Arts Entertainment Best Bets
CLASSICAL NOTES
Sponsored by the Institute for
Retired Professionals, violinist
Geoffrey Applegate, cellist Marcy
Chanteaux and pianist Pauline
Martin of the St. Clair Trio perform
"Chamber Music of the Masters" 7:30
p.m. Wednesday, April 30, at the
Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield. Free and open to the
public. (248) 661-1000.
Violin soloist Ida Kafavian joins the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra in per-
formances of Fire and Blood, the
world premiere of a work for violin
and orchestra by composer-in-resi-
dence Michael Daugherty, 8 p.m.
Thursday and Friday and 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 1-3, at Orchestra Hall;
$15-$56. Daugherty's piece was
inspired by the 70th anniversary of
the completion of the Diego Rivera
murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The piece's second movement is dedi-
cated to the spirit of Rivera's wife,
artist Frida-Kahlo, who lived in
Detroit with Rivera while he worked
on the murals. The piece also will be
performed 3 p.m. Sunday, May 4, as
part of the "Introduction to the
Classics Series"; $28. (313) 576-5111.
Daugherty and DIA director Graham
Beal will appear at each of the con-
certs, and at a preview 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 30, in the DIA's
Rivera Court, where Kafavian will
perform excerpts with DSO pianist
Robert Conway; free, but reservations
are necessary: (313) 576-5111.
P o p/ R o a d JAzz /F ouc
The Birmingham Temple hosts its
annual Dorian Samuels Memorial
Concert, titled The Best of Show(s),
8 p.m. Friday, April 25, at the temple
in Farmington Hills. The free public
concert will feature singers Maria
Cimarelli, Mona Moon, Karl
Schmidt and Mark Vondrak, accom-
panied by pianist Amanda Sabelhaus,
performing works written by many of
Broadway's most notable composers.
(248) 477-1410.
Ann Arbor-based choir Chaverim
B'Shirim present a Richard Rodgers
Celebration, performing songs he
composed in collaboration with lyri-
cist Oscar Hammerstein II, 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 27, at the Jewish
Community Center, 2935 Birch
Hollow Dr., in Ann Arbor. $5. (734)
971-0990.
With indie rock group
Mosaic Youth Theatre of
Sebadoh on hiatus, pop
Detroit presents Reality, a
recording artist Jason
new play with music based
Loewenstein is undertaking
on Moliere's classic
his first solo tour. He visits
comedy The Learned Ladies,
Ferndale's Magic Bag
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Tuesday, April 29, with spe-
and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 2- .
cial guests Eric Weir &
4, at Detroit's Music Hall.
Tiny Steps. Doors at 8 p.m.
Rick Sperling acted as script
$8. (248) 544-3030.
consultant for the produc-
GAIL ZIMMERMAN
Crossing the country on
tion. $25 reserved VIP
Arts .& Entertainment
their "Face to Face" Tour,
seats/$15 adults/$12 youth
Editor
pop music legends Billy
and seniors. (313) 963-2366.
Joel and Elton John take
the stage at the Palace of Auburn Hills
7:30 p.m. Friday. (sold out) and
THE BIG SCREEN
Saturday, May 2-3. $47.50-$197.50.
Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak
(248) 645-6666.
Park continues its film festival series,
titled God Has a Plan for Me — I'm
Waiting for His Call, 7-9:30 p.m.
ON THE STAGE
Monday, April 28; Monday, May 5;
The Players Guild of Dearborn pres-
Tuesday, May 13; and Monday, May
ents Gypsy, with book by Arthur
19. Feature-length motion pictures
Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics
will explore human destiny, a divine
by Stephen Sondhheim, 8 p.m. Fridays
plan for each person and how individ-
and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays,
uals respond to situations in their
May 2-18. Julie Yolles of Birmingham
capacities as everyday human beings.
will be featured as Electra the Stripper.
Hosted by Rev. Sammy Semp, the
$14. (313) 561-TKTS.
evenings are free and open to the pub-
lic. For information or to register, call
(248) 547-7970.
THE ART SCENE
The Farmington Artists Club
Spring Art Exhibit and Sale runs April
27-May 4 at the William Costick
Activities Center, 28600 11 Mile Road,
in Farmington Hills. Call for hours.
Opening reception: noon-5 p.m. Sunday,
April 27; awards at 2 p.m., refreshments
following. Free. (248) 344-1284
WHATNOT
A big hit at last year's Jewish Book
Fair, author Jonathan Safran Foer reads
from his award-winning Everything Is
Illuminated7:30 p.m. Monday, April
29, at Shaman Drum, 315. S. State, in
Ann Arbor. (734) 662-7407.
Sasha Cohen and Irina Slutskaya
are among the skaters headlining
Chevy Champions on Ice 25th
Anniversary Tour 7:30 p.m. Friday,
May 2, at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.
$30-$65. (313) 471-6616.
SPRING OPERA SEASON
yric soprano Amy Burton, who was educated by the church but left
has performed the role of
Italy because of continuing anti-
Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni Sernitism.
for the New York City Opera, will
After moving to the United States
take the.same part for three perform-
in the early 1800s, he became the
ances at the Detroit Opera
first professor of
House.
Italian at Columbia
Burton, a Jewish vocalist
University and
with an extensive touring
wrote his memoirs,
career that has taken her to
providing biograph-
Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
ical information
with the Israel
about Mozart and
Philharmonic, helps open
many other famous
the spring season of the
people he knew.
Michigan Opera Theatre as
Don Giovanni,
she takes the stage April 27
which runs April
and May 2 and 4 in a
26- May 4, pre-
schedule that rotates per-
cedes Die
formers.
Fledermaus, the
"Based on the various
Johann Strauss Jr.
Soprano Amy Burton
legends of Don Juan, the
performs the role ofDonna opera of love, adul-
opera is a remarkable tour
Elvira in "Don Giovanni." tery and mistaken
de force," says David
identiti e s being
DiChiera, MOT director.
staged May 17-25.
Beyond the performer, Jewish roots
Helmed by Jewish Canadian director
reach to one of the opera's creators,
Bernard than, the opera also has his-
Lorenzo Da Ponte, born a Jew in
toric Jewish connections.
Venice, wrote the libretto for the
The composer's grandfather was a
Mozart music.
Jew who converted to Christianity,
Da Ponte, who also worked on
and Strauss Jr.'s third wife was
Marriage of Figaro and Cosi fin Tate, Jewish. Baptismal records were
L
destroyed by the Nazis to conceal the
composer's background, and his
working papers and mementos were
seized from his stepdaughter by the
Gestapo.
Closing out the season is a new
opera, Dead Man Walking, which will
be performed June 7-15. Based on
the life of Sister Helen Prejean'as
expressed in book and film, the piece
recounts the struggles of a Louisiana
nun as she attempts to comfort a vic-
tim's family and work with the man
she sees within a monstrous criminal.
With rock and jazz-styled music by
Jake Heggie and libretto by Terrence
McNally, Dead Man Walking shows
extreme violence and is not recom
mended for children.
-7-- Suzanne Chessler
Performances for Don Giovanni
(April 26-May 4), Die Fledermaus
(May 17-25) and Dead Man .
Walking (June 7-15) begin 7:30
p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Fridays-
Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at
the Detroit Opera House. $20 .-
$105. (313) 237-7464.
E ‘:
4/25
2003
72
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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.