ts & entertainment
Taking It from page 45
a 40 percent increase in ticket sales and
donations starting to turn around — there
has to be a consistent level. Once we see
that it's going forward on a steady basis,
then we'll begin to do other things, includ-
ing the presentation of concert opera and
perhaps collaboration with other arts insti-
tutions in our city.
JN: Any upcoming recordings?
LS: We're continuing our Rachmaninoff
cycles for release about a year from now
Later in the season, we'll do some record-
ings of music by my wife, Cindy McTee.
There will be another installment in our
John Williams concerto series, and we're in
negotiations for other projects.
IN: As you've settled into Michigan, did
you find special places that you frequent?
LS: My kitchen. We just bought a house
in Bloomfield Hills, and I finally have the
kitchen I wanted. I had such a great day
puttering around making Thanksgiving
dinner for about four people. When I have
free time, I go to the movies or walk around
Birmingham and Royal Oak. There are
some restaurants we go to on a frequent
basis, but it would be unfair to name my
favorite haunts.
IN: Are you involved with any Jewish
activities?
LS: I was not raised in a particularly
religious environment although the whole
family is Jewish, and I respect and love my
heritage. I do try to make special appear-
ances with Jewish-based institutions when
it comes to speaking to groups to discuss
elements about culture.
IN: How are you feeling?
LS: I feel great. It's been a little over two
years since I had the heart attack, and I'm
doing well. The doctor gave me a clean
bill of health two weeks ago. My wife had
surgery recently. She helped me through
the heart attack, and I'm helping her out
during this time. Somehow, the bond of a
health crisis, helping each other through it,
makes a huge difference in life.
IN: Do you and your wife have similar
affinities for music?
LS: We have similar tastes and a broad
sense of the repertoire. Once in a while,
we disagree. Her world deals more with
the creative aspect, and mine is more re-
creative. Her world is about making music
from nothing, while I take what other
people have done and try to look at it in
a creative way. She loves coming to the
concerts.
IN: Does your son have any interest in a
musical career?
LS: He's trying to go into college as a
music major and then switch over to busi-
ness.
IN: What's your outlook as the DSO sea-
son unfolds?
LS: We're certainly back as an orches-
tra. We're in great shape. There's an
energy and excitement that hasn't been
felt here in a very long time. We want
everybody to use the opportunity with
the lower prices and new-found feeling
of community to visit us; and if they
can't do that, we'll probably be coming to
neighborhoods near them.
Neighborhood Concert Series Schedule
he Neighborhood Concert Series, running December through June, will
be offered at the locations listed below. While individual tickets cost
$25, subscriptions are $75 per neighborhood, making four concerts the
price of three.
Besides Leonard Slatkin, conductors include Joseph Silverstein, Elizabeth
Schulze and Hans Graf. The various works cover a broad classical range rep-
resenting numerous composers, such as Vivaldi, Schubert and Dvorak.
A complete listing of conductors, featured musicians and programs is avail-
able at dso.org/neighborhood . For ticket information, call (313) 576-5111 or
visit the website.
I
West Bloomfield
Berman Center for the Performing Arts, Jewish Community Center,
6600 W. Maple
7:30 p.m. Thursdays: Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 8, April 26
Southfield
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road
7:30 p.m. Thursdays: Jan. 26, March 22, April 19, May 10
Beverly Hills
Seligman Performing Arts Center, 22305 W.13 Mile
3 p.m. Sundays: Dec.11, Jan. 29, March 25, April 22
Bloomfield Hills
Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church, 1340 W. Long Lake Road
8 p.m. Saturdays: Jan. 7, Feb. 4, March 10, April 28
Dearborn
Ford Community & Performing Arts Center,15801 Michigan Ave.
10:45 a.m. Fridays: Dec. 9, Jan. 27, March 23, June 8
Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe Memorial Church,16 Lakeshore Drive
3 p.m. Sundays: Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 11, April 29
Jews
SIP"'
Alma
I
Nate Bloom
Special to the Jewish News
New Flicks
The following movies open on Friday,
Dec. 9:
The Sitter stars Jonah Hill, 27, as
a college student who is suspended
from school, goes home and is
coaxed into babysitting for the two
kids next door. He leaves his post
to hook up with
his girlfriend (Ari
Graynor, 28), and
a wild night, includ-
ing being chased
by drug deal-
ers, ensues. Erin
Daniels, 38, (Dana
Fairbanks on The
Jonah Hill
L Word) plays the
kids' mother.
New Year's Eve, directed by Garry
Marshall, is very much like his 2010
hit, Valentine's Day, which was
killed by critics but did great box
office. Like Valentine's, it features
46
December 6 • 2011
interspersed stories of couples and
singles seeking romance on a holi-
day. The huge cast includes Sarah
Jessica Parker, 46, Lea Michele,
25, and Sara Paxton, 23. From the
trailer, it looks like Michele (Glee)
belts out a song to the Times Square
crowd.
Celebrity Chanukah Quotes
I recently received a copy of a book
called Hanukkah Stories: Thoughts
on Family, Celebration and Joy.
Written by Nancy Rips, it can be
obtained on Amazon or via the
publisher's website (www.fellpub.
corn). It includes a
number of quotes
from famous people
about Chanukah.
Here are two:
Magician David
Copperfield, 55:
"We're taught in the
Jewish tradition the
David
same story over and
Copperfield
over. Whether it's
the Holocaust or the Maccabees, we
have to rise above persecution and
do our best, Just as magic is about
making people dream, we learned
to take things that aren't supposed
to be and turn them into something
beautiful."
Astronaut Jeffrey A. Hoffman,
now 67, flew on five space shuttle
missions, including the successful
mission to repair the Hubble Space
Telescope: "When I realized the
Hubble mission would occur during
Chanukah, I decided to carry along a
few appropriate Jewish objects. An
Israeli artisan presented me with a
miniature menorah and some dreidels
... When I had free time toward the
end of the mission, I decided to
try spinning a dreidel. Because of
[diminished] gravity in space, it never
stopped spinning. The top floated
magically in the cabin, suspended in
mid--air. I was stuck by the juxtaposi-
tion of the Jewish tradition, one of
humanity's oldest, with space flight,
one of humanity's newest. Our reli-
gion proved to be extremely portable
as well as long lasting."
Spiritual Sustenance
Actress Mayim Bialik, 35 (TV's
Blossom; Amy Fowler on Big Bang
Theory), who has a UCLA doctorate
in neuroscience, will
teach a live online
class on Wednesday,
Dec.14, at 9 a.m.
EST, titled: "Eight
Ways to Connect to
God through Food: A
Personal Journey."
She'll
discuss how
Mayim Bialik
she combined her
experiences with
food with her journey to observant
Judaism. The class is open to all
women and girls, but space is lim-
ited. Sign up for the class or watch a
recording later on the website www.
room613.net . 1
Contact Nate Bloom at
middleoftheroadl®aol.com.