Gottlieb Festival Opens with Michigan Opera Theatre Preview

Poignant arias and lively duets by members of the Michigan Opera Theatre reverberated through the on opening night Saturday of the weeklong .

Hosted by the , the festival features a diverse offering of entertainment that includes music, theatre, film, art and Jewish culture. Events will be held daily at the JCC campuses in West Bloomfield and Oak Park.

The program was introduced by JCC President Mark Litt, who highlighted some of the events that will be taking place during the coming season:

•  60th Annual Jewish Book Fair, Nov. 2-13
•  JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival, March 15-25, 2012
•  Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival, April 22-May 3, 2012
•  A new Sunday family series
• Dance month, Jan. 26-Feb.25, 2012
• Two Shakespeare plays performed by the world renowned   Acting Company

“This stage is going to be alive and magical,” said Litt.

Litt then turned the stage over to MOT Artistic Director David DiChiera, who gave an overview of the upcoming season using a combination of recordings and live performances by members of the MOT company.

The preview included samplings from “Carmina Burana” by Carol Orff, “The Medium” by Gian Carlo Menotti, “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “The Pearl Fishers” by Georges Bizet, and “I Pagliacci” (The Clowns) by Ruggero Leoncavallo.

“It’s nice to have the opera in West Bloomfield,” said Carol Schwartz of Birmingham.

Between musical numbers, DiChiera provided commentary about the operas and their composers.

“It’s wonderful that the Berman Center has created a strong working relationship with the MOT; it will help to make opera stronger in the city,” said Allan Nachman of Bloomfield Hills.

The Gottlieb Festival of the Arts continues through Sunday, Sept. 25. Some of the highlights include:

• 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family, by Oscar Andrew Hammerstein, grandson of the famous composer.
•  7:30 p.m. Wednesday: Anita, an Argentinean Academy Award winning film
•  Noon Wednesday: “The Art of Kindness,” by Rabbi Tzvi Muller
•  7:30 p.m. Thursday: “Mandy Patinkin: Dress Casual,” a concert performance by the Emmy-award winning actor and Broadway star.
•  8:30 p.m. Saturday: Solomon: King, Poet and Lover, the Story of One Man and 700 Wives,  and Elijah: First Action Hero, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. These two one-man shows are by comedian, actor, educator, and author Marcus Freed.

For more information or to obtain a complete schedule, visit www.jccdet.org or call (248) 661-1000.