Arts & Entertainment Best Bets ELVIS IN THE HOUSE 40 YEARS Elvis tribute artists from across North America will pay tribute to an American icon 5 p.m. to mid- night Friday and noon-midnight Saturday, July 8-9, during the sixth annual Michigan Elvisfest, at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti's Depot Town. Other impersonators scheduled to perform include the Beatles, the Blues Brothers, Pat s y Cline, Gene Pitney, Ray Charles and Buddy Holly. A children's play area, an Elvis-style wedding, Elvis memorabilia and Memphis barbecue round out the Ypsilanti's Elvisfest, fun. July 8-9, will host a In addition, more than slew of Elvis imperson- 100 hot rods and classic ators. cars will be displayed noon-6 p.m. July 9 during the Elvis . Autorama hosted by America's Most Wanted Car Club. Admission is $10 Friday, $15 Saturday, ages 10 and under free; the Depot Town Association will donateproceeds to charity. For more information, go to ww-w.mielvisfest.org. There are very few performing arts ven- ues specializing in folk and roots music that have survived, let alone thrived. The Ark in Ann Arbor is one of them. To celebrate what has become a national institution's 40th anniversary is the 40-Year Fling, a benefit concert series featuring performers who are good friends of The Ark; they got their start on The Ark Stage and went on to bigger things. The round-robin concerts, all beginning at 8 p.m., will feature the following performers: • Wednesday, July 13: Nanci Griffith, Maura O'Connell. John Gorka and the Chenille Sisters, with opening act Matt Watroba; • Thursday, July 14: Christine Lavin, Susan Werner, Dar Williams and Cheryl Wheeler, with opening act Jan Krist; • Friday, July 15: Michael Cooney, John McCutcheon and Tom Paxton; • Saturday, July 16: Greg Brown, Mr. B and Garnet Rogers; • Sunday, July 17: Local Gone National Night, fea- turing Mustard's Retreat, Catie Curtis, Don White and Josh White Jr., with opening act RFD Boys. Tickets are priced at $35 general admission and $45 for reserved seats for Wednesday-Saturday. Sunday tickets are $17.50 for general admission and $22.50 for reserved seats. General admis- sion series tickets are available for $140. For more information, call The Ark hot- line at (734) 761-1451 or go to www.theark.org. Note: At 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 18, The Ark will hold the Invitational Open Stage, a free event featuring former Ark performers who have left the stage for*vari- ous reasons. Interested artists should call Dave Siglin at (734) 761-1800 to learn more. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Come for the day and stay during the evening with paid Greenfield Village admission as metro Detroit's premier history site kicks off Greenfield Village Summer Evenings, running 5-9 p.m. Saturdays, July 9-Aug. 20. Grab a drink at the Guild Beer Hall, stroll through the porches and parlors district, take a ride in a Model T, shop at the stores and sit back and enjoy a free concert from 7-9 p.m. on the Village Green. Masters of Music Big Band performs this weekend. New this year, nationally renowned guest artisans will make appearances in the Liberty Craftworks district, selling their wares alongside the Village's own award-winning artists. Admission is $20 adults, $19 seniors and $14 ARTS • CALENDAR • Summer Sings: University Musical Society's Choral Union presents no-audition choral reading sessions in which choral music lovers get to sing great choral repertoire with special conductors and outstanding soloists. 7-9:30 p.m. Mondays, July 11 and 18 and Aug. 1; registration begins at 6:30 p.m. in Auditorium 4 of the Modern Languages Building, Thayer and Washington streets in Ann Arbor. $5. www.ums.org . Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth, Royal Oak. (248) 399-2980 or vvww.royaloakmusicthe- atre.corn. Fantasia — 2004's American Idol performs in sup- port of her platinum debut album, Free Yourself 8 p.m. Friday, July 8. $40-$52.50. Dickey Betts and the Great Southern — Rock 'n' roll with a founding member of the Allman Brothers band. 8 p.m. Sunday, July 10. $27. The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor. (734) 761-1451 or www.theark.org. Jerry Harmon — Appalachian guitarist and story- teller. 8 p.m. Thursday, July 7. $13.50. John Roberts and Tony Barrand — English folk singers. 8 p.m. Friday, July 8. $17.50. Top of the Park — Ann Arbor Summer Festival out- door concert celebrating the Ark's 40th anniversary and featuring Mr. Lawrence and his Play Money Band; Gemini; Jeremy Kittel; Jo Serrapere and the Willie Dunns; and Bigfoot Bob and the Toe Tappers. 5-11:15 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Free. DTE Energy Music Theatre, 7774 Sashabaw, Clarkston. (248) 645-6666 or www.palacenet.com . Creedence Clearwater Revisted — Classic rock. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, July 7-8. $32.50 pavil- ion/$10 lawn. Hank Williams Jr. wsg MuzikMafia — Country. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 9. $36.50 pavilion/$20 lawn. John Michael Montgomery — Country. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 10. $32.50 pavilion/$10 lawn. The Stylistics, The Delfonics and Cuba Gooding Sr.. R&B. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. July 14. $34.50 pavilion/$10 lawn. Jerome Duncan Ford Theatre, 14900 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights. (248) 645-6666 or www.palacenet.corn. Elvis to the Max — Rock and roll tribute show. 7;30 p2m. Saturday, July 9. $18-$23 pavilion/$13 lawn. Lyle Lovett and His Large Band — Country. 7:30 p.m. Thursiay, July 14. $38 pavilion/$28 lawn. Meadow Brook Music Festival, 3554 Walton, Oakland University, Rochester Hills. (248) 645- 6666 or www.palacenet.com . Mark Knopfler — Rock. 8 p.m. Friday, July 8. $65 pavilion/ $20 lawn. 7/ 7 2005 3 4 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 ZimmermarON 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 returned. All events and dates listed in the Out & About column are subject to change.