DECEMBER 5 • 2019 | 39
Arts&Life
theater
JET
Update
Theater’
s move to Walled Lake and
new season dates have improved its
attendance and reach.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
s the Jewish Ensemble
Theatre (JET) worked
its way through the
first season at its new Walled
Lake venue, the people at the
center of the stage company had
strong reasons to celebrate.
The last two weeks of the
company’
s final main play of
2019, Cabaret, were all sold-out
performances.
The musical, set in a night-
club, invited viewers into a
cabaret seating arrangement
and validated original plans
for different audience setups,
changed according to the nature
of each show.
“I felt I was part of the show,
”
says Susie Simons of West
Bloomfield, who has attended
JET productions fairly regularly.
“I think the new building has
tremendous potential as a nice,
intimate theater.”
Christopher Bremer, JET
executive director, reports that
the range of ticket holders’
zip codes has vastly widened
since the move to a strip cen-
ter at Maple and Pontiac Trail.
Attendance comparisons were
made between Disgraced, a
popular show presented in the
Jewish Community Center the-
ater, and Cabaret.
“We sold more tickets in this
last season than we did in the
prior season,
” Bremer says.
With the change in timing of
the main productions — now
spring to fall instead of fall to
spring so audiences can travel
during longer daylight hours
and better weather — JET is
expanding to other kinds of
programming for diverse year-
round scheduling.
Board member Patty
Ceresnie, a longtime performer
and producer, is focused on
“Hot Jazz in January,
” a musical
series that spans six evenings to
spotlight one act and one theme
at each performance.
“I went to a wonderful
concert and thought concerts
would be good for JET audi-
ences,
” says Ceresnie, who was
producing artistic director for
IlluminArt Productions. “I
called friends who perform
music, and we will do this with
proceeds funding the theater.
”
The themes include “Blues
Piano” with Alvin Waddles (Jan.
10 and 11), “
A Tribute to Jewish
Composers” with Ursala Walker
and Buddy Budson (Jan.12), “
A
Tribute to Frank Sinatra” with
the Steve Wood Quartet fea-
turing Kevin Grenier (Jan.17),
“History of Jazz in Detroit”
with the Pam Jaslove Quartet
(Jan. 18) and a mixture of
klezmer and jazz with the band
Klezundheit conducted by Alan
Posner (Jan.19).
“Klezmer and jazz have
similar rhythms,
” says Posner,
Bloomfield Hills High School
band director, who works with
an 11-member group that
includes family members: wife
Michelle, a flutist; dad Ken, a
singer; and mom Gail, dance
leader.
In February, JET will offer
performances in Arizona to
present young people with
TOP: JET’
s new theater, with its variable space, can be booked for rental.
ABOVE: Klezundheit will be part of JET’
s Hot Jazz in January music series.
For more on JET programing or rental at 1124 E. West
Maple in Walled Lake, or submissions for the Festival of
New Plays, call (248) 788-2900 or go to jettheatre.org.
details
continued on page 40