 DECEMBER 5 • 2019 | 5

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for starters
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L

ong before I became a 
contributing writer to the 
Jewish News, I was asked 
to participate in a JN story that 
featured local members of the 
Detroit Jewish 
community 
who resembled 
famous person-
alities.
While my 
likeness to Paul 
Newman was 
unmistakable, the 
editors thought I more closely 
resembled Jason Alexander, aka 
George Costanza of Seinfeld. 
Go figure. I respectfully agreed 
to go along with that premise 
and well, yada, yada, yada, I was 
featured on the Dec. 22, 1995, 
cover of the JN as Jason/George. 
Actually, my dear friend, the 
late great author Jeffrey Zaslow, 
beat the JN to the punch in the 
summer of 1994 when he asked 
me to enter a Seinfeld contest. 
No, not “that” infamous contest 
for you Seinfeld aficionados — a 
look-alike contest.
For 12 years, Jeff hosted an 
annual singles party, the Zazz 
Bash, in Chicago, which drew 
7,000 of his Chicago Sun Times
readers, resulting in 78 marriag-
es and generous donations to 
charity. 
Among the entertaining fes-
tivities that year was a Seinfeld
cast look-alike contest. The field 
of Jerry, Elaine, George and 
Kramer contestants would be 
judged by applause by the thou-
sands in attendance at Chicago’
s 
Navy Pier.
Believe it or not I came in 
second, but only by inches. 
Inches? Yep, the winner was 
much shorter than me which 
turned out to be a “shrinkage” 
issue in that guy’
s favor. I was 

5 foot-10 inches and Jason is 5 
foot-5 inches.
I would have to wait a quar-
ter-century to have another 
encounter with my alter ego 
George. Jason, who won a 
Tony for Best Leading Actor 
in a Musical in Jerome Robbin’
s 
Broadway in 1989, the same 
year Seinfeld debuted, was 
bringing his comedic and song 
and dance talents to Detroit 
to perform with the DSO at 
Orchestra Hall. His Nov. 2 show 
was a sellout, but thanks to two 
extra tickets from my wonder-
ful friends Mark and Jennifer 
LoPatin, I would be in the audi-
ence!
Prior to his engagement, I 
heard Jason on the radio talking 
about how he would bring audi-
ence members on stage to per-
form with him. I immediately 
began to strategize how I could 
be among those lucky few. 
Then, to my absolute shock, 
I saw a photo of my friend 
Michael Seltzer on Facebook 
who had just posted, in real 
time, a photo of himself with 
Jason Alexander. Wait, what?

Michael was with Jason 
in the LAX Delta Sky Club. 
Michael on his way to China, 
Jason to Detroit. A panicked 
phone call to Michael went 
to his voicemail. But his wife, 
Lori, answered her phone only 
to inform me that after a con-
versation suggesting Detroit 
restaurants to Jason, he boarded 
his flight. He was gone! I believe 
my startled response equaled 
one of Kramer’
s famous whip-
lash type head jolts of shock. I 
was dismayed but not deterred.
I arrived early to Jason’
s Nov. 
2 show with a copy of my 1995 
JN cover photo along with a 
short, handwritten note to him 
that an Orchestra Hall manager 
said she would hand to him 
personally. She even asked for 
my seat number so that Jason 
could find me during the show. 
Things were looking up!
Halfway through his per-
formance, as advertised, Jason 
began hand-picking seven 
volunteers to perform a shtick 
with him. I didn’
t raise my hand 
because of course Jason had 
my seat assignment. He would 

seek me out, right? Right? 
Right?
Nope. I could hear the soup 
Nazi yelling at me: “No show 
for you!” 
I hold no animus toward 
Jason Alexander. As a leg-
endary song and dance man 
myself — twice I’
ve sung the 
“Banana Boat” song on Detroit’
s 
Opera House stage with Harry 
Belafonte — I know how tough 
it is to appease adoring fans. 
Upon reflection, the incom-
parable Jeffrey Zaslow had 
already given me my defining 
“George” moment during his 
contest. The mentsh that he 
was, Jeff also went on to get my 
Jewish News cover autographed 
by Jason Alexander when 
he interviewed him for USA 
Today. I wouldn’
t trade those 
memories with Jeff for anything 
… even a chance to be with the 
“real” George. 

Alan Muskovitz is a writer, 
voice-over/acting talent, speaker 
and emcee. Visit his website at 
laughwithbigal.com,“Like” Al on 
Facebook and reach him at 
amuskovitz@renmedia.us.

Alan 
Muskovitz

Jason Alexander and Michael Seltzer

LORI SELTZER

