Arts Si Life Best Bets HOLLYWOOD LEGEND Turner Classic Movies will pay tribute to one of the most prolific and famous Jewish-American pro- ducers in Hollywood with the world premiere of Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood, a new 74-minute documentary by filmmaker/photographer Robert Trachtenberg that pre- mieres 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, on the TCM cable station. The documentary will be accompanied by a festival of 11 of Thalberg's best films — Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Grand Hotel (1932) and Camille (1935) among them — that kicks off the network's Irving Thalberg annual "31 Days of Oscar" festival, featuring 24 hours a day of nothing but Oscar-winning and nominated films. Thalberg, who was dubbed the "Boy Wonder" (he became head of production for Universal Studios at age 20 and of MGM at age 24) and supported the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, died of pneumonia in 1936 at age 37. Since then, the Academy has bestowed the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producers whose bodies of work reflect a consis- tently high quality of motion-picture production. For more on Thalberg and a complete schedule of films, go to www.tcm.com . FULL OF FOLK The Ark in Ann Arbor marks its 40th anniver- sary this year and kicks off the celebration with the presentation of its 28th annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival. Celebrity Jews NATE BLOOM Special to. the Jewish News Global Notes NATALIE PORTMAN scored twice in recent weeks — she was named as one of the top ten best dressed women by the nasty Mr. RICHARD BLACKWELL (yes, he is Jewish, too), and she picked up a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for Closer. Portman has spent the last few months in Israel studying at Hebrew University (where she was spotted by DAN HORWITZ of West Bloomfield, who is spending a semester abroad there). She told The two-day event, beginning 7 p.m. originated the role of the Wizard of Oz Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28-29, on Broadway in the smash musical at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, fea- Wicked. tures established and rising stars repre- Tickets are $300 (Friend), $400 senting a wide spectrum of musical (Patron) and $500 (Benefactor). Call the styles. Variety office at (248) 258-5511. Friday night's headliners are the folk/country/pop duo the Indigo GAIL ZIMMERMAN Girls, who'll be joined by gospel SKETCHES FROM Arts Editor group the Blind Boys of Alabama, Celtic group Glengarry Bhoys, pop- THE FRONT rock singer-songwriter Vienna Teng, Welsh- Inspired by Winslow Homer's Civil War paint- born singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, fiddle ings, New York-based artist Steve Mumford made champ Jeremy Kittel and jazz-inspired four trips to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 to chronicle chanteuse Susan Werner, who'll emcee both military and civilian life in the U.S.-occupied evenings. country. As he traveled, the artist made ink draw- The lineup for Saturday includes headliner ings and watercolors in a sketchbook, recording blues artist Keb Mo, English folk-rocker daily street life, military actions, checkpoints, oil Richard Thompson, the classically flavored fields, mass graves, market days and the surround- Krueger Brothers, English traditional singer ing countryside. David Jones and singer-songwriters Richard The result is the exhibition "Drawing From Life: Shindell and Lynn Miles. Steve Mumford in Iraq, 2003-2004," running Jan. Tickets range from $30-$250. Information and 29-April 3 at the Cranbrook Art Museum in tickets: www.theark.org or (734) 763-TKTS. Bloomfield Hills, where Mumford will deliver an artist's lecture 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, during an reception. MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE opening In a related program at the museum, WSU Variety, The Children's Charity, Professor of Art History Dora Apel will which raises money for local charities examine different strategies for represent- benefiting children with special ing war — from the Napoleonic invasion needs, brings star of stage, film and of Spain by Goya to World War I by television Joel Grey to town for the Otto Dix and Max Beckmann to artists Snow Ball, a benefit event beginning in World War II — 3 p.m. Sunday, 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at the March 6, preceded by the film Journalists Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. The Under Fire: Working in a War Zone, at evening includes a black-tie dinne r, a 2:30 p.m. live auction of fantasy packages g and Admission is free for Cranbrook mem- performances by Grey and bers and children under 13/$6 adults/$4 violinist/singer Sonia Lee. students and seniors. For more informa- Grey, an Academy Award winner tion, go to ArtMuseum@Cranbrook.edu for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret, Joel Grey or call (248) 645-3323. ❑ a Brit newspaper: "Living in Israel is really beautiful. One of the most shocking things is how peaceful it feels." Her next film is being made in Israel; she plays an American Jew. WILLIAM SHATNER, who won a Golden Globe for Boston Legate is in the Indian summer of his long career. In late March, he will star in a miniseries on Spike TV set in the tiny Iowa town where Capt. Kirk of Star Trek was supposed to be born. The town thought Shatner was making a sci-fi show there — but the real point of the series was to film the reaction of the townspeople to "Hollywood outsiders." The Globes saw a real battle of the red- carpet commentators. JOAN and MELIS- Natalie Portman: SA RIVERS (or Joan and "Mini-Me," as Best-dressed. the duo has been called) were lured way from the E! cable network to comment for the TV Guide Channel. While Joan's face is surgically frozen, she was still a lot more animated than the personality stiffs doing Globe celeb interviews for NBC and E!. Joan especially came alive when Globe nominee JERE- MY PIVEN broke down under questioning and said that he was "single, straight and Jewish." EMMY ROSSUM had a sort of bad night — she didn't win the Globe for Phantom of the Opera, and while her dress won plaudits from the critics, it had a long train that was often stepped on by Globe partygo- ers. Next up — before the always highly anticipated Feb. 27 Academy Awards — is the Screen Actors Guild Awards, airing 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, on TNT ❑ Nate Bloom is the California-based editor of vvww.jewhoo.corn 1/27 2005 26 FYI: For Arts and Life 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 retumed. All events and dates listed in the Out & About column are subject to change.