Arts & Life _ Homemade Soups & Salads • Greek Specialties Musical Poet c Omelettes New York composer Ricky Ian Gordon r_D Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials brings his songs to Ann Arbor. • Homemade Sandwiches SUZANNE CHESSLER • Coney Specials Vail Omit Co4weofieid .2accilictfra Detroit Farmington Hills Comerica Park Stadium 30985 Orchard Lake Rd. (between 13 & 14 Mile Rd.) Birmingham 154 S. Woodward Ave. Livonia Millennium Park (Middlebelt & 1-96) Bloomfield Twp. 6527 Telegraph Rd. West Bloomfield Canton 4763 Haggerty Rd. (Pontiac Trail & Haggerty Rd.) 1735 Canton Center Rd. Ann Arbor 1235 S. University Pontiac 3999 Center Point Parkway Dearborn Heights 26540 Ford Rd. (The Heights Plaza) Commerce Farmington Hills 37580 W. 12. Mile Rd. (Halstead Village) Taylor 9845 Telegraph Rd. Livonia Laurel Park Mall (37622 6 Mile Rd.) Plymouth 15131 Sheldon Rd. (Sheldon at 5 Mile Rd.) Southfield 15647 W. 9 Mile at Greenfield Rd. Novi Commerce & Carrol Lk. Rd. 47830 Grand River Ave. (Grand River & Beck Rd.) Milford Royal Oak 512 N. Main Royal Oak 13 Mile Rd. & Woodward Ave. Northwood Plaza Main Street Downtown Royal Oak 6-5evcuRez Family Restaura t 33292 W. 12. Mile Rd. • Farmington Hills OFF T OTAL BILL I With This Coupon Expires 02/29/04. Not good with any other offers. THE ORIGINAL RESTAURANT VOTED BEST GREEK RESTAURANT BY METRO DETROIT! • PRIVATE PARTIES FOR 55 IN OUR DINING ROOM • PARTY TRAYS •ALL MENU ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR CARRY OUT •GREEK & AMERICAN CUISINE •CHEF'S SPECIALS DAILY 0 / 0 OFF TOTAL FOOD BILL • FULL BAR Expires 02/29/04. 1 coupon per table. Not good with any other offers. 1/30 2004 40 4301 Orchard Lake Road • West Bloomfield • Crosswinds Plaza 248-538-6000 FAX: 248-538-0932 Special to the Jewish News Ann Arbor A Itallie; Autumn Valentine, a two-charac- ter operetta using the works of poet and writer Dorothy Parker; and What the Living Do, a staged song cycle with poetry by Marie Howe. Gordon's music has been performed by Renee Fleming, Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Rodney Gilfry, Kurt 011mann and many other stellar singers in concert halls around the world. Vocalists appearing with Gordon at Kerrytown, besides mezzo-soprano Bloom and baritone Tipton, include ward-winning composer Ricky Ian Gordon never has been to Michigan, but he's about to visit and per- form — by way of Italy. It's a story that has some twists and turns, but it also has a happy ending for Ann Arbor singers and audiences. When Gordon was in Europe last summer, he met Paul Tipton, a master's degree vocal student at the University of Michigan. Tipton later performed in Jackson, Mich., with Wendy Bloom, an Ann Arbor-based con- cert singer, voice teacher, show planner and intense Gordon fan. When Bloom learned that Tipton knew Gordon, she asked if Tipton could encourage the com- poser to appear in Michigan. Tipton suggested she just extend the invitation over the phone. One call resulted in "An Evening With Songwriter Ricky Ian Gordon," which will fill Ann Arbor's Kerrytown Concert House with music Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6-7. The 8 p.m. shows, spot- lighting 10 vocalists presenting Gordon's songs with the composer at the piano, will be part of the venue's CabaretFest 2004. Gordon, composer in residence Ricky Ian Gordon: "The show will be a cele- for three years with Chicago Lyric bration of poetry, theater and music." Opera, also will conduct some master classes at the university. "I'm coming to an unknown place mezzo-sopranos Leah Dexter and with unknown people to make things Deanna Relyea, soprano Karen Roberts happen," says Gordon, 47, whose New and tenor Jason Wilhoite. There also will York-based career spans classical and be university musical theater students musical theater styles. "The show will Emily Albrink, Meghan Randolph, be a celebration of poetry, theater and Kevin Hale and Mark Whitten. music. I've found it stimulating and "I will create a program around the exciting to see the effects of working people performing and use a broad outside of the fishbowl of Manhattan." group of songs," Gordon says about the Gordon, who has been referred to as Ann Arbor presentation. "There will be one of the "young Turks" of New duos, trios and quartets, and we will Yorks musical theater scene, will put feel like we're creating a theater piece. together the program after he meets "I will include selections from Bright with performers. He has a varied reper- EyedJoy (Nonesuch), a recent CD with toire from which to make selections. only my songs. I've done a group of As examples, he has written The concerts, including one at New York's Tibetan Book of the Deach an opera Lincoln Center, based on the CD." with libretto by Jean Claude Van Gordon, who grew up on Long