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. - - - 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 72