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) urns 734.764.2538 DETROIT Supported by the William R. Kinney Endowment Fund. Media Partners WGTE 91.3 FM and Observer & Eccentric Newspapers. www.ums.org outside the 734 area code, call toll-free 800.221.1229 . "Modern...fresh and achingly beautiful! A marvel of youthful joy!" The Detroit News Home of Michigan Opera Theatre 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 Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday March 3, 7:30 P.M. 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 48 Tickets start at just $28 Call: (313) 237 - SING or visit www.michiganopera.org FOR GROUP SALES PHONE: (313) 237-3409 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 DAIMLERCHRYSLER DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund 2004 - 2005 Dance Series .