Arts & Entertainment About Richard GileWitz Finger Pickin' Good Florida's Richard Gilewitz bills himself as "one of the strangest men in acoustic music today" The Jewish performer is a fingerstyle guitarist, playing both 6- and 12-string instruments. He makes his Ann Arbor debut 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at the Ark during a free "Take a Chance Tuesday" concert. Gilewitz delivers a show that is a whole history of fingerstyle guitar through time, going all the way back to the instrument's Spanish classical origins and proceeding through blues, folk, traditional American and contemporary styles. A formidable player, he can make ents instructional guitar one guitar sound like seminars worldwide to a wide array of players an entire orchestra. He mixes the music of all levels and brings with humorous yarns his meet-the-artist and Gail Zimmerman he describes "as too music-in-the-schools Arts Editor program into elemen- unbelievable not to be true." tary, middle and high Gilewitz's interest in music began in schools. Gilewitz has appeared in concert with childhood when he became entranced with artists such as the Beatles, Andres the late Warren Zevon, Kenny G, David Segovia, Arlo Guthrie, John Fahey and Bromberg and Jorma Kaukonen, to name Flatt and Scruggs. He began honing just a few. his skills during the late 1970s at the Doors open at 7:30; complimentary University of Alabama, while pursuing a tickets at the door. (734) 761-1451. To degree in computer science and math- order Gilewitz's CDs, DVDs and/or song- ematics, eventually working in the field books, go to richardgilewitz.com . of flight simulation design, telemetry and satellite systems. But the draw of music Boomer Heaven "The Beat Goes On: The Music of the was paramount. Gilewitz left the world of corporate life to teach and perform full Baby Boomers," a Pops Series concert time. conceived by conductor Jack Everly and Today, he uses banjo style picking pat- performed by the Detroit Symphony terns, classical arpeggios, tapping and Orchestra and a cast of musical theater harmonica to create his unique sound. veterans — vocalists John Musick, Roy In addition to concert offerings at arts Chicas, Joe Cassidy, Farah Alvin, N'Kenge centers, intimate listening rooms like the and Julie Reiber — will return listen- Ark, festivals and arts councils, he pres- ers to the era of Frankie and Annette and the British Invasion 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 27- 30, in Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit. "The Beat Goes On" captures the vari- ous tastes of the most populous genera- tion in American history with a varied program featuring medleys of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the Beatles, still two of the most popular bands of all time, as well as an assortment of songs by Jewish composer and lyricist Burt Bacharach. Other highlights of the concerts include a tribute to some of the original "girl groups" with songs such as "It's My Party" (made famous by Jewish pop singer Lesley Gore), a salute to television series theme songs including Star Trek and Mission: Impossible; and selections from the Academy Award-winning scores from the classic films Love Story and Dr Zhivago. Tickets are $15 to $71 (a limited num- ber of box seats are also available for $65- $105). (313) 576-5111 or www.detroitsymphony.com . 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. Jews Nate Bloom 011111t Sok Special to the Jewish News Touchdown In Israel Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has • been so busy this month with the vio- wow lence that has wracked Israel and Gaza • that he almost had to cancel a March 7 meeting with a Combined Jewish (111; Philanthropies of Boston delegation led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Kraft's wife, Myra. But Olmert made time to meet with the delegation, which included two Patriots players. Kraft's Israeli charities include a Robert Kraft Haifa educational center for Ethiopian immigrants, thousands of paid trips to Israel for young people via the Kraft Passport to Israel fund and the fund- ing of Israel's American Touch Football League (including building a football stadium in Jerusalem). Kraft also is the C8 March 20 2008 primary owner of Israel's largest packag- ing company; his Israeli plant employs 700 workers. Foxy Lady The FOX series Canterbury's Law premiered on March 10. Julianna Margulies, 41, who stars as a defense attorney with all sorts of personality faults, is just plain ter- rific. That's not just my opinion; it's the overwhelming consen- sus of the TV critics. Give Canterbury's Law a look, and I think Julianna you'll be surprised at Margulies its HBO-like quality. It airs 9 p.m. Mondays. By the way, Margulies and her hus- band, lawyer Keith Lieberthal, who grew up in Ann Arbor, are owed a belated mazel toy. On Jan. 17, Margulies gave birth to her first child, a son. Last November, the couple had a Jewish wed- ding. Pecking Ahead Tons of little kids and teens have followed Josh Peck's acting career for almost a decade. Peck, 21, grew up relatively poor in Manhattan, raised by his single Jewish mother. Work in children's theater led in 1999 to a part on the Nickelodeon series The Amanda Show, star- _ ring Amanda Bynes. In 2004, Peck got his big break as the co-star of the hit Nick series Josh Peck Drake & Josh, which ran until 2007 and spawned several hit TV movies. Peck, who was formerly quite chubby, has slimmed down in the last few years. This will serve him well as he starts his adult acting career. Peck co-stars in the film Drillbit Taylor as a high-school student who bullies three other boys; the film opens Friday, March 21. The three boys, in turn, hire a guy (Owen Wilson) whom they believe to be a professional mercenary to protect them. Seth Rogen co-wrote the script. This July, Peck co-stars in The Wackness as a troubled Jewish pot dealer who trades pot for therapy sessions with a psychiatrist played by Ben Kingsley. The film won a major award at the Sundance Film Festival last January. Rock On Jewish rock superstar Billy Joel, 58, was as loose and funny as I have ever seen him (yes, he seemed sober, too) when he appeared at the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and made a speech prais- ing new member John Mellencamp. Joel, who almost never talks about being Jewish, laughed as he recalled that Mellencamp invited him to play the first Billy Joel Farm Aid concert: "I didn't want to be the only Jew at the gig, so I invited Randy Newman to play," he said. ❑