For Openers

Bantam Of The Opera

now © 2001

BILL CARROLL

Special to the Jewish News

By Goldfein

I is almost midnight and 7-year-old Aaron Folbe should be
in bed. Instead he's prancing around the stage of the
Detroit Opera House, performing in the Michigan Opera
Theatre (MOT) production of Verdi's Falstaff
The Huntington Woods youngster is making his show business
debut — for three minutes — as a supernumerary (a theater extra
with a non-speaking part). Usually asleep by 8:30 p.m., Aaron has
been putting in some late hours, first in rehearsals, then in six per-
formances of FaLstaff, ending with shows this weekend.
Aaron is the son of Dr. Jack and Amy Folbe — he's an anes-
thesiologist and she's a partner in the Honigman, Miller,
Schwartz and Cohn law firm. A second-grader at Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit, Aaron likes to put on shows
for the family, doing impersonations, telling jokes and riddles
and is a TV and movie fan.
"He just loves being 'on,' so I contacted MOT to see if they
needed any children for operas," said Amy. "He auditioned and
got the part in Falstaff He even earns $10 per performance."
In the third act of the comedy, based on Shakespeare's The
Merry Wives of Windsor, Aaron's character and seven other boys,
dressed like devils, imps and witches, play a trick on Sir John
Falstaff, the scheming fat knight, and pummel and pinch him
until he begs for mercy. Six girls, dressed like fairies, do the same
while suspended over the stage by ropes.
"Aaron is very serious about his Jewish
identity," said Amy. "At the rehearsals, he
went around asking everyone if they were
Jewish and if they spoke Hebrew. The cast
and the director love him."
Jewish opera singer Gary Lehman of Ohio,
a baritone, stars as "Mrs. Ford's husband."
Married for 10 years, Amy and Jack,
members of Congregation Shoarey Zedek,
Aaron Folbe
have three other children: Aaron's twin, Elana;
Jonah, 6; and A:dan, 3.
What about Aaron's show business future? Said Amy, "I
think he was bitten by the opera bug. Now he wants to take
voice lessons." ❑

(IRANIAN

BY

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5/18

2001

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