DECEMBER 3 • 2020 | 35
Helicon Records, a licensee of
Universal and EMI Records.
While she was a presenter on
a daily TV show, her second sin-
gle, “Time to Say Goodbye,
” was
chosen to represent Israel in the
2005 Eurovision Song Contest. Her
namesake first album launched her
first concert tour.
Credits since then include roles
in a musical version of the movie
HaLehaka (The Band) and in the
Habima National Theatre produc-
tion of Evita.
Martin Laker remains enthusi-
astic about the concerts, especially
because they celebrate his late
father’s love for music, both spiritu-
al and secular. He watched Maimon
for the first time on the web after
Cantor Smolash recommended
shining the spotlight on her.
“She was magnificent with a
wonderful voice, and we’re lucky
she was available,
” said Laker,
whose one criterion for choosing
performers is imagining his father
tapping his toes to the beat and
softly singing along. “There’s no
doubt in my mind that people will
love seeing her, particularly during
this time, when joy and entertain-
ment are so needed.
”
While the Lakers look forward
to a return of in-person performers
for future concerts, they welcome
viewers outside of Michigan tuning
in digitally. One viewer will be Aviv
Ezra, Israel’s consul general to the
Midwest.
“Let me congratulate Temple
Israel on presenting one of the
Jewish state’s brightest stars,
” he
said. “I am very proud of any
chance to share the sublime arts
and culture scene in Israel and
so excited for Michiganders and
Israelis to connect through Shiri’s
uplifting music and captivating
presence. Enjoy this musical trea-
sure.”
DETAILS
To preview Shiri Maimon’s talents
To preview Shiri Maimon’s talents
and learn how to watch her
and learn how to watch her
show at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13,
show at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13,
go to temple-israel.org.
go to temple-israel.org.
SHAY FRANKO
BAD WAKE-UP, AND
KANE’S CREDIT
The Flight Attendant, an
8-episode HBO Max series,
began streaming on Nov.
26 (2 episodes). Kaley
Cuoco (Big Bang Theory)
stars as Cassie, a flight
attendant who wakes up in
the “wrong” hotel with the
body of a dead man next to
her — she has no idea how
this all happened. Zosia
Mamet, 32 (Girls), has a big
role as Annie, an attorney
who is Cassie’s best friend.
Bebe Neuwirth, 61 (Lilith on
Cheers), has a large recur-
ring role as Diana, a highly
respected senior partner in
the law firm where Annie
works. She is a mentor to
Annie.
A bio-pic, Mank, about
famous screenwriter Herman
Mankiewicz (1897-1953),
begins streaming on Netflix
on Dec. 5. It focuses on the
period during which “Herman
M.” co-wrote the script for
the great film Citizen Kane
with Orson Welles. They
were the co-winners of the
1941 Oscar for best screen-
play for Kane. Mank, which
opened in limited theatrical
release, has got some great
reviews and many mixed
ones. Many critics say that
the script (by the late Jack
Fincher, the father of Mank
director David Fincher) slav-
ishly followed the opinion
of the late film critic Pauline
Kael. In a 1971 book, she said
that Herman M. wrote almost
all of Kane. Since then, film
scholars have shown that
Welles wrote a lot of Kane
before and after Herman M.’s
contribution. What seems
clear is both men always had
major problems with finish-
ing a project and, by some
miracle, on Kane they com-
pensated for each other and
made a great movie.
I should note that a bio-
pic about Herman M. can’t
be dull. He was extremely
funny; he improved hundreds
of films, usually without
screen credit — including
a big part of The Wizard of
Oz; and he just couldn’t stop
drinking until it killed him.
All the well-known people
named Mankiewicz (includ-
ing movie writers/directors
Joseph and Tom; TV hosts
Josh and Ben; and former
National Public Radio presi-
dent Frank), were/are closely
related to Herman. By the
way, the next time you see
a lot of Jews playing non-
Jews, think of this film: 13
important characters — no
Jewish actors play any of
them — although six were
“all” Jewish in real life and
two more had Jewish fathers.
(The former group includes
Herman M., his wife, Sara;
director Joseph Mankiewicz,
Herman’s brother; film execs
Irving Thalberg and Louis
B. Mayer, and producer
David O. Selznick. Producer/
actor John Houseman had
a Jewish father, as did writer
Charles Lederer.)
ARTS&LIFE
CELEBRITY JEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
HBO MAX
Kaley Cuoco
with Zosia
Mamet