Becky Hart of the Detroit Institute
of Arts Department of 20th-Century
Art presents a guided tour of selected
works in the newly reinstalled 20th-
century galleries noon Monday, Dec.
28; and drama specialist Berh Dzodin
leads participants in a series of impro-
visational exercises related to them at
2 p.m. Gallery N230. Free with
museum admission. (313) 833-7900.
Gerhardt Knodel, who for 26 years
served as artist-in-residence and head
of Cranbrook Academy of Art's fiber
department, continues to explore the
relationship between light, motion
and space that exists in textiles in
Skywalking," an exhibition on dis-
play at the Sybaris Gallery through
Jan. 16. 202 E. Third St., in Royal
Oak. (248) 544-3388.
\Thereishere, created by Laurie
Haycock Makela and P. Scott Makela,
offers a dramatic new approach to
exploring design. Through Sunday,
Jan. 3, at Cranbrook Art Museum,
1221 N. Woodward, Bloomfield Hills.
(248) 645-3313.

-

Auditions

The Bloomfield Players is holding
auditions 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5,
for children, and 7:30 p.m. Wednes-
day; Jan. 6, for adults, for its upcom-
ing production of The Wizard of
Oz. Bring two copies of sheet music
to the audition at Andover High
School, Andover at Long Lake Road,
west of Telegraph, Bloomfield Hills.
(248) 433-0885.
Filmmakers are invited to enter the
East Lansing Film Festival "Michi-
gan's Own" Film Competition, March
25-28. To qualify, the director, pro-
ducer and/or screenwriter must be or
have been a Michigan resident. Fea-
ture, documentary and short film cate-
gories will be considered. Deadline:
Jan. 20, 1999. (517) 336-5802 or
www.elff.com .
The 37th annual Ann Arbor Film
Festival, March 16-22, showcases all
genres of 16 mm independent and
experimental film. Deadline: Feb. 1,
1999. ((734) 995-5356 or
aafilmfest.org

For additional listings, see this weeks
Community Calendar: Gail Zimmer-
man may be reached at (248) 354-
6060, ext. 260, or by e-mail at gzim-
merman@thejewish news. corn

An Evening With Andre

S

made a living as a jazz
ome Andre Previn
pianist and MGM orches-
fans will be torn
trator before finishing high
Wednesday
school. He went on to win
evening, Dec. 30.
Oscars for his work on
If they have neither a
films such as Porgy and
VCR (or still don't know
Bess
and My Fair Lady and
how to program •it) nor
composed
the scores for
energy to stay up past mid-
other
popular
films.
night in the middle of the
Not forsaking movies,
week, then they will have
he also studied conducting
to choose whether to
while stationed in the
watch his new opera, A
Army in the '50s and
Streetcar Named Desire, or
branched out to work
the show that recognizes
with the world's leading
his talents, "The Kennedy
orchestras, also composing
Center Honors: A Celebra-
classical pieces — sym-
tion of the Performing
phonies,
concertos, cham-
Arts." Both specials appear
ber music and song cycles.
in overlapping time slots.
Musical theater contribu-
Those interested in the
tions include Coco and
opera that Previn recently
The Good Companions.
set to music with librettist
Previn's more than 400
Philip Littell will witness
recordings
include his skills
Tennessee Williams'
as
a
jazz
pianist,
jamming
Blanche DeBois — who,
with
acclaimed
musicians.
of course, has always
Previn has been married
depended "on the kindness
four times. He and his
of strangers" — not just as
first wife, jazz singer Betty
a theatrical diva, but an
Bennett, had two chil-
operatic diva as well.
dren.
After Mia Farrow
"I had written a lot of
gave
birth
to their twins,
vocal music for quite a
Top row, left to right, Kennedy Center honorees Willie Nelson,
he
divorced
his second
few of the really good
Fred Ebb, John Kander and Bill Cosby; and bottom row, lef t
wife,
lyricist
Dory Lang-
sopranos around now ...
to right, Andre Previn and Shirley Temple Black. This year's
don
Previn.
He
and Far-
but never contemplated
Jewish honorees include Previn, Kander and Ebb.
row had another child and
writing an opera," Previn
adopted three orphans.
performers who have been selected
told Vanity Fair in September, when
With his current wife, jewelry and
since 1978 by the Kennedy Center
his work debuted at the San Francis-
glass artisan Heather Hales, he has a
trustees as "individuals who through-
co Opera.
son.
out their lifetimes have contributed
"I looked at the [1951 Elia
Previn generally refuses to com-
significantly to American culture
Kazan] film before I wrote note one
ment
on his son-in-law, Woody
through the performing arts."
and not since because it's dangerous.
Allen,
now married to Soon-Yi
The
evening's
participants
The emphasis got switched when
Previn,
one of the orphans adopted
include
Mia
Farrow,
thanking
Previn
everybody's consciousness became
by Previn and Farrow.
"for the music, toots, and the memo-
suffused with [Marlon] Brando's per-
ries"; Cabaret greats Joel Grey and
formance. The play is really about
—Suzanne Chessler
Alan Cumming performing
[Blanche], and she has an absolutely
"Wilkommen," and Chita Rivera,
enormous part in the opera."
Bebe Neuwirth and the Chicago
Those opting for the awards show
Dancers performing 'All That Jazz,"
A Streetcar Named Desire airs at
will see the composer-conductor-
in a salute to Kander and Ebb; and
8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30,
pianist share the spotlight with fel-
Henry
Kissinger,
tipping
his
hat
to
and
12:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec.
low honorees comedian Bill Cosby,
Shirley Temple Black, "as an artist on
31, on WTVS-Channel 56.
Broadway composers John Kander
screen and as an artist of diplomacy."
"The Kennedy Center Honors:
and Fred Ebb, country music icon
Previn, 69, studied music in
A Celebration of the Perform-
Willie Nelson and movie legend
Germany before his Russian-Jewish
ing Arts" will be broadcast at 9
Shirley Temple Black.
family escaped the Nazis by moving to
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30, on
This year's honorees join a succes-
France. When he was 10, his family
CBS-Channel 62.
sion of America's most influential
settled in Los Angeles, where he later

❑

12/25
1998

Detroit Jewish News "