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Nightmare Before Christmas Part

II featuring Megadeth, Jackyl,

Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Howling
Diablos and Creed visits The Palace 7
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. $15/$10.
(248) 645-6666.

On The Stage

Youtheatre presents Charlotte's
Web, E.B. White's captivating story

of friendship between a small pig
named Wilbur and a gray spider
named Charlotte, at Music Hall 11
p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13,

sent The Nutcracker 2 p.m. and 8
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and Sunday,
Dec. 14, at Macomb Center for the
Performing Arts. This year's holiday
classic performance features Cran-
brook Kingswood honor student
Cindy Phillips and West Bloomfield's
Liza Fishman. $22/$20 students and
seniors. 44575 Garfield Road,
Clinton Township. (810) 286-2222.
Artistry in Motion Dance School
presents The Nutcracker Ballet 4
p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13,
and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at
Mercy High School Auditorium,
Farmington Hills. $15/$12• (248)
557-9320.

The Big Screen

The Detroit Film Theatre's
restored prerelease version of The Big
Sleep debuts 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
tonight and continues 4, 7 and 9:30
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and 4 and 7
p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. The Howard
Hawkes film starring Humphrey
Bogart and Lauren Bacall is a classic
thriller and includes 18 minutes of
never-before-seen footage. Detroit
Institute of Arts. $5.50. (313) 833-
2323.

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"Charlotte's Web"

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and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. A
hands-on pre-show playshop will be
conducted 9:30 a.m. Saturday morn-
ing. Workshop cost is $8.
Performance tickets: $7 in advance,
$8 at the door. 350 Madison Avenue,
Detroit. (313) 963-2366.
The City of Oak Park Department
of Recreation will begin its Youth
Theater Series 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
14, with a play titled Lighten Up with
Thomas Edison. Free to the public.
(248) 691-7555.

On Their Toes

Again this year, the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra will offer
Tchaikovsky's perennial favorite, The
Nutcracker ballet, at the Detroit
Opera House. Twelve performances
are scheduled for Dec. 12-14 and
Dec. 19-21. $14-$53. Call for times.
(313) 833-3700.
The Michigan Ballet Theatre and
the Warren Symphony Orchestra pre-

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The Small Screen

Live From Lincoln Center pre-
sents the Juilliard Opera Center and
Opera Orchestra in a new produc-
tion of Engelbert Humperdinck's
Hansel and Gretel 8 p.m. Wednesday,
Dec. 17, on PBS-Channel 56. The
production is based on the children's
fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm and
features sets and costumes designed
by Maurice Sendak.

The Art Scene

Book Beat's current exhibition is
titled Gods of the Spirit: Vodou
Flags and Objects and Photographs
of Haiti by Tequila Minsky. Minsky
is a Detroit native and U-M graduate
currently residing in New York. The
show runs through December. 26010
Greenfield Road, Oak Park. (248)
968-1190.
The Birmingham Bloomfield Art
Association's 14th Annual Pottery
Sale, featuring a wide range of art
and functional ceramic pieces, runs
Dec. 18-20. 1516 S. Cranbrook,
Birmingham. (248) 644-0866.

Jakob's Ladder

na-rock, dance-pop and hip-hop.
But the Wallflowers' reference
act like a punk-rocker. And
points are readily apparent, from
the rootsy, steeped-in-the-
The Band and the Byrds to Neil
'60s brand of no-frills rock
Young, Bruce Springsteen and ulti-
he plays with his band, the
mately, Jakob's legendary musician
Wallflowers, has about as much in
father, Bob Dylan.
common with punk as Jakob's
The Band is a huge influence
famous father does with the Ice
I was really influenced by them,
Capades.
said Jakob Dylan, who also cites
-But ask the 27-year-old Dylan to
Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Van
cite his first pivotal musical
Morrison, the Carter Family and
moment, and he immediately gives
Leon Russell as major influences.
props to the Clash, the pioneering
"We have a [Hammond] B-3
English band that came up alongside organ and piano, so people say we
the Sex Pistols in 1976 and helped
sound like Torn Petty and the
turn rock 'n' roll on its ear.
Heartbreakers, or the E Street Band
"I saw the Clash play when I was
or The Band. There are not a whole
12 in Los Angeles," Dylan said. "It
lot of other reference points to that
was not my introduction to music,
sound."
but to discovering something on my
Regardless, Dylan politely dis-
own. And it was the first thing that
putes any suggestions that the
made me want to get involved with
Wallflowers' music falls in the
backward-looking "retro-rock"
field. "I'm not interested in
going backward," he said.
"But I'm aware there's a lot of
proven stuff that came before
us. And when you are starting
out, your best shot is to go for-
ward from the past."
Being the son of Bob Dylan
has been both a blessing and a
curse for Jakob, who long ago
realized he would forever be
associated with his rock-legend
The Wallflowers: Mario Calire, Rarni
dad, even if he changed his name.
Jaffee, Greg Richling, Jakob Dylan
While proud of his father's immense
and Michael Ward.
musical legacy, this not-so-retiring
Wallflower realizes he must be
music. I liked a lot of the British
judged on his own merits.
music — Elvis • Costello, the Jam,
"I am proud of who I am and
Stiff Little Fingers and 999.
where I come from," he said. 'As far
"But for the most part, I gravitat-
as avoiding it, or suggesting people
ed toward the groups with songwrit-
don't think about it, that's complete-
ers; I never understood the Pistols or ly insurmountable. People have
bands like T.S.O.L. I needed to find
asked: 'Why didn't you change your
something in the songs, and the
name?' Well, that would have lasted
Clash had more to offer."
a week (before his real identity was
The Wallflowers, which Dylan
discovered)."
formed in 1990, are still finding
— George Varga
their own identity — despite the
double-platinum success of the
The Wallflowers, with special
band's current album, Bringing
-
guests the Jayhawks and
Down the Horse.
Steeped in vintage rock, blues,
Maypole, appear 7:30 p.m.
country and folk styles, the
Friday, Dec. 12, at Hill
Wallflowers' best songs, such as the
Auditorium in Ann Arbor.
Grammy-nominated hit single "6th
Tickets are $20. (248) 645-6666.
Avenue Heartache," sound decidedly
fresh to young fans raised on alter-

311 akob Dylan doesn't look or