Best Bets CLASSICAL Nar Es ON THE STAGE Andrew Loyd Webber's The Phantom Bridging classical and popular music, of the Opera, directed by Harold performances of Rackham Symphony Prince, will be staged Dec. 26-Jan. 12 at Choir's Too Hot to Handel, a soul-stir- the Stranahan Theatre in Toledo. ring, hand-clapping jazz-gospel take on Performance times are 8 p.m. Tuesdays- Handel's Messiah, take place 8 p.m. Saturdays and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, with Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21-22, 2 p.m. matinees Saturdays and Sundays, at Detroit's Orchestra Hall. $15-$55. Thursday, Dec. 26, and Wednesday, Jan. (313) 237-7464. 1. $20-$65. (419) 474-1333. GAIL ZIMMERMAN Conductor Felix Resnick leads the Arts c;-- Entertainment A special presentation of Stephen Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Editor Sondheim's musical masterpiece Follies, Orchestra in its "Between the Holidays directed by Brent Wagner with musical Concert," featuring familiar melodies suit- direction by Bradley Bloom, will be presented 8 able for the whole family, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, January 4-5, at at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor to celebrate the $25/children free. (248) 645-2276. venue's 75th anniversary. The production features The Detroit Symphony Orchestra's New Year's Harvey Evans, Kurt Peterson, Virginia Sandifur Eve Gala rings in 2003 with a concert of Viennese waltzes and the best of American song, followed by complimentary champagne toasts, dessert buffet and dancing, beginning 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Orchestra Hall. $40-$100. (313) 576-5111. The DSO performs R. Strauss' Metamorphosen, Schumann's Konzertstuck for Four Horns and Rimsky-Koraskov's Scheherazade 8 p.m. Friday, 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3-5, at Orchestra Hall. $15-$56. (313) 576-5111. Wednesday, Dec. 25, and runs through April 2003. $8-$10. Tickets: (313) 271-1570. THE SMALL SCREEN Olympic Gold Medal ice-skating champion Sarah Hughes appears in Sarah Hughes: A Life in Balance, her first TV special since her Salt Lake City upset win, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, on NBC. Check your local listings. The 25th Annual Kennedy Center Honors recog- nizes the cultural contributions of five individuals in a broadcast scheduled 9-11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, on CBS. Jewish honorees include actress Elizabeth Taylor, conductor James Levine and singer/song- writer Paul Simon. Also being recognized are University of Michigan attendee actor James Earl Jones and dancer/actress Chita Rivera. Walter Cronkite hosts; check your local. istings. Kennedy Center Honorees James Levine, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Simon, Chita Rivera and James Earl Jones 0 0 0 Below: A really big POP/ROCK/JAZZ/FOLK The Randy Napoleon Trio, featuring former Ann Arborite Randy Napoleon, Jared Gold and Quincy Davis, takes the stage to unveil its new CD, Enjoy the Moment, 9-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 27-28, at Ann Arbor's Bird of Paradise. $10 cover/$7 students. (734) 662-8310. Crossroads Ceili, a festive Celtic tapestry of Irish music and dance, visits The Ark in Ann Arbor 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 28-29. $13.50. (734) 761-1451. Fiddle and piano workshops will be offered 12-5 p.m. Dec. 28-29; for details, call (313) 537-3489. Fiddlers Four features Michael Doucet, Darol Anger, Bruce Molsky and Rushad Eggleston in a cross-cultural concert of world music 6:30 and 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, as part of "First Friday" at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Free with suggested muse- um admission of $4 for adults, $1 for children. (313) 833-7900. Erich Kunzel directs a John Williams Spectacular, featuring works of the renowned film composer and conductor, 8 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9-12, at Orchestra Hall. $18-$51. (313) 576-5111. The six women of a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock return in a University Musical Society performance 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, joined by vocalist/guitarist Toshi Reagan and her band Big Lovely. $16-$38. (734) 764-2538. yoy 12/20 2002 58 "Lion King." and Marti Rolph, all members of the original 1971 Broadway cast, and Detroit native and Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie. $25-$45; call (734) 764-2538. VIP tickets, including dinner with the cast, are $225; call (734) 668-8397, Ext. 25. Boarshead Theatre in Lansing stages Becky Mode's comedy Fully Committed, in which Philadelphia actor Scott Greer portrays all 39 characters interact- ing at a posh New York restaurant, 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 9-Feb. 2. $8-$29. (517) 484-7805. Meadow Brook Theatre hosts the Shaw Festival production of George Bernard Shaw's Candida, a triangle of love and longing featuring the playwright's first great heroine, Candida Morell, Jan. 8-Feb. 2. Call for show times. $19- $38. (248) 377-3300. THE BIG SCREEN Walt Disney Pictures' The Lion King makes its large- screen debut at Henry Ford Museum's IMAX Theatre FAMILY FUN Birmingham Principal Shopping District holds First Night, its annual New Year's Eve alcohol-free festival of arts for children and adults, Tuesday, Dec. 31. For more information, go to wwvv.technomasters.com/firstnight, or call (248) 258-9075. WHATNOT The Longhorn Championship Rodeo visits the Palace of Auburn Hills 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3-5. $14-$20. (248) 645-6666. Swingtime 2003, the FanClub Arts Foundation's annual fund- raising event featuring food, drinks and music, comes to the lobby of the Fisher Building Saturday, Jan. 11. For information and tick- ets, call (248) 584-4150. Out and About will return. 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.