Arts & Life
One Of A Kind
When Sam Apple met Hans Breuer, Austria's only
wandering shepherd and Yiddish folksinger, he was
overwhelmed with curiosity about who he was and
what motivated him not only to tend a flock of more
than 600 sheep (and sing them lullabies) but to give
concerts in historically anti-Semitic towns.
New York-based Apple signed on as Breuer's appren-
tice, walking the Alps, struicling to herd sheep and
exploring along the way
Austria's Jewish past and pres-
ent-day anti-Semitism. What
he discovers about Hans,
Austria and himself turned out
to be much more complex
than he had imagined.
For his debut book, the
nonfiction Schlepping Through
the Alps: My Search for Austria's
Past with Its Last Wandering
Sam Apple: Tales of
Shepherd (Ballantine Books;
Austria.
$23.95), Apple recorded his
experiences in a style author
and former U-M Professor Charles Baxter called "quite
singular. I have never read a book quite like this, and I
love it; its that simple."
Apple discusses his book 7 p.m. Monday, April 4, at
U-M Hillel's Mandell L Berman Center in Ann
Arbor. For more information, call (734) 769-0500.
To DOG
One of America's top social
and comedic voices, Jon
Stewart, anchor of Comedy
Central's The Daily Show with
Jon Stewart and co-writer with
Jon Stewart: Detroit Opera
House performance.
celebrity Jews
NATE BLOOM
Special to the Jewish News
Python Bris
Spamalot starring HANK AZARIA, is now a big
Broadway hit musical. There's a production number
in which the cast sings about how you cannot make it
on Broadway without Jews. This scene includes Jewish
dancing, klezmer music and a giant, lit-up Star of
David.
Eric Idle, the former Monty Python who wrote
Spamalds lyrics, isn't Jewish. But he tells some funny
Jewish-related stories in his new book, The Greedy
IN
3/31
2005
.
38
Bastard Tour Diary.
In one diary entry, Idle says that he "feels like he is
turning Jewish" (implying this isn't a bad thing). He
writes that when he was in a production of The
Best Bets
his Daily Show cohorts of the New York
Times bestseller America (The Book): A
p.m. Sunday, April 7-10, at Orchestra Hall
in the Max M. Fisher Music Center in
Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction,
Detroit.
appears in concert 7 p.m. (sold out) and 10
The orchestra welcomes back guest con-
p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Detroit Opera
ductor Jack Everly, with singers including
House.
Karen Murphy, Farah Alvin and the all-
"You've got to be smart to be a smart-ass,"
male vocal group Chapter 6, who will per-
said one critic of Stewart's comedy, which
form a broad spectrum of 1950s music.
often makes mention of his Jewish back-
Included are themes from many classic TV
ground. The comic was born Jon Stewart
programs, game shows and even commer-
GAIL ZI? IMERNIAN
Leibowitz and was raised in New Jersey.
cials from the early days of television, plus
Arts Editor
Tickets, at $39.50 and $48.50, are avail-
many familiar and popular tunes that
able at the box office and all Ticketmaster
defined the decade. The earliest days of
outlets. Call (248) 645-6666 or go to www.cc.com .
rock 'n' roll are included in an Elvis tribute, and props,
period costumes and stage decorations enhance that
'50s feeling.
GO VINTAGE
Tickets are $15-$63 (a limited number of box seats
are available for $59-$95). Discounts are available for
Lovers of vintage apparel know it's often less expen-
groups of 10 or more. (313) 576-5111.
sive to buy authentic clothing from earlier fashion eras
than to purchase newly manufactured and more pricey
"knockoffs." And pairing vintage pieces and antique
NEW THREAT UNVEILED
jewelry with contemporary items continues to be a hot
look fashion mavens often aspire to — no matter what
As Israel moves toward the resumption of peace talks
the season.
with the Palestinians, another small but dangerous
So get ready to shop to your hearts' content as
group threatens the stability of the nation: Israel's mili-
W&D Promotions Inc. holds its spring Bloomfield
tant far right, argues Israel-based producer Dan Setton
Hills Antique Jewelry and Vintage Apparel Show 10
in Israel's Next Mr?, a documentary that goes deep
a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Birmingham
inside the world of the radicals who, says Sutton, pose
Unitarian Church, located at 38651 Woodward Ave.,
a threat to Israel's security and, potentially, to the entire
west of Woodward and on the north side of Lone
Middle East.
Pine.
"Jewish terror is liable to create a serious strategic
Admission is $4; 12 and under free. For more infor-
threat that will turn the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into
mation, c111 (248) 988-0924.
a conflict between 13 million Jews and a billion
Muslims all over the world," warns former Israeli
Security Chief Avi Dichter in the documentary.
THE GOLDEN AGE
The growing rift between extremists and the rest of
the
Israeli population will be explored in the Frontline
The Detroit Symphony Pops takes a trip down
series episode scheduled 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, on
memory lane with a hit parade of great songs — along
PBS stations nationwide (10 p.m. on Detroit Public
with musical themes from the earliest days of television
Television-Channel 56). Check your local cable list-
— in concerts titled "The 1950s: The Golden Age of
ings. ❑
Black & White TV." Performances are 10:45 a.m. and
8 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3
Mikado, an orchestra member asked him, "Are you
Jewish or are you just very talented?"
In another entry, Idle recalls that the Python film
Life of Brian, about a first-century Jew, included a
scene in which Graham Chapman, playing Brian, rose
naked from his bed. When the director saw Chapman
from the front, he stopped filming because anyone
could tell that Chapman wasn't Jewish. Scotch tape
fixed the anatomical problem, and filming resumed.
Funky Haftorah
Sire Records founder SEYMOUR SI EN, 62, who
discovered such acts as Madonna, Wilco, Talking
Heads and Ice-T, was recently inducted into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame.
Rapper Ice-T, now best known for his co-starring
role on Law and Order: SITU, was given the honor of
inducting Stein.
He said of Stein: "Seymour was looking for some-
body that had something to say. When you take [all
his acts and] you put them together, it doesn't seem
like they go together, but they do: They all had an
edge.
"He gave us the freedom to create. And Seymour
took this cat out of the street — for all practical pur-
poses he saved my life. Cause if this music hadn't
opened up for me, I damn sure wouldn't be on Law
Order right now."
Stein took the stage and said, "Why not sing my
Haftorah?" He then sang a few bars of his Haftorah,
talked about his life and concluded, "Rock 'n roll
keeps me young in spirit, and my passion for music is
the same as it was when I was 13."
Working Together
Oscar-winner DANIEL DAY-LEWIS and his wife,
REBECCA MIT I ER, the daughter of the late
Jewish playwright ARTHUR MILLER, have collabo-
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 c 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.