talists of the 20th century and an
outspoken champion of artistic free-
dom in the Soviet Union during the
last decades of the cold war — with
the 2007 UMS Distinguished Artist
Award at the 12th annual Ford Honors
Program 6 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at
Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor.
Rostropovich made his UMS
debut in 1965 with the Moscow
Philharmonic Orchestra and appeared
seven more times as a cellist, most
recently in January 1993. As a con-
ductor, he first appeared with the
University Symphony Orchestra
in 1975 and returned in 1985 and
1991 with the National Symphony
Orchestra, which he led for 17 seasons.
Regarded by many as the finest cel-
list since Pablo Casals, he recorded
virtually the entire cello repertory and
inspired many of the 20th century's
finest composers to create works
for him, including his good friend
Leonard Bernstein.
"Slava," as he was called by the
world, had a mischievous sense of
humor. At a 70th birthday tribute to
violinist Isaac Stern, he played "The
Swan" movement from Saint-Saens's
Carnival of the Animals dressed in
white tights, a ballet tutu, a swanlike
headdress and red lipstick.
Rostropovich, who died at age 80
in April, was born in 1927 in Baku,
the capital of Azerbaijan (then part
of the Soviet Union). His parents
came there from Russia in 1925 to
teach at the city's newly opened music
academy. An ancient stop on the Silk
Road trading route between Europe
and China, Baku had become one of
the Soviet Union's most cosmopolitan
cities thanks to a turn-of-century oil
boom that had lured a wide range of
peoples. As well as Azeris, it was home
to many Russians, Jews, Armenians
and Georgians.
A defender of human rights world
wide, Rostropovich learned tolerance
in Baku. Celebrating his 70th birthday
there in 1997, he called it "a mystical
city" and praised its cultural diversity.
Tickets to the Rostropovich tribute
are $10-$60. (734) 764-2538 or
www.ums.org. (l
MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH
(includes endless mimosas and bloody mary's)
I lam-2pm
S32.00++ per person
MOTHER'S DAY DINNER BUFFET
$32.00i
f
3pm-8pm
per person
MOSAIC
501 .N1ONROE
GREEKTOWN, DETRoiT
313.9 62.9366
FYI: For Arts 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@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.
FREE! 1 lb. SALAMI
uncut with Tray Order
Rush will play the DTE Energy
Music Theatre on Aug. 28.
Band Of Brothers
A mockumentary comedy series
on Nickelodeon, The Naked
Brothers Band, is now the top-
rated cable program in America
for children
ages 6-11.
Launched in
February, the
show features
real brothers
Nat and Alex
Wolff, 12 and
Nat and Alex
9 years old
Woolf
respectively.
Naked follows the boys' rock band,
their friends and their kiddie
crushes.
The boys really do play instru-
ments and are entertaining "natu-
rals." But how they got on the air
is a bit more complicated.
Their dad is highly respected
Jewish jazz pianist Michael Wolff.
He met the boys' mother, actress
Polly Draper, when he was music
director for Arsenio Hall's talk
show in the early '90s. Draper is
best known for co-starring as Ellen
Warren on TV's thirtysomething.
Inspired by their sons' real-life
band, Wolff and Draper made a
mockumentary film about the
boys in 2005 called The Naked
Brothers Band. They got Uma
Thurman, Julianne Moore and the
entire cast of thirtysomething to
make cameo appearances.
Nickelodeon execs loved the
film, which is now out on DVD,
and turned it into a TV series.
Polly Draper produces the TV
show, and Michael plays the boys'
father on TV.
Michael Wolff told the Cleveland
Jewish News that his family is
"culturally Jewish" and that he,
Draper and their sons celebrate
Passover and Chanukah. I
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FREE! 1 lb. SALAMI
uncut with Take-Out Order
(Min. $10 Order) • with this ad
May 10 • 2007
45