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36 December 14 • 2017 jn PHOTO BY MARYELLEN TRUMP Eric Gutman, with Under the Streetlamp, performs favorite holiday tunes and more from the American Radio Songbook. S inger-actor Eric Gutman and trumpet-player Josh Rzepka have a tasty com- petition going as they tour the country with Under the Streetlamp — their quartet of vocalists fronting a seven-mem- ber band. The two, the only Jewish members of the group, taste-test challah. When the entertainers stopped in Boston, where Rzepka's relatives live, Gutman tried what the instrumental- ist considered the best. While Gutman conceded it was very good, he is certain Rzepka will find one even better in Metro Detroit. Their show, starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Orchestra Hall, presents hit songs from the American Radio Songbook — sounds linked to Motown, doo-wop rock 'n' roll and some standard hits. Titled Hip to the Holidays, the perfor- mance also spotlights seasonal numbers in deference to the time of year. Gutman, who lives in Huntington Woods and has appeared with the Broadway run and first national tour of Jersey Boys, has been on the road with Under the Streetlamp since March, joining a schedule of 75 performances a year. The grandson of the late Cantor David Gutman of the former Congregation Beit Kodesh in Livonia, he appreciates the draw of music and respects the uplift- ing messages of Christmas songs. "I feel very blessed to be doing what I love," says Gutman, who likes to watch people in the audi- ence sing along and move to the music of the Beach Boys, Everly Brothers and Four Seasons, among many other legendary groups represented in the show. "I also like the feelings of fam- ily, tradition, coming together and general spirit of the seasonal segment. A big part of me would like to add a Chanukah song, and I'm looking for one that fits in with what we do." Gutman, a member of Temple Israel who studied musical the- ater performance at Western Michigan University, will be in town to celebrate part of Chanukah with his wife and two daughters before resuming his tour schedule. No matter where he appears, "Try a Little Tenderness" is his favorite solo in this show because it has special meaning for both himself and his wife. "I've known this group for years," says Gutman, who also has toured with Forbidden Broadway and Forbidden Hollywood and still presents his one-man show From Broadway to Obscurity. "Michael Ingersoll was the originator, and he reached out to me directly when he decided to move on to other work." Gutman, who has appeared locally in productions staged by the Jewish Ensemble and Meadow Brook theatres, sings harmonies with Brandon Wardell, Christopher Kale Jones and Shonn Wiley — all with strong musical theater experi- ence. Rzepka, based in Chicago, was introduced to trumpet while attending the Lippman School in Akron, where his mother has taught Hebrew and Judaic studies for 35 years. As he advanced his instrumental knowledge at Oberlin College and Conservatory, he established a Detroit connection, learning from the late Marcus Belgrave, a local audience favorite. Working with Under the Steetlamp for more than two years, Rzepka built a career with freelance appearances at jazz clubs and private parties, includ- ing bat and bar mitzvahs. "I love this show because it's like a party every night," says Rzepka, who holds a master's degree in classical trumpet from Boston University. "I know so much of this music as the sonic fabric of America. "As a musician, I've been play- ing Christmas songs in my work. As a classically trained musician, I've learned liturgical music. I've studied all of this as pure music." Rzepka, whose albums reach from Baroque to jazz, joined Under the Streetlamp through the recommendation of a friend. "We're playing music everyone knows," Rzepka says. "Everyone just has a great time." • SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER America t h e a t e r arts&life The Fabric Of details Under the Streetlamp performs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Orchestra Hall. $24-$105. (313) 576-5111; dso.org. ABOVE: Trumpet-player Josh Rzepka. TOP LEFT: Under the Streetlamp: Brandon Wardell, Chris Jones, Shonn Wiley and Eric Gutman. TOP RIGHT: Eric Gutman. PHOTO BY MARYELLEN TRUMP