Warshawski's move to Michigan was doable
Mo. She selected all of this
because her family's commitments presented no con-
summer's acts — the paid
flicts. Husband Morrie, a consultant to arts organi-
performers at the Power
zations and a writer whose reviews have appeared in
Center and the free acts
the Detroit Jewish. News, can be based anywhere.
and movies on the Top of
Daughters Leah and Maura are off to college.
the Park next door.
"A happy artist will do a much better show, and I
Among the pros she is
want to put out the red carpet for each one at the fes-
bringing to the festival for
tival," Warshawski says. "It doesn't hurt to be a Jewish
the first time are singer-
mother to them, and I've even made chicken soup for
pianist Michael Feinstein;
a sick dancer. I've also found an Ann Arbor hotel that
renowned folk/blues man-
can provide piano room for a requesting musician.
dolin player David
"I've always been really excited about presenting
Grisman; acrobatic dancer
the arts and providing new cultural experiences. It's
Elizabeth Streb; trumpeter
been what I loved even though I've done marketing,
Nicholas Payton; monolo-
development
and just about everything in the arts
gist Spalding Gray, the Jazz
except being an artist."
Tap Ensemble and the
comic-acting Reduced
Shakespeare Company,
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival runs June 16-
which recently toured Israel.
July
9 at the Power Center and Top of the Park.
"I'm from a background David Grisman and Michael Feinstein are among the Jewish performers slated for
See
accompanying
schedule on the following page.
of presenting very innova-
this year's Ann Arbor Summer Festival.
tive work, and that really
was the mission of the
Edison Theatre," says
grants for choreography, includ-
Charles Mingus, and my style is
Warshawski, who has 25 years of experience in the
ing one from the National
more laid-back and open with
performing arts. "What I've tried to do in Ann
Endowment for the Arts, and he
less of a tap-dancing sound."
Arbor is mix the best I could. Every artist I present
has made Rhythm Tap I, the first in
Zee, whose father changed
resonates with me, and I hope they will do the same
a series of instructional tap videos.
the family name from the
for the audience.
Two unexpected outcomes
Russian "Zazulia" because every-
teve Zee is heard — not
"I'm taking my taste, which has been honed over
have resulted from his career. He
one was calling him "Mr. Zee"
seen — by his largest tap
these many years, and saying, 'Please come see these
met his wife, Carol, now a dance
dance audience.
anyway, made his first public
artists.' Although I know they're great, I have to
teacher and formerly a member
With a microphone at his feet
performance in the Purim play
convince people [who haven't seen them]."
of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and
and an art director watching every
at his San Francisco temple.
Warshawski began her career at the University of
he has done extensive traveling.
detail of his steps, Zee became the
"When I was very young, I
Southern California working on an interdisciplinary
"Tap dancing is all about
shoe-meets-floor sounds and live
was sitting home watching a
program called "Semester of the Arts." She relocated
good timing," Zee says. "When
model for the animated Hershey
movie with Fred Astaire dancing
to Portland, Ore., as assistant director of Traditional
I think of timing, I also think of
Kisses TV commercials.
on the furniture," Zee recalls
Arts Services, an organization that presents tradi-
comic timing shown by Jewish
"I love chocolate and was real-
about his first attraction to chore-
tional music.
ography. "I asked my parents for
stars like the Marx Brothers and
ly pleased how the movement
After going on to manage the Oregon Mime
Jack Benny. I believe somehow
was captured so accurately," says
lessons so that I could do that,
Theatre, she completed a three-month National
Zee, 34, a member of the Jazz
both kinds of timing come from
too, and they found a teacher."
Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Arts
the same place." El I
Zee studied most extensively
Tap Ensemble appearing June 24
Managers, assisting with the NEA dance programs.
at the Ann Arbor Summer
with the late tap master Stan
— Suzanne Chessler
Before moving to St. Louis, she spent seven years in
Festival. "The segment is still
Kahn, the subject of an oral his-
the San Francisco Bay area, where she worked as a
shown from time to time."
tory/ biography the tapper is
consultant for various performing arts agencies and
The ensemble, dedicated to
editing for the San Francisco
was managing director of San Francisco's New
merging the two American tra-
Performing Arts Library &
Performance Gallery.
Museum. He also had
ditions of jazz and tap, has
"Festivals are a very different challenge from
toured for 20 years and per-
instruction at the University of
booking an academic year program," explains the
formed in concert halls and fes-
California at Los Angeles, the
50ish Warshawski. "A lot of times, artists like to use
tivals in many countries. Based
Sorbonne/Universite de Paris
summers for work on their own art, vacations and
in Los Angeles and under the
III and the Piccolo Teatro di
chilling out."
artistic direction of Lynn Dally,
Milano.
Although Warshawski chose mostly Michigan
the company features its dancers
"People would hire me
bands for the Top of the Park, there is a rock group
together and in solo numbers.
as a director," Zee says
from Siberia on the July 4 program.
"We have four dancers and a
about his early jobs before going
"When I was at Washington University, I worked
trio of musicians on stage," says
on to join the Rhapsody in Taps
closely with Hillel," says the new executive director,
Zee, who has been with the
troupe. "In 1998, I got an offer
who plans on becoming active in Ann Arbor's
troupe for two years and is one of to work as a singer-dancer-actor
Jewish community and attended a women's seder
a number of Jewish entertainers
for a touring musical and was
this Passover.
new to the festivIl. "The audi-
invited to join the Jazz Tap
"I'm a big fan of klezmer music, so I brought a
ence gets exposed to different
Ensemble just before I heard the
lot of klezmer groups to St. Louis. It wasn't as if I
fields of tap. My solo is 'Goodbye
musical was closing."
was specifically looking for Jewish artists, but they
Porkpie Hat' by bass player
Zee has received a number of
were always there with [music] to celebrate."

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