Arts st Entertainment New York Live! The spring/summer season brings a host of new comedies and musicals to the capital of live theater. ALICE SCHWEIGER Special to the Jewish News S *Voted Best Patio By The Detroit Free Press ♦ 1 COMO'S Italian-American Family Restaurant Woodward at 9 Mile • (248) 548-5005 5;ita4izykA4- z'oefed to 4t a/0(. 7 z&,, JJ Oakland Press iTad . greet maAe a comehcA _ga-zithyAanz • Gift Baskets • Sweet Trays • Muffins • Soups • Cookies Everything Made Fresh Daily Observer & Eccentric Open 7 days a week! CIO VISA Sunday-Wednesday OFF 0 TOTAL BILL Not Good with any other offer. Expires 5/31/03. Thursday- Saturday 1 OFF TOTAL %.1 BILL On Broadway V A .% Not Good with any other offer. Expires 5/31/03. Voted Best Challah Bread! 1.00 Off Any Bread Order coupon per order Expires 5/31/03 Not good with any other discount or special ofTer. New •vulid On holiday orders. FRESH SOUPS, SALADS & CREPES 172 N. Old Woodward (NE corner of Maple & N. Old Woodward) 5/16 2003 102 (248) 283-0260 unny, laugh-filled musicals and comedies are what the- atergoers are looking for this spring. "Because of the war in Iraq, the econ- omy and the terrorist alert, people who come to the theater in New York want to see something upbeat," says Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers. "Last year we had more plays than musicals, but this year we have more musicals, and many of the shows are lighter. "These are stressful times and the general pubic is looking for an escape. Those people who want to see a drama on stage are looking for an opportunity to experience emotion in a communal setting. Theater provides that. It's different from a movie — in the theater you interact with live actors and musicians." Ticket sales have been down some- what from last year, Bernstein said. "Other than the economy, it can be attributed to the recent musicians strike, the cold winter and the Orange Alert [on terrorism] for New York City," he said. "But now that the war [has wound down] and the weather is getting warmer, ticket sales are starting to pick up." While Hairspray is considered by some to be the hottest show on Broadway and a tough ticket to get, there are many other shows on the New York stage worth seeing. Here is a sampling of recently opened and upcoming shows with a Jewish con- nection—Jewish actor, songwriter, playwright, director or theme: 24-hour notice please on specialty items (some exceptions) 6879 Orchard Lake Rd. in the Boardwalk Plaza 248-626-9110 604270 A Year With Frog and Toad is a new musical based on the award-winning books by Arnold Lobel. In the show, Frog and Toad experi- ence a series of adventures while trav- eling through the different seasons, joined by other animal companions along the way. Lobel, who was Jewish, died in 1987 at age 54. His wife was a Holocaust survivor who hid in Poland during World War II and spent a few months in a concentration camp before being liberated. The author and illustrator of more than 100 children's books, including Tale of Meshka the Kvetch, Lobel was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor. His daughter, Adrianne Lobel, developed the show and designed the set. Year stars Mark Linn-Baker, whose Broadway credits include Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Jay Goede, who appeared in Angels in America and The Play's the Thing. At the Cort Theater, 138 West 48th St., (212) 239-6200. Gypsy is the long-awaited revival of the award-winning musical, with music and lyrics by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents. The revival is directed by Britain's Sam Mendes, of American Beauty and Road to Perdition fame. Starring Bernadette Peters as Mama Rose and set during the vaudeville era, it's the story of Gypsy Rose Lee and her quin- tessential stage mother who is deter- mined to develop the careers of her daughters, June and Louise. Rose doesn't give up — even when their act winds up in a burlesque house, June deserts. the act and Louise (the newly crowned Gypsy Rose Lee) becomes a stripper. Despite rumors to the contrary, Gypsy Rose Lee was not Jewish, but she did give birth to a child fathered by Jewish director Otto Preminger. At the Shubert Theatre, 225 West 44th St., (212) 239-6200. Life (x) 3 was penned by playwright Yasmina Reza, who won a Tony Award for her play Art. Reza was born and raised in France. Her father is an Iranian Jew and her mother is a Polish Jew. The play stars Jewish actor Brent Spiner, who is best known for his por- trayal of Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Helen Hunt and John Turturro. In the play, Henry (Turturro) and Sonia (Hunt) receive an unexpected knock at the door while they are put- ting their son to sleep. Dinner guests have arrived a day ahead of schedule. AS