MUSASHI
der ailment
as director, is a half-hour shorter than
the original musical, resulting in less
stage time for the character of Luther,
portrayed in the film by Ray Walston.
"I was playing sports, wrestling and
doing lots of stuff when my mom
took me to a kids' production of
Oklahoma, and I turned to her and
said I wanted to do that," recalls
Warshofsky, who grew up in
California. He went on to study at a
nearby theater training institute dur-
ing summer breaks from school.
Beyond appearing in a temple play
about pesticides, Warshofsky, the son
of a doctor and a nurse, worked at the
San Jose Civic Light Opera and the
Santa Rosa Repertory Theater. The
young actor went on to earn a bache-
lor's degree in theater from the
University of California at Los Angeles
and a master's degree in acting from
New York University.
"I did my first Broadway show, Neil
Simon's Biloxi Blues, when I was 24,
and I stayed in New York for 15 years
[for other jobs]," the actor recalls. "I
was in about four Broadway shows
and then moved to Los Angeles, where
I've done movies and TV."
Warshofsky accepted supporting
parts in the feature films G.I. Jane and
Born on the Fourth of July, among oth-
ers. He also has been a guest on
NYPD Blue, ER, Friends . and many
other series. Just recently, the actor
appeared in a Law er Order episode
about a woman murdered by a vicious
University of Michigan's musical the-
dog.
ater program. She starred as the female
"I recently made a movie, Personal
lead in Martin Guerre at the Fisher a
Velocity; directed by Arthur Miller's
couple of years ago.
daughter, Rebecca Miller," Warshofsky
In the second love story, Lewis Cleale reveals. "It's about three women in
plays Lt. Joe Cable, who falls in love
with island native Liat (Kisha Howard)
Both relationships address the issue
of prejudice in the musical that won
the Pulitzer Prize for drama and nine
Tony Awards after its 1949 Broadway
opening.
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Cast Clown
In the role of Luther Billis, actor David Warshofsky
provides the humor in "South Pacific," opening
next week at Detroit's Fisher Theatre.
dward Ave.
of McNichols)
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2002
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SUZANNE CHESSLER
•Special to the Jewish New
Rodgers and Hammerstein
musical motivated David
Warshofsky to try his the-
atrical talents on the
Broadway stage, and another Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical brings the
actor's singing, hoofing and comic tal-
ents to a Detroit stage.
Warshofsky, who was cast into a the-
atrical spell while seeing
Oklahoma, has been cast as
David Warshofiky
Luther Billis in South
as Luther Billis in
Pacific, which runs Feb. 19- "South Pacific"•
March 10 at the Fisher
"There's Nothin'
Theatre.
Like a Dame' is
The actor offers some -
the most fun song
humor in the production
I've ever sung in
brimming with two serious
a show," says the
love stories set against a
actor, shown here
tropical backdrop during
in "Honey Bun."
World War II.
Michael Nouri, who
played opposite Julie Andrews in the
stage version of Victor/Victoria, heads
up the company as plantation owner
Emile de Becque. He's the older love
interest for young military nurse
Nellie Forbush, who is portrayed by
the Southfield-bred Erin Dilly, a grad-
uate of Groves High School and the
.
`Celebrating Life'
Varied Career
"Luther is the clown of
the show, and he's a lot of
fun," says Warshofsky, 40,
who years ago spent lots
of time in the area visit-
ing a college roommate,
Kerry Milliron, formerly
of Bloomfield Hills.
"'There's Nothin' Like a
DaMe' is the most fun
song I've ever sung in a show."
Warshofsky, making his first appear-
ance in a South Pacific production, has
been with the company since July,
when the cast tested the revival in
Minneapolis.
The new version, with Jerry Zaks as
production supervisor and Scott Faris
"South Pacific"
cast entertains for
MJAC fund-raiser.
is
any people getting ready
for local bar and bat
mitzvah celebrations
learned how to dance from Tony
Lord, a former teacher at Annette
and Company in Farmington Hills.
Soon, these same people — and
lots more — will watch Lord as a
singing and dancing sailor in South
Pacific at the Fisher Theatre and as a
solo performer in the annual
"Celebrating Life" benefit for the
Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition
(MJAC) and Broadway Cares —
Equity Fights AIDS at Temple Israel.