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.