Thursday, August 11,1994 — THE BULLETIN — 9
AURLEE PARPARA ... compSetIng her first CD.
JWS Staff
Richmond resident Aur-iee Parpara, 20, is pursuing what she believes is her "destiny."
An aspiring country and western singer, Parpara is producing her own CD, the first step to what she hopes will bring her "fame and fortune."
The Simon Fraser University sophomore said she "has always been an entertainer," beginning at the age of five when her grandmother taught her lyrics from the musical Annie.
"After that, my family just couldn't shut me up," Parpara said with a laugh during an interview with The Bulletin. Aurlee is the daughter of Saul and Barbara Parpara.
Voice lessons followed, but it was a performance at a White Rock Sea Festival talent competition several years ago that whetted Par-para's appetite for performing.
"I just loved the feeling of getting up and singing in front of an audience. And right from that moment, I knew that singing was what I was destined to do with my life."
Although Parpara performed pop music for many years, she said she recently realized that her voice is better suited to the country and western sound. She compares her voice to that of well-known country stars Crystal Gale and Pam Tillis.
"And I can get into country songs so much easier," Parpara divulged, "because they are about real people, real life."
Parpara is producing her debut CD with help from well-known Jewish musician Jan Cooper. She began working on the CD in December and expects to have it finished by early September.
The next step, with Coop-
^ NY
— Parents of North American Israelis has published a comprehensive Guide and Reference for Families with Offspring in Israel.
The first edition of the 32-page guide contains 12 sections of information on such topics as financial and employment resources for olim and issues affecting dual citizens, including army service, absentee voting, passports, birth registrations and taxes.
er's help, is to have the CD released to local radio stations with the hope of getting it on to stations' play lists.
Until that happens, the aspiring singer revealed that she spends "a lot of time worrying about the future."
"I've always had the problem that I want everything right now. I know I have the talent, but now I have to get out there and seek the connections that will allow me to fulfill my dream."
The 20-year-old said she believes she has been thwarted in her efforts to achieve fame by "rigged contests" and "con artists" who don't deliver what they promise.
Her unsuccessful attempts thus far at stardom have resulted in "anxiety ajid jealousy" at, young^ people who have already achieved a measure of fame.
"When I was 16 and 17, I'd pick up magazines and find out that people younger than myself already had CDs out, and I was mad that I hadn't achieved that as well."
Parpara's role model is Dolly Parton.
Dolly," Parpara confessed. "She sings, acts, is a businesswoman and has her own theme park, Dolly wood."
Parpara visited Dolly-wood last year during a visit to Nashville "just to get a taste of what things will be like." She also took a tour of. the stars' homes and visited the Grand Die Opry where she hopes that one day her name will be up in lights.
If a singing career doesn't pan out, Parpara would like to "become a geriatric social worker.
"I have an innate ability to communicate with old people," the SFU student said. "And even if my musical career takes off like I believe it will, I won't forget the seniors. I plan on giving free concerts to seniors and the homeless."
And if all pans out, like Dolly Parton's Dollywood, can Aurlee Parpara's "Aur-lee-wood" be far behind? .
Did you know ... . Se-phardic North African Jews use a lot of cumin, ginger, coriander and mint. Vegetables are served with tomato sauce, and desserts are nut-based and use little dairy, according to Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook (1994) by Debra Wasser-man.
Actor Howard Siegel is wearing two hats these days.
Besides co-starring nightly in the Arts Club Theatre's resurrection of The Wild Guvs (see J WB Aug. 4), he is co-producing, with Richard Lett, the second annual Men's Fest '94.
Playing out of Station Street Theatre, 930 Station St., Aug. 10-14, Men's Fest '94 showcases theatre, art and music — all dealing with men's issues.
Siegel, in an interview with The Bulletin, stressed that the festival is non-political in viev/, non-gender specific, nor does it attempt to be a response to feminism.
"We're not trying to make any statements. We don't promote a particular point
AMSTERDAM (JTA) — A branch of Jews for Jesus has been established in Amsterdam.
Calling itself Beth Ye-shua, the group of so-called messianic Jews meets weekly for Sabbath services.
The group's leader is a Dutch-born Jew who believes that the opposition of many Jews to Jews converted to Christianity is a remnant of "ghetto mentality."
The establishment of the group is notable because attendance at mainstream Christian churches in Holland is on a downward turn and has become the bastion mostly of the elderly.
Most Christians in the Netherlands attend a church service only once or twice a year, for Christmas and Easter.
of view. We just want to deal with men's issues and take a look at what's out there,", said Siegel, himself a single father with an eight-year-old daughter.
The Fest features eight productions from around the world, including performance art from Jerusalem-born, San Francisco-residing Reuven Hannah.
Men's Fest '94 also includes forums and discussion groups led by Vancouver M.E.N., art installations and bands playing every night.
"We're really trying to make it festive," said Siegel, who hopes to double last year's attendance of 1,000. "What we're most interested in producing is entertaining, good theatre that happens to deal with men's issues."
A good candidate for the festival would have been The Wild Guys (on until Sept. 10 at Arts Club Theatre), said the 41-year-old Vancouverite, who plays the yuppie lawyer Randall. The comedy deals with what it means to be a man of the '90s.
By Ariela Friedmsnis
"I'm really having a lot of fun. It's better this time round and more based in reality. It has lots of laughs."
Men's Fest '94 is being produced by Big House Productions, a theatre company formed by five principals, including Siegel. Tickets/festival passes at 280-2801.
With Leonard Bernstein's (music) and Stephen Sond-heim's (lyrics). West Side Story remains ageless.
Now playing in repertory with Little Shop of Horrors at Theatre Under
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David Cooper
WEST SIDE'S Maria (Julio Barber) and Tony (Eric James).
The Stars (TUTS), Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park until Aug. 13, West Side Story's tale of ethnic gang rivalry is as pertinent today as it was in the 1950s (the musicars setting).
Replace the Broadway production's "American" gang, the Jets, and the "Puerto Rican** gang, the Sharks, with any of today's them-versus-usfactions fighting for turf and control (in Bosnia, in the Mideast, Ireland, etc.) and West Side story transcends time.
A talented cast of actors/ -singers/dancers — augmented by strong lead performances ^ makes this TUTS musial an entertaining venture.
The musical's glaring message that peace can only be achieved if we look beyond color, religion and ethnicity (punctuated in the
song "Somewhere"), really its home,
TUTS tickets at 687-0174. « * *
British farce highlights Metro Theatre's season which opens with Pardon Me, Prime Minister (Aug. 27-Sept. 24), an "inside look" at budget preparation.
A honeymooning couple, a paddle steamer on the Nile, boat passengers, a gun, a dead body. That's Agatha Christie's Murder On The Nile (Oct. \-29).
The farcical /'// Get My Man (Nov. 5-26) is set in a vicarage where a TV series hero seeks refuge from female fans.
In Ivan Menchell's comedy. The Cemetery Club, (Jan. 14-Feb. 11) three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before heading to the cemetery to visit their husband's graves.
Metro moves from retirement comedy to a retirement thriller with Ladies In Retirement (Feb. 18-Mar. II), a psychological melodrama about an ex-actress.
A funny look at human relationships is told in Opening Night (Mar. 18-Apr. 15) where, during a play's opening night, there's more action in the audience than on stage.
A musical tribute to Noel Coward will be staged (Apr. 29-'May 20) in Oh Cowardl The season ends with a fun-filled farce. Look No Hans.'(June 3-July 1), about the manager of the West Berlin office of a British car company.
Box office: 266-7191.