Arts & Life

Jews At The `Big 0'

A roundup of Jewish Oscar nominees and honorees.

Florestan Trio

04 05

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 8 PM

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

-64

Trio in B-flat Major for Piano, Vulin, and Cello, K. 502 (1786)
Piano Trio No. 4 in e minor, Op. 90 ("Dumky") (1891)
Trio elegiaque No. 2 in d minor, Op. 9 (1893)

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The Detroit News

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Cinderella

Les Ballets de Monte Carlo

Directed by Jean-Christophe Maillot

Under the presidency of Her Royal
Highness, the Princess of Hanover

March 3-6, 2005

4 PERFORMANCES ONLY

AT THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE

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March 4, 8:00 P.M.
March 5, 8:00 P.M.
March 6, 2:00 P.M.

DEEPLY DISCOUNTED STUDENT RUSH TICKETS AVAILABLE!

90 minutes prior to curtain. At the Detroit Opera House Ticket Office only. Subject to availability.

311

2/24

2005

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Special to the Jewish News

7

"Everything they touch seems to turn to musical gold." (The Strad)
One of the world's leading piano trios, the Grammy-nominated
Florestan Trio makes its UMS debut with this concert.

Mozart
Dvorak
Rachmanioff

has not let fame go to her head, and she
has — dare we say — been a role
model.
his isn't a huge Jewish year at
Portman's parents are both the chil-
dren of Holocaust survivors, and
the Oscars. There isn't an espe-
Natalie was born in Jerusalem to an
cially large number of Jewish
nominees or a big Jewish-themed pic-
Israeli father and an American mother.
ture, like The Pianist, to draw attention
She grew up in the New York area and
was discovered by a model's agent at age
to the important Hollywood Jewish
community. Rather, this is the year of
11. She arranged to film her last two
Star Wars pictures during her breaks
the black performer, with black actors
from Harvard University, from which
and actresses snaring five acting catego-
ry nominations.
she graduated with honors
It is somehow fit-
in 2003.
ting, then, that the
While at Harvard, she
first Jewish "person
defended Israel from
of color" to get an
charges of racism with elo-
Oscar nomination,
quent letters to the univer-
British actress
sity's student paper. During
Sophie Okonedo,
the past year, she has stud-
33, is among the
ied at Jerusalem's Hebrew
nominees. Okonedo,
University.
a respected English
Portman's next film is
stage actress, was
The Free Zone, now being
nominated for Best
filmed in Israel and direct-
Supporting Actress
ed by the famous Israeli
for Hotel Rwanda,
director Amos Gitai. The
Sophie Okonedo: Up for Best young actress plays an
about the genocidal
Supporting Actress for "Hotel American Jew in the film
massacre of
Rwanda."
Rwandan Tutsis.
and speaks in both Hebrew
and English (Portman
Okonedo is
daughter of a British
is fluent in Hebrew).
Jewish mother (who
While no other Jews
raised her) and a
are nominated for an
Nigerian father. It's nice
Oscar in acting, four
flicks helmed by Jewish
to note that Okonedo
directors produced act-
wore a lovely Star of
ing nominees this year.
David when she
These talented direc-
appeared on David
tors include
Letterman's show last
Hungarian-Jewish
month.
Competing with
director Istavan Szabo
(Annette Bening, Being
Okonedo is the lovely
Julia, for Best Actress);
Natalie Portman, 24,
Joshua Marston
who first gained fame at
Natalie Port-man: Up for Best (Catalina Moreno,
age 14 in Star Wars —
Supporting Actress for
Maria Full of Grace, for
The Phantom Menace.
"Closer"
Best Actress); Michael
She is nominated for
Mann (Jamie Foxx,
playing a stripper in
Collaterah for Best
famous Jewish director
Supporting Actor); and Brit Mike Leigh
Mike Nichols' film Closer (from the
(Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake, for Best
play by Jewish playwright Patrick
Actress).
Marber).
Leigh, who just won the British
Unlike many other others who
equivalent of the Oscar, scored an
became stars at a young age, Portman
Oscar nomination for Best Director for
Vera Drake, a gritty, yet not preachy,
Nate Bloom is the Califonia-based editor
film about an abortionist in 1950s
ofwww.jewhoo.com. Tom Tugend of
England, where abortion was illegal. He
JTA contributed to this story.

NATE BLOOM

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DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund
2004 - 2005 Dance Series

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