VISA 3 WEEKS ONLY! an presenh ip BILLY Tony had t ' Winner! Best Orchestrations - . Cornbelt Comedy TWYLA 2003 Tony hard Winer! Best ChoreograpN BROADWAY'S TONY AWARD WINNING MUSICAL! 5 lifelong friends. 2 turbulent decades. 24 Billy Joel classics. Spike Manton co-writes a nostalgic play for anyone who has ever taken a family vacation. SUZANNE CHESSLER Special to the Jewish News A car will rev up riot far from the audience as it drives through the center of the next production at the • Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea. Spike Manton and Tim Clue steered the vehicle into their new comedy, Leaving Iowa, which enjoys its world premiere Jan. 22-March 13, about one year after it was conceived as just an idea. The two writers, who have done preliminary staging in Illinois, think Michigan is the right place to launch their full tale on wheels. It's about a young man searching for a place to scatter his late father's ashes, while finding memories of summers spent in the back seat of a station wagon on family vacations. "I think people in Michigan really will be attracted to the car moments because of their relationship with the automobile," says Manton, 40, a Chicago morning drive-time radio personality who also does standup comedy. "The audience comes to know the father, who controlled everything about the car." Leaving Iowa, ultimately exploring transitions and goodbyes, brings to life the experiences of the writers as Midwesterners growing up in small towns. The characters are combina- tions of people they knew in their tight-knit communities. "We just started talking about this idea and jumped right in," Manton says. "Tim and I met while we were students at Bradley University in Peoria and have co-written other things together. This is the first time I've worked on a play with Tim, but it's not the first time Tim has worked on a play. "Tim has collaborated on other the- ater projects and written and directed his own stuff. Our collaborations have CORNBELT COMEDY on page 40 The only card accepted for single tickets of the national tour of Movin' Ow. www.visa.comfmovinout Standard Federal A1 MFKI WS.:111 &Unsioravni 6:ot. zp Fisher Theatre 41 January 27—February 15 Tickets at the Fisher Theatre box office, ficWlimilar charge-by-phone 248-645-6666, & ticketmaster.com Groups (20 or more) weekdays 313-871-1132 • Info 313-872-1000 • NededanderDetroit.com L°71 :7_ r1 =11 - Chinese & 13cepainese. "Resica ;Avant Chinese & -Japanese BIAffet Evaeyday Fresh Cooked Hibachi, Tempura &Teeiyciki 1Delicious JrAtermationctl Food Eat Jvi oetake Out r 1314y 1 "is - 248.552.8899 248.557.8833 (fax) . Open Daily:1 1 :00am-1 0:00pm 29788 13ttffet Meat, Get 2"4 1buffet Meal at 1/2 Urn Must present coupon. I I . 1 ' Southfield Rd., Southfield .1 Onside Southfield Plaza, Next to Farmer Sack Not valid with other discount or children's menu. Dine-in Buffet Only. Good Anytime. exp.-1-31-04 1 /16 2004 39