48 August 18 2016 arts & life LET THE SUNSHINE IN The Detroit Actor s Theatre Company, under artistic director Eric Swanson, presents the groundbreaking musical story of the 1960s hippie counterculture and sexual revo- lution, Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18-20, at the New Center Park. No charge. Mature audiences rec- ommended. Thedatc.org. MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER Garden City students and residents have been working hard all summer on rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof which will be the inaugural perfor- mance of Garden City High School s new summer theater program, Garden City Summer Community Theatre, that its founder, director Greg Wiklanski, hopes will become an annual tradition. Based on Sholem Aleichem s stories, the musical will be performed 7 p.m. Aug. 18-20 and 2 p.m. Aug. 21, at the O Leary Performing Arts Center inside Garden City High School. $10. (734) 762-8350; gardencityschools.com. THAT S ENTERTAINMENT! Join Broadway s tallest tapper and win- ner of 10 Tony Awards, Tommy Tune, as he takes to the stage for an autobio- graphical stroll through more than 50 years of singing, dancing and tale tell- ing at Tommy Tune Tonite! Featuring Editor s Picks Nate Bloom Special to the Jewish News AT THE MOVIES Opening Friday, Aug. 20: The new film version of Ben-Hur is the third major movie based on the famous 19th-centu- ry novel of the same name. Judah Ben- Hur is an aristocratic Judean/Jew during the period of the Roman occupation. His best friend is Messala, a Roman officer. An innocent accident gets Judah falsely charged with sedition, and he is sent to die rowing a Roman ship while his mother and sister are clapped in a dun- geon (where they contract leprosy). At sea, Judah rescues an important Roman and is given his freedom. He returns to Judea and confronts Messala, who did nothing to aid him or his family. Judah gets his revenge against Messala in the chariot arena. Then Jesus appears, and not long before he is crucified, he takes the hate out of Judah s heart and cures his sister and mother. Most of the novel s characters were Jewish, but there haven t been many Jewish actors in the films. Carmel Myers, a rabbi s daughter, was the only Jew in the 1925 silent version, and she played an Egyptian vamp out to seduce poor Judah (this role did make Myers a silent movie star). The 1959 version, starring Charlton Heston as Judah, is the gold standard: It won 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director (William Wyler). The chariot race scene was then state-of-the art and is still exciting. A lovely Israeli actress, Haya Hareet, now 84, played Esther, Judah s love interest. The late Sam Jaffe played Esther s father. The new version has Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer, 47, play- ing Judah s mother and Judah s sister is played by American actress Sophia Black D Elia, 24 (D Elia s mother is Jewish, and she identifies as Jewish). The first two films were easy on Jewish filmgoers because Jesus and Christian beliefs weren t mentioned until almost the end. Jesus was virtually Celebrity Jews Lynne Konstantin Arts & Life Editor D Elia Hair EXQUISITE FOOD & EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE EpicKosher.com Catering@EpicKosher.com Supervised by the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit CHOLOV YISROEL KOSHER CUISINE GLATT KOSHER CUISINE 2046060 THE GALLERY RESTAURANT Daily Special to choose from for lunch & dinner Dinner specials come with complimentary rice or chocolate pudding or jello For 40 years, Gallery Restaurant has served up masterpieces ~ Danny Raskin www.thegalleryrestaurant2.com OPEN 7 DAYS: Now Serving Beer & Wine 2113100 Did you think you couldnt afford to belong to a synagogue? 1936460 You set your fi rst year dues level With an offer like this you cant afford not to! Call Steve Fine at the synagogue offi ce at 248-788-0600 for more information 6800 Drake Road | West Bloomfi eld MI 48322 | www.bnaimoshe.org Bring Your Family to Meet our Family Annual Picnic on Sunday August 21 from noon 3 Food! Fun! Games! Award-winning Shabbat-centric Hebrew School. Registration is Open. FREE Kindergarten!