Based on the true story of Patsy (line's friendship with an
adoring fan, Always... Patsy Cline is a heartfelt comedy
featuring over 20 of Cline's most memorable songs.

Written and Directed by Ted Swindley

Hadass (Am Irving),
serves a perfect meal to
Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin)
and his study partner
(Barbra Streisand) in
"Yentl," which the God
Squad will introduce
during "Jewish Experience"
week on "Holywood:
Religion in the Movies."

"Patsy Cline is brought to exuberant life by Jessica Welih."

-Michael H. Margolin, Detroit News

"The audience loves Patsy."

-Martin F. Kohn, Detroit Free Press

The Purple Rose Theatre Company Production of

"Yoop it up for Escanaba,
a Gem of a comedy."

-Michael H. Margolin. Detroit News

"Some comedies have laughs
by the dozen. Escanaba has
them by the gross."

-Martin F. Kohn. Detroit Free Press

A Hilarious Comedy

BY JEFF DANIELS

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313-963-9800 • 333 Madison Ave

www. gemtheatre.com

,

(248) 645-6666

www.ticketmaster.com

Major 19th & 20th Century Art

CAttetkit

Saturday April 8 at 7:00 pm
Preview 4-7 pm

Paintings by Shvaiko, Barberra, Kieffer, Parks, Lopez,
Etty, St. John, Bauer, Bunnuel, Larrichia, Simonetti,
Franklin, Lebron, Di Viccarro, Faulkner, Royo, Pino,
Vasetti, Caballero, Delarue, Latour, Cassalloni, Lenoir

Bronze and Acrylic Sculpture: By Wilkinson, Hart, Tolla & Jason

No buyers, premium will be charged.

Terms: cash, MasterCard, Visa. Everything sold as is - all sales final.
Note: sales subject to 6% sales tax.

$5.00 registration fee to be donated to the Assistance League' of Southern Michigan

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235 Main Street, Rochester, MI
248-656 -8559

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"If you look at The Jazz Singer,"
notes Gellman, "you have a stereotype
of the Jewish momma's boy who basi-
cally is completely tied to his mother
and has a shiksa fantasy."
This isn't the first time Gellman
and Hartman have appeared on televi-
sion. They pop up regularly on Good
Morning America. They've granted
interviews after horrific national disas-
ters like the Columbine shooting. The
authors of six collaborative books, the
men of faith — appropriately dubbed
the God Squad — give more than 100
lectures a year. They host their own
syndicated show on religion. To top it
off, they are practicing clergy, minis-
tering to two of the largest congrega-
tions in the state of New York.
"I know I'm doing good work
because I feel tired," laughs the rabbi,
sporting a retro-hip bow tie, sus-
penders and a few lines beneath his
droopy lower eyelids.
After appearing together on a tele-
vision show 15 years ago, the two
became best friends. "We live in a
time," confides Hartman, "when soci-
ety knows too much about how we're
different and not enough about how
we're the same.
"The real message we have is just
by walking into a room together.
When we speak, we always speak off
of one microphone.
"I love Marc," says Hartman, "And
I have grown to literally love Judaism
because of him."
Both Gellman and Hartman have
spent time attending services at each
other's congregations. "Instead of
being in competition," says Hartman,
"all we want to do is just listen to each
other, learn from each other and help
each other get to the 'world to come."'
Hartman and Gellman are trying to
bring that philosophy to the masses.
"Religion helps people with the most
fundamental questions of life," says
Hartman. "We feel that religion should
be a part of life not apart from life."

Proof, as they say, is in the
Pentateuch. More people go to reli-
gious services on a weekend than go
to all the sporting events in the coun-
try combined.
Gellman doesn't let celebrity get to
his head. "I've been at my synagogue
for 20 years," he says. "I bury people.
I bar mitzvah kids, I name babies, I
give sermons. And that work in the
practical rabbinate keeps me from
becoming a media whore."
He admits he is concerned about
rabbis like Shmuley Boteach, author
of Kosher Sex, who may let their
celebrity status get the better of them.
"I worry about Shmuley because I
know the media and I know how
celebrity can turn your head," he says.
As for keeping his own head,
Gellman is pretty sure of the secret to
success. "I know that if I stay in my
synagogue for 30 years, I will speak to
1/100th of the people that I speak to
[on] one day on Good Morning
America. It's hard to give up the big
stage for the small stage until you real-
ize what the Talmud in Sanhedrin
states — that when you save a single
life, you save the whole world. Then
you realize that there's no such thing
as a small stage."

Holywood: Religion in the
Movies airs on consecutive
Saturday evenings, April 1, 8, 15,
22 and 29, and during daytime
hours on Sunday, April 23, on
Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
"The Jewish Experience" will be
explored Saturday, April 15, with
screenings of Yentl, Fiddler on the
Roof and The Jazz Singer. During
the "Biblical Classics" weekend,
April 22 23, films of Jewish inter-
est include the 1926 and 1959
versions of Ben Hur and Solomon
and Sheba. Check your local cable
guide for complete listings.

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