8 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday, June 9,1994
I.B. Singefs YentI wasn't the only Jewish girl to disguise herself as a boy in order to make her way in the world.
On Sunday and Monday, June 12 and 13, 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Cinematheque, 1131 Howe St., the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival presents Molly Picon in the first international Yiddish hit. Yidl With His Fiddle.
The film tells the humorous story of a woman fiddler who dresses in boy's clothing in order to join a group of musicians.
Filmed in Poland in 1936 -~ the beginning of the "Golden Years" of Yiddish filmmaking — Yidl Mitn Fiddle — was just one of the many well-known Yiddish films directed by Joseph Green.
Green wanted a star for his first Yiddish film. Travelling to Paris where Molly
Picon and her husband, Yanki Kalich were doing theatre, he was able to hire Picon for the highest salary then ever paid to a Yiddish actor —$10,000.
Picon went on to achieve fame in both Yiddish and secular movies, theatre and television, but it is her role as the girl/ boy musician that is most remembered by Yiddish film buffs.
As the diminutive violinist, YidL she roams the Polish countryside with the klezmorim, clowning in her irrepressible way, getting into mischief, delighting the audience with the lively music of American composer, Abe Ellstein and poet Itzik Manger.
Yidl falls in love with one of the musicians with humorous results.
Tickets are available at the box office and at the Jewish Festival of the Arts. 266-0245.
Open 10 B.m. to 9 p.m. Mondsy to Saturday EaMn — Take-Out — Catering for Home & Office Parties
Speclallxing In Falafel and Shawarma
1»
m.
IS! ilil
mm
Take a look at downtown Vancouver, booming with high-rise construction, steel tentacles reaching upward and outward.
Local playwright Tom Cone took a hard look at the downtown landscape and saw "architecture as a metaphor for apathy."
So it is no surprise that Vancouver is the setting for the world premiere of the opera, The Architect. Though not specifically named, Vancouver is identified as a West Coast city by the sea.
Commissioned by Vancouver Opera, this English-language libretto opens June 11 at Vancouver Playhouse, and continues June 13, 14, 16-18, 20 and 22.
Over two-and-a-half years in the planning stages. The Architect is a creation of the collaborative efforts of composer David Maclntyre and librettist Cone.
The Architect is described as a psychological thriller about an accomplished architect named Sandra. Like a building under construction, its plot traverses many levels. The protagonist is a symbol of society, struggling to find a niche in an apathetic world.
"I wanted to use a woman protagonist," Cone tells The Bulletin, "because of what it takes for a woman to rise to the top in architecture. I wanted a strong character."
A renowned playwright, Cone was asked by Maclntyre to work on the opera though he had never worked in this medium before. The goal, explains Cone, was to create a piece with words that an audience would not only hear, but understand.
Though Cone admits it was "a slow transition" writing for an opera, using the English language made his task easier. "1 see English as unending poetry," the award-winning playwright con-
fided. "It's exhilirating to hear my words being sung."
Cone hopes audiences will leave the opera with a sense of responsibility to the society they live in, encouraged to do something rather than remain apathetic.
The Architect''^ future depends on the success of its limited run here, says Cone. To be a part of this world premiere, call 683-0222.
A very different kind of musical has already premiered in Vancouver to smash reviews. Forever Plaid, which opened three weeks ago, continues to forever charm audiences at the Starlight Theatre on Denman Street.
Though Forever Plaid focuses on the music of the '50s and '60s, its appeal transcends all age levels. One need not be familiar with the tunes to leave the theatre humming and feeling ever so plaid.
The musical pays homage to the guy groups of its era, those corny, wholesome, horn-rimmed lads that predated The Beatles. (The show includes a tribute to the Fab Four with a doo-wap version of "She Loves You").
In bringing this show to life, its producers have actually created a comical cabaret that tells the story of the musical group. Forever Plaid. Sparky, Smudge,. Jinx and Frankie — four lads prematurely snuffed out in a car accident — are returned to earth to perform the concert they never had a chance to do.
The boys bring a "golly gee whiz, aw shucks ma'am" wholesome attitude to stage. Every momma's gonna want to rush out on stage and pinch the boys' cheeks.
From "Three Coins in the Fountain" to a ketchup version of "Chain Gang" and a
mm
i^^ i^V' roof 'f "«(ti" iB
w. Calypso King of the World will be appearing
The Mighty Sparrow. Calypso King of the World will be appearing at the Kyatt Regency Hotel Ballroom at 655 Burrard Street. Vancouver on Friday, June 17, 1994. Sparrow Is expected to entertain the audience with such hit songs as "Both of dem", "Congo Man" and "Parly Mj;sic". Also performing will be Sound RevoSution a 14 piece brass band from Trinidad and recording artists Ella Andall, Black Stalin, Orupartee. Elsworth James and Baron. Oon't forget to bring your dancing shoes. Tickets are available at Ticket Master and the Roll Man In Surrey at 581-2444.
David Cooper
DISCUSSING THE ARCHITECT'S SCORE are, from left, composer David Maclntyre, conductor Leslie Uyeda and librettist Tom Cone.
three-minute jaunt through the Ed Sullivan Show, the talented Plaids keep the audience humming and clapping along.
Forever Plaid is uplifting and fun. Call 280-4444 for what could be the summer's coolest ticket.
* * *
The Vancouver Jewish Film Festival's Gatkes II at Pacific Cinematheque featured two good views and a so-so.
At the top of the heap was Young at Heart, Sue Marx's wonderful focus on two Jewish octogenerians who fall in love, niove in together, then marry.
Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for Best Documentary short, this film gives meaning to the
words true love. Tearful sniffles of appreciation could be heard among some audience members.
Also dealing with love, from a different perspective, was Deaf Heaven, an "angelic look" at a relationship affected by AIDS.
At the bottom of the heap was Lilly Rivlin's The Tribe. Though an interesting subject matter—a 1983 reunion of 2,500 members of the 10,000 known members of the Rivlin family — the film was long on facts determined to prove beyond a shadow of doubt the family's rightful place in Jerusalem's history.
The Tribe would have been more interesting had it focused longer on some of the family's colorful personalities.
Ermgiff^g Israel to Yott...
By Grit Katzov
Israel Emlssaty, Jewish Federation, Combined Jewish Appeal
Winning notes
Two new immigrants from the CIS took first place in the prestigious Francois Shapira competition for young musicians.
Cellist Konstantin Soko-lov, was best in the string instrument competition while clarinetist Yevgeny Yhudin, 25, won for wind and percussion instruments.
Each received a NIS 2,500 grant towards participation in a competition or class abroad.
Sokolov is the principal cellist of the Raanana Sym-phonette; Yhudin plays in the Israel Sinfonietta Beer-sheva. Both made aliyah in 1991.
Theatre troupe garners award
The Tel Aviv Prize for the Arts has been awarded to Yevgeny Aryeh, artistic director of the Gesher Theatre, a troupe consisting of new immigrants.
Aryeh had been a theatre producer in Russia, and worked in Leningrad and Moscow, as well as in Riga, Latvia. He organized Gesher after making aliyah in December 1990, gathering for that purpose actors, many of whom he already knew, who had immigrated from the former Soviet Union.
The Gesher Theatre is supported by the Jewish Agency Rural ^nd Urban Development Department's Operation Opportunity.
I 1
IM win WJ^X liTi'iariBr'filff f i r V"'-''^^If^^ JSft'f'^^'
L
(1/2 block West Of St.)