Best Bets
Stagecrafters Youth Theatre pres-
ents the musical Peter Pan 7 p.m.
Fridays-Saturdays, July 19-20, 26-
27; 1 p.m. Sundays, July 21, 28;
and 7 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at
Royal Oak's Baldwin Theatre. $5-
$7. (248) 541-6430.
CLASSICAL
The Detroit Symphony
Orchestra continues its summer
season at Meadow Brook Music
Festival with light classical family
programs followed by fireworks
8 p.m. Fridays and traditional
repertoire 8 p.m. Saturdays.
$14-$59. For a complete sched-
ule: (313) 576-5111 or
www.detroitsymphonyorchestra.org
THE ART SCENE
Michigan colored pencil artists
exhibit their works through July 27
at Birmingham Bloomfield Art
Center. Reception: 5-8 p.m. Friday,
July 12. (248) 644-0866.
Rochester's Paint Creek Center for the Arts
presents Mirrored Echoes - Self-Portraiture,
a traveling exhibition by the National
Association of Women Artists, through Aug.
10. Opening reception: 6-8 p.m. Friday, July
12. (248) 651 4110.
Pontiac's Lawrence Street Gallery showcases
the work of more than 30 Michigan artists
through Aug. 9. Opening reception: 7 10
p.m. Friday, July 12. (248) 334-6716.
The Royal Oak Art Fair takes place
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m-5 p.m.
Sunday, July 13 14, in Royal Oak Memorial
Park. (248) 246-3180.
Housing 1,000 artists in four separate fairs,
the Ann Arbor Art Fairs run 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Wednesday:Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday, July 17-20. (800) 888-9487 or
vv-ww.annarbor.org .
Habatat Galleries in Royal Oak hosts
Polish-born artist Janusz Walentynowicz,
whose glass sculptures often express his belief
in the need to prevent hand-gun violence, at a
wine-and-hors d'oeuvres preview reception 6-
8 p.m. Wednesday, July 17; $60 per person
benefits Michigan Citizens for Handgun
Control. The exhibit opens to the public July
18. (248) 554-0590.
GAIL ZIMMERMAN
Arts 6- Entertainment
Editor
Pop/R o cKIJAz z
The Detroit Symphony Pops at Meadow
Brook Music Festival performs Giants of
Broadway, led by Radio City Music Mall
musical director Donald Pippin, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 14. $14-$59. (248) 576-5111.
Featuring a wide range of musical influences
from calypso and jazz to swing and klezmer,
the musical theater troupe Barrage presents its
production of A Violin Sings, A Fiddle Dances
at Meadow Brook Music Festival 8 p.m.
Wednesday, July 17. $15-$35. (248) 645-6666.
The three-day Community House Jazzfest
brings jazz performers to Shain Park in down
town Birmingham Thursday-Saturday, July
18-20. For a schedule, call (248) 644-5832.
The Royal Oak Theatre presents the
Uprooted Tour, featuring Great Big Sea,
Seven Nations and Young Dubliners, 8 p.m.
Friday, July 19. Doors at 7. $27-$32.
DTE Energy Music Theatre hosts Bad
Company, 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 15;
Blondie, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16; Marc
Anthony, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18;
Foreigner, 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19. $20-
$45.75. (248) 645-6666.
Sterling Heights' Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
hosts Heart with Eric Burdon, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 16; and Chris Isaak, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 17. $25-$55. (248) 645-6666.
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WHATNOT
ON THE STAGE
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival, featuring
productions of Othello and Romeo and Juliet
($10-$16 adults/54-58 children) and the family
show Alice Through the Looking Glass ($6
adults/kids free) runs July 16-Aug. 4 at Ella
Sharp Park in Jackson. (517) 783-3221 or
wvvw.michshakefest.org .
FAMILY FUN
Garfield the Cat stars in the live stage pro-
duction Happy Birthday to Me 1 and 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 16, at Meadow Brook Music
Festival. 510/pavilion. (248) 645-6666.
The annual Cranbrook Retreat for
Writers, offering writing workshops at all
activity levels, returns July 22-26.
Information: (248) 645-3678 or vvvvvv.cran-
brook.edu .
The Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit seeks local authors,
with works published between November
2001 and November 2002, to participate in
the 51st annual Jewish Book Fair. Deadline
for submissions is Aug. 30. Call Elaine
Schonberger, (248) 432-5577.
The Jewish News is looking for Elvis fans for
an upcoming story. E-mail Don Cohen at
doncohen@comcast.net .
WORLD SOUND
Andres Levin is starting to bring Israeli percussion instruments
to his diverse musical group, Yerba Buena, fusing the sounds
with Latin and Afro beats as well as funk, hip-hop and pop.
The diversity of the band members and their show fits right in
with the 10th annual Concert of Colors, a free entertainment
marathon that brings many ethnic groups together to celebrate
Detroit area diversity.
The American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit are among some 70 sponsor-
ing organizations working with the Arab Community Center
for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) and New Detroit.
Yerba Buena performs 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 21,
toward the closing of the three-day festival in Chene Park. Also
appearing over the weekend will be R&B superstar Ray Charles
and Native American Academy Award-winning songwriter
Buffy Sainte-Marie.
"Our band plays all original music that I have composed in
combination with lyrics written by other band members in
English, Spanish and Yoruba, an African dialect," says Levin, 34.
Levin said he's heard his band compared to the groups War
and Earth, Wind & Fire, but
with two singers and a rapper
like the Fugees.
"It's fun music," he says,
"and the outcome is a party
band fOr dancing and having a
good time."
Born in Caracas to Jewish
parents who escaped the Nazis
by going to Venezuela, Levin
moved to the United States in
the 1980s. He studied briefly at
the Berklee School of Music in
Boston and the Juilliard School
in New York.
He became a record producer
for many hit entertainers, such
Venezuelan-born Andres Levin,
as Chaka Khan, Tina Turner,
front, heads up Yerba Buena.
Macy Gray and, most recently,
Ricky Martin.
Levin started Yerba Buena a year ago, taking its name from a
sweet mint. The group is working on its first CD, whose target
date for release is January. _
"We want to make good music with an international appeal,"
Levin says. A varied instrumentalist, he will be playing bass in
Detroit.
"I keep interested in many styles of music," he says, "and I've
been fortunate to work with many different kinds of musicians,
including people who are Nigerian, Portuguese, Columbian,
Japanese and Australian.
"I pick up something in music and apply it somewhere else."
- Suzanne Chessler
The free Concert of Colors runs July 19-21 in Detroit's
Chene Park. There will be free crafts activities for chil-
dren. For a complete schedule of performers, go to
www.accesscommunity.org . (313) 842-7010.
FYI: For Arts and Entertainment related events that you wish to have considered for Out & About, please send the item, with a detailed description of the event, times, dates, place, ticket prices and publishable phone number,
to: Gail Zimmerman, JN Out & About, The Jewish News, 30301 Northwestern Highway, MI 48334; fax us at (248) 539-3075; or e-mail to gzimmerman@thejewishnews.com Notice must be received at least three weeks before the
scheduled event. Photos are appreciated but cannot be returned. All events and dates listed in the Out & About column are subject to change.
7/12
2002
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