when a 7-year-old boy
declares he wants to be a girl
when he grows up. 7 and 9:30
p.m. Friday, Feb. 20; 4, 7 and
9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21; 4
and 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.
$5.50. Detroit Film Theatre,
Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200
Woodward Ave., Detroit.
(313) 833-2323.

Marilyn Blinder and Susan Kell, col-
laborate for a show titled "Environ-
ments" at the Harding-Mott Fine Art
Gallery at U-M Flint through March
26. Opening reception 7 p.m. Friday,
Feb. 20. (248) 562-8490.

Whatnot

Psychologist Dr. David Klein will dis-

Laugh Lines

Former "Saturday Night Live"
cast member Victoria Jackson
brings her zany comedy to
Chaplin's Comedy Club 8:30
p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday
and Saturday, Feb. 20 and 21.
$10-$12.50. 34244 Groes-
beck, Clinton Township.
(810) 792-1902.
It's the "Dice Man!" Bad
boy Andrew Dice Clay rocks
the State Theatre 8 p.m. Fri-
day, Feb. 27. $25-$35. 2111
Woodward. Detroit. (313)
961-5450.

Family Fun

Follow Dorothy down the yellow
brick road on a magical musical jour-
ney to Oz. American Family Theatre
presents the Wizard of Oz 10 a.m., 1
and 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at
the Macomb Center for the Perform-
ing Arts. $7. 44575 Garfield Road,
Clinton Township. (810) 286-2222.
Also at the Macomb Center,
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat, Andrew Lloyd Webber's
musical rainbow ride through biblical
Egypt. 7:30 Thursday, Feb. 26; 8 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Sat-
urday, Feb. 28. $29/adult, $26/stu-
dents and seniors. (810) 286-2222.

Art Scene

The Ancient Near East and Egypt
opens Friday, Feb. 20, at the Kelsey
Museum of Archaeology, University
of Michigan. This permanent installa-
tion features archaeological collections
from Egypt to Iran, ranging in date
from 3500 BCE to the 6th century
CE. (313) 763-3559.
Twelve Hands is a coterie of six
women artists painting in water
media with divergent styles and
visions from semi-abstract images.
The artists, including Ricki Berlin,

Above: The fabulous felines of "Cats."

Right: Shakespeare with a sense of
humor.

ir

cuss and sign his book Saying Good-
bye: You And Your Aging Parents
1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Bor-
ders Book Shop, 31150 Southfield
Road, Birmingham. In Saying Good-
bye, Dr. Klein deals with the often
painful issues that adult children face
as their parents age.
The Longhorn World Champi-
onship Rodeo gallops into The Palace
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20; 8 p.m. Satur-
day, Feb. 21; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb.
22. The theme is a tribute to the
American cowboy and cowgirl. $10-
$18. $2 discount on Sunday for
seniors and children 12 and under. 2
Championship Drive, Auburn Hills.
(248) 645-6666.
The Jean & Samuel Frankel Center
for Judaic Studies presents Jewish
Names: A Cultural Code, a lecture by
Bar Ilan University Professor Aharon
Demsky, noon Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the
Salinger Resource Center, 3040 Frieze,
Ann Arbor.
Rose Bowl MVP and U-M foot-
ball star quarterback Brian Griese
will sign autographs at the Ann Arbor
Clarion Inn (I-94 and Jackson Road)
1 p.m. Sunday, March 1. Rose Bowl
pictures and helmets available for
signing. $20-$80. Limited tickets
available. (248) 539-9284.

Prophetic e ormance

four soloists: baritone Gary Relyea (as
elix Mendelssohn's Elijah
Elijah), tenor Richard Fracker, sopra-
may never knock Handel's
Messiah off its lofty perch as no Katherine Larson and alto Jayne
the world's best-known ora- Sleder.
Exhilarating choruses such as "Be
torio, but it's right behind it in popu-
not
afraid, saith God the Lord" have
larity. Teeming with high drama,
ensured
the work's longevity, but Eli-
rousing choral numbers and sublime
jah
has
endured
for more than 150
solos, Elijah is a towering testament to
years largely because Elijah himself is
faith amid adversity.
such a sympathetic character. He's the
Mendelssohn wrote the work,
quintessential underdog. No matter
whose text is based on the
how distraught he
Book of I Kings for the
becomes, he trudges
Birmingham (England)
on,
buoyed by his
Music Festival. At its pre-
faith.
miere on Aug. 26, 1846,
The story begins
eight numbers were
when Elijah
encored.
announces a famine
The reception for the
that is supposed to
University Musical Society's
punish
the people for
presentation of Elijah on
their
worship
of false
Feb. 22 may not be quite so
idols.
But
they're
enthusiastic, but you can
unrepentant. The evil
bet it will be stirring. The
King Ahab blames
UMS Choral Union joins
Elijah for the
forces with the Ann Arbor
drought, and the peo-
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony Orchestra and
ple turn on the

prophet. However, things turn out
rosy, as Elijah prays for an end to the
dry weather, and the sky unleashes a
downpour while the people sing their
thanks.
But Ahab and Queen Jezebel
again turn the people against Elijah,
who flees despairingly into the wilder-
ness, where he makes a journey to
Mount Horeb. There, the Lord
appears to him and encourages him to
continue his good work. The fickle
people side with Elijah once more, the
wicked king is overthrown and the
prophet is drawn up to heaven in a
blazing chariot.
Drama doesn't get much better
than this.

— George Bulanda

Elijah will be performed Sunday,
Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. at Hill Audi-
torium, 825 N. University, Ann
Arbor. $10-$22. Call (734) 764-
2538.

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VM:46%.

2/20
1998

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