorium
Orchestra
3 : 30 p.m.: Bel Canto to-the-public
3:30 p.m.: Irish Dancer
Choral Society
S a t u r day'
420 p.rn.: Tracey Lynne
Chorale
and Heartland