Best Bets CLASSICAL NOTES Brad Holman: Making his move on NBCs `Avereke Joe. B radley Holcman moved from Michigan to California to be with a girlfriend, but they broke up. In the course of looking for a new West Coast romantic interest, he has wound up on reality television. Holcman soon will be seen on NBC'S Average Joe, a relationship series that has 16 everyday young men vying for the attention of a beauty queen. Although he knows whether he won the woman's heart, Holcman has committed himself to a vow of secrecy. "The show was taped between April and June and will be aired starting at 10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3," says Holcman, 26, whose professional life has kept him behind the scenes at 20th Century Fox, where he develops drama shows. "I think viewers are going to have a ton of fun watchina b all of us on this dating series. Holcman, the son of Janis and Sam Holcman of Farmington Hills, comes to Average Joe with some reali- ty-show experience. The person who cast him on The Fifth Wheeh an earlier dating relationship series released in syndication, cast him on the NBC show. "I'm not interested in 'Decanting an actor, but I did . want to prove that a nice guy can do a half-hour syn- dicated program," says Holcman, who wears clothing with Michigan insignias as he competes romantically before the world. "I've also done game shows, includ- ing The Chair on ABC and Paranoia for the Fox Family Network" Holcman, who moved to California four years ago after graduating from the University of Michigan, attended Walled Lake Western High School and was a member of Adat Shalom Synagogue, where he had his bar mitzvah. The emerging television personality will be in the Detroit area Nov. 8-10 to do some local publicity as well as host a charity viewing party to benefit Dance Marathon, an organization he helped start at U-M. Proceeds go to pediatric rehabilitation at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. To get local event details, call (248) 324-1076. — Suzanne Chessler Violinist Richard Luby and pianist Claudia Corona play music of the Americas 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, in a Brunch with Bach concert at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Seating at 11 a.m.: concert/brunch, $11422; concert only/stairwell seating, $5. (313) 833-4005. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra per- GAIL ZINIMERMAN forms Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8, John Arts & Entertainment Adam's Troba Lontana and Mozart's Piano Editor Concerto No. 23, with guest pianist Robert Levin, who is known for his improvisation of cadenzas, 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday and 8:30 ON THE STAGE p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7-8, at Orchestra Hall. $15-$60. Just in time for Halloween, the Pagan Theatre Guild (313) 576-5111. (a division of Theatre Livonia) mounts a production of Frankenstein, based on the Mary Shelley story, 8 p.m. and midnight Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, at Theatre Livonia in the Livonia Saffire — The Uppity Blues Women, featuring Mall. Reuben Ellman of Westland stars as Victor Jewish vocalist/pianist Ann Rabson, takes the stage 8 Frankenstein. $6-$8. (586) 344-7774. p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at The Ark in Ann Arbor. The Century Theatre presents Marco Greco in his $17.50. (248) 761-1451. Off-Broadway one-man show, Behind the Counter Paul Keller and his orchestra present a tribute to With Mussolini, vignettes that tell the story of his Benny Goodman, featuring Jim Wyse as Benny Bronx upbringing, 7:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Goodman, 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at the 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3-8 (not recommended for children due to language). $30- $37.50. (313) 463-6216. P op /RocKIJAzz/F o uk THE BIG SCREEN I Average Joe premieres 10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, on NBC. 10/31 2003 60 Clawson/Troy Elks Club, 1451 Big Beaver Road, in Troy. $15. (248) 476-2674. Israeli singer/songwriter Chava Alberstein, a force on the Israeli music scene for the past 30 years, performs 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor. Strongly influenced by American folksingers, Alberstein accompa- nies herself on acoustic guitar as she sings everything from love songs to songs about peace and oppression. $20-$34. (734) 764- 2538. Maw Chava Alberstein performs in Ann Arbor on Nov. 8. Dirty story' SUSAN ZWEIG Special to the Jewish News A cademy Award-winner John Patrick Shanley's Dirty Stmy aims to shock --- after all, it comes straight from Off-Broadway. Jewish Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director Evelyn Orbach deserves high praise for plucking a piece of New York theater this gritty to bring back to the Midwest and the JET stage for the dark comedy's second-ever staging. In Shanley's brazen allegory of international politics, the JET cast is solid. What's not equally as solid is Shanley's script. The play begins with a meeting defined by its glar- ingly inequitable distribution of power: Wanda (Shelly Gaza) is the fawning graduate student seeking a published author's guidance; Brutus (Loren Bass) is Detroit Docs screens 53 documentary films from around the world Friday-Sunday, Nov. 7-9, at the Birmingham 8 in Birmingham and Detroit Film Center and Hastings Street Ballroom in Detroit. More than 20 filmmakers will discuss their work at the festi- val. $8-$10 day pass/$20-$25 weekend pass (admission to all three venues). For a complete schedule, go to wvvw.detroitdocs.org . the once-great writer now suffer- ing from a terrible case of block and animus. Wanda is unpre- pared for her work to be eviscer- ated; Brutus is more than willing to flay and cut deeply, seemingly bolstering his own fragile ego. Their relationship events ally blurs into a sadistic game of control. You have Playwright John Patrick Shanley to risk something," Brutus urges Wanda, solo chess player though he is. Risk she does, to nearly become a victim, then suddenly, the amressor, demanding as the stage lights dim, side arm drawn, to be called "Israel." (OK, so she's Wanda, as in through the desert for 40 years.) Rather than rejoin the cast at this deliciously height- ened conflict in Act Two, Shanley cheats, flashing for- ward to shamelessly mine allegory. The four charac- ters become individual voices on international rela- tions, each a country in the world's seldom-harmo- nious barbershop qua rtet 4**A04iil:k4* 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, 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034; fax us at (248) 304-8885; 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.