LOOKING FOR A FRESH NEW MUSICAL
APPROACH TO YOUR NEXT PARTY?
MELTING POT
Special Blend, Cleveland's finest
event band, is now hooking weddings,
banquets, corporate dinner dances,
etc. in the Greater Detroit area.
IVIATAC Hosts `Ragtime' Cast
Come party with Special Blend,
at the Greektown Casino, Apollo
Lounge on Fri/Sat March 30/31,
Michigan Jewish Aids Coalition (MJAC) presents its fifth annual
"Celebrating Life Concert," featuring the cast of Ragtime — The Musical in
an evening of Broadway-style entertainment, 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, at
Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Proceeds will benefit MJAC and
Broadway Cares: Equity Fights AIDS.
This year, MJAC anticipates reaching more than 3,500 young people and
adults with information about safer sex practices and abstaining from risky
behaviors in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV.
In addition, MJAC has increased activities related to its ECHO
(Educating our Community about Homosexuality through Outreach) pro-
gram, and recently developed a new curriculum to raise awareness and teach
tolerance and sensitivity to others.
Reserved "patron" seating for the evening is $72 per person; open "friend-
ship" seating is $36. Levels of sponsorship, which include acknowledgement
in the "Magic ... Celebrating Life" program book, are $1,000 (includes six
patron tickets), $500 (includes 4 patron seats), $250 (includes two patron
seats) and $100 (includes two friendship tickets). Opportunities to donate
patron or friendship tickets to HIV-positive individuals also are available.
For more information and tickets, call MJAC at (248) 594-6522.
Ask around...
someone you know
has heard us.
9:30 pm — 2:00 am..
Mention this ad and we'll buy you a drink.
440/256-8071 1 www.specialproductions.net
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show's resident director, charged with
— with fictional characters who exem-
maintaining the artistic integrity of the
plify the struggles of that era.
piece while it goes through its many
Members of an upper-middle class
incarnations on the road. He flies
WASP family encounter a Latvian
from his home in New York to various
Jewish immigrant and his daughter
locations, rehearsing new actors, giv-
(Tateh and the Little Girl) and a
ing notes and generally keeping an eye
piano-playing African-American man"
and his wife (Coalhouse Walker
Jr. and Sarah). Their interactions
capture the transformations
sweeping the country, all set to
the rhythms of ragtime music.
Doctorow was part of a creative
team that moved his epic novel to
the Broadway musical stage in
1998. In interviews, the Jewish
author has said he feels the show
aptly portrays the spirit of social
commentary and history depicted
in his novel.
At the turn of the 20th century,
the United States — rocked by
record numbers of immigrants,
the emergence of the labor move-
Harry Houdini, as portrayed in "Ragtime,"
ment, women's rights, mass indus- is one of several real-life people whose lives
trialization and the advent of avia-
become intertwined with the musical's
tion — was ripe for a musical style fictional characters.
reflecting the tumultuous changes.
The musical genre of ragtime,
on the production.
evolving from the slave music of the
Arima, who also is associate director
plantations combined with the racially
of
the new Broadway show Seussical,
demeaning "coon songs" performed in
Ragtime is a show that continues
said
blackface for white audiences, connoted
to
inspire
him.
the spirit of possibility and opportunity,
"We
know
these people; we know
but the weight of prejudice, economic
people
who
are
racist, homophobic —
disparity and oppression is also intrinsic
who have certain ideas," he said. "In
to the sound.
Ragtime, we get the opportunity to see
Stafford Arima has worked with
them grow through some experience,
Ragtime since its inception. He is the
and that's a wonderful thing. That's
why the show works on so many levels
f
reporter
at
f
Deborah Walike is a sta
— it's about metamorphosis and
the Baltimore Jewish Times.