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An Evening To Remember

Elizabeth Applebaum
Special to the Jewish News

M

adeleine Berman remembered
when Frank Sinatra, Liza
Minelli and Sammy Davis
Jr., kidded around on stage, when Artur
Rubinstein held audiences spellbound,
when Judy Garland sat cross-legged at
the end of a stage and sang "Somewhere,
Over the Rainbow" and "for a few, magical
moments, we were all children again."
And then most of the city's theaters shut
their doors, and life was very quiet.
On May 23, life was anything but quiet
at the gala opening of the new Berman
Center for the Performing Arts at the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
in West Bloomfield. It was glamorous, excit-

JCC opens Berman Center with a gala, grand music and glamour.

ing and completely fun.
The theater, made possible thanks to a
$4 million donation from Madeleine and
Mandell "Bill" Berman of Franklin, was
filled almost to capacity.
As the program began, master of cer-
emonies Conrad Giles introduced the
Bermans, followed by remarks from JCC
President Mark Davidoff. Then Madeleine
Berman spoke, recalling the grand theaters
of old Detroit and her husband's commit-
ment to bring "something exciting to the
community" — a theater for programs that
would "charm us, challenge us and treat us
Bill Berman noted that only months
ago, the theater, designed by Neumann/
Smith Architecture and built by Sachse
Construction, was "nothing but a dream."
Now, he said, that dream has come true.

JCC Executive Director Mark Lit with honoree Bill Berman

The first performance of the evening fea-
tured Detroit Symphony Orchestra Maestro
Leonard Slatkin, who donated his time,
conducting the Detroit Symphony Civic
Orchestra. The musicians, all in high school
or college, performed a diverse concert
featuring works by Bach, Vivaldi, Copland,
Brahms and more — and received three
standing ovations.
Broadway star Patti LuPone performed
the second half of the program, "Coulda,
Woulda, Shoulda," with songs from shows
in which she wishes she had starred (or
actually did). The stage was filled with
lights of every color, and just a single
accompanist on piano. Then LuPone
entered, and everyone sat silent, enchanted,
as she sang "Don't Rain on My Parade,'
"Easy To Be Hard" and, arms outstretched

Don Benyas and Florine Mark

Ann Berman Feld of New York and Jonathan Berman of Colorado DSO Maestro Leonard Slatkin led the Detroit
at the gala honoring their parents, Madeleine and Bill Berman
Symphony Civic Orchestra at the gala.

Israel Fair

june 2 2011

Elizabeth Applebaum is a marketing specialist
at the JCC.

Honoree Madeleine Berman and Rabbi Alon
Toiwin of Aish HaTorah

Dinner co-chairs Lynda and Conrad Giles with past
JCC president Todd Sachse

Aish in the Woods goes all out to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut.

Henry Cantor, Ari Belchinsky, Ben Shafritz and Josh
Dudovitz strike a pose in front of the "Kotel"

18

exactly like Evita Peron,"Don't Cry for Me,
Argentina."
Guests included the Bermans' many
friends and family including Lauren and
Phillip Fisher of Bloomfield Hills, who were
co-chairs of the event, along with Lynda
and Conrad Giles of Bloomfield Hills, and a
nearly sold-out crowd.
"We knew there would only be one
opening of the Berman Center for the
Performing Arts; we aimed high," said JCC
Executive Director Mark A. Lit. "We hoped
to make both Madge and Bill as happy,
and as proud, as they have ever been.
"Only criticism I heard was that we may
have now set the bar too high!" Li

JN

Ariana Dubin feeds the goats at the "Biblical Zoo" at
Chris Hulen and Lauren Slutsky put together their
Aish's celebration of Israel Independence Day, May 22. falafel sandwiches.