Pentatonix
recent album’s tracks is a hauntingly gorgeous rendition
of Leonard Cohen’s 1975 hit, “Hallelujah” (find a link to the
video at thejewishnews.com). They’ve also been tapped
to sing the opening theme song for NBC’s Thursday Night
Football (air dates start Nov. 17). Catch the group live as
they head to the Palace of Auburn Hills Sunday, Nov. 6.
$35-$69.50. (248) 377-0100; palacenet.com.
BROADWAY MAGIC
Composer Neil Berg co-produced, with Adam Friedson,
Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway, coming to Detroit’s Fox
Theatre 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. The trip through Broadway
history features the music of Richard Rodgers and Oscar
Hammerstein II (his dad was Jewish), Alan Jay Lerner
and Frederick Loewe (who had an Austrian Jewish father),
Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Leonard
100 Years of Broadway
Bernstein and more, with songs from My Fair Lady, South
Pacific, Chicago, Jersey Boys and Wicked. $19.50-$44.50.
(800) 745-3000; olympiaentertainment.com.
2122760
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Sloan, c. 1965
Also co-starring is Christopher Mintz-
Plasse, 27, as a tech nerd who knows
everything about surviving on Mars, but
never has been out of the city.
MAD MEL COMEBACK?
Opening Friday, Nov. 4: Hacksaw Ridge
is a two-layered movie. The first layer is
the movie itself: a biopic about Desmond
Doss, a real Army medic and Seventh Day
Adventist whose religious beliefs prohib-
ited taking human life. His heroism during
the WWII battle of Okinawa (evacuating
the wounded under fire, etc.) won him the
Medal of Honor. His story has great action
while allowing any filmmaker to explore
deeper questions about the morality of war
and courage.
The other layer is the film’s impact on
the career of director Mel Gibson. His films
have flopped since the infamous 2006
anti-Semitic incident and later reports of
spousal abuse. Ridge is his most touted
comeback vehicle since 2006. Hard to say
if he cast Andrew Garfield, 33, as Doss,
because Garfield is widely reported to be
Jewish (his father is Jewish; not his mother).
One could see media-wise Gibson thinking
that when Garfield promotes the film, he’ll
be asked about Gibson’s past and I expect
Garfield to say something like, “I’m Jewish
and Mel treated me with respect.” However,
it was always what Gibson said and did off-
the-set that caused controversy.
HONORING JEWISH OLDIES
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is a big deal,
even if it is not as famous as the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. Jewish songwriters Steve
Barri, 74, P.F. Sloan (who died last year
at age 70) and Kenny Nolan, 65ish, have
been nominated for 2017 induction. Barri
(born Steve Lipkin) and Sloan (born Philip
Schlein) wrote many ’60s hits, including
“Eve of Destruction,” “Secret Agent Man”
and “You Baby (Nobody But You).” Nolan
co-wrote many ’70s hits, including “I Like
Dreamin,’” “My Eyes Adored You” and “Lady
Marmalade.”
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