- Hi, I'm Satori Shakoor and here's what's coming up this week on One Detroit, Arts and Culture.

A special performance of a beloved musical.

Plus remembering a man who left his legacy here in Detroit, and then the history of food that's velvety smooth.

It's all just a head on One Detroit, Arts and Culture.

- [Woman 1] From Delta faucets to bare paint.

Masco corporation is proud to deliver products that enhance the way consumers all over the world experience and enjoy their living spaces.

Masco.

Serving Michigan communities since 1929.

- [Man 1] Support for this program is provided by the Cynthia Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism and Detroit Public TV.

The Kresge Foundation.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

- [Woman 2] The DTE foundation is a proud sponsor of Detroit Public TV among the state's largest Foundation's committed to Michigan focused giving.

We support organizations that are doing exceptional work in our state.

visit DTEFoundation.com to learn more.

- [Man 2] Business Leaders for Michigan dedicate to making Michigan a top 10 state for jobs, personal income and a healthy economy.

Also brought to you by the Fred.A.

and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and Viewers Like You.

(calm upbeat music) - Hi, and welcome to One Detroit, Arts and Culture.

I'm Satori Shakoor coming to you from Marygrove Theater.

And I'm so happy you could join me for this exciting array of arts and culture we have for you today.

Coming up.

For all the fans of musicals, the music of John Williams, professional Broadway singers and University of Michigan theater students join up for a special concert performance of Fiddler on the Roof.

Plus as part of celebrating Black History Month, discussing the man who founded our city's first international Afro-American museum.

Then peanut butter, so nutritious, and I love it.

And we dive into the story of a very Detroit brand of the tasty spread.

It's all coming up on One Detroit, Arts and Culture.

Fiddler on the Roof is a theatrical classic.

This month University of Michigan theater students and professional Broadway singers, Chuck Cooper and Loretta Ables Sayre, come together to present the first live performance of John Williams orchestrations for the academy award winning film, Fiddler on the Roof.

Let's take a look as they rehearse for this special concert performance.

(bang) - Maseltov!

- The classics always teach us new things about the moment we're living in now which is why I think they're always worth reviving even when they come with complicated histories.

Fiddler on the Roof to me is the most universal musical that was ever written.

It's a story about family, it's a story about tradition.

- It's just a brilliant piece of writing from script to score to lyrics.

It is just masterfully crafted.

And while it is, you know, specifically meant to be about Jewish culture.

I think through that specificity it's very universally about family, community, love and loss.

And I think anyone can relate to it because of those themes and because of the incredible score.

(dramatic piano music) - What's really incredible about this production in particular is that we're using the John Williams arrangements from the movie, and it's never been done before.

- We're doing it in front of a symphony orchestra.

And so the music is always a character in musical.

But in this instance, the orchestra is on stage and is very, definitely a huge character.

♪ Sunrise, sunset, ♪ Sunrise, sunset - We get the benefits of these beautiful arrangements by John Williams.

Some that are only coming out for our production, which is really, really exciting but we still get to, in my opinion, do the really exciting part of musical theater which is the staging and the dancing.

- It sort of merges these two different forms of the story together into one which I think is kind of neat.

And we have such a unique cast that we have a cast of students with professionals like Chuck and Loretta.

And then we have just some fabulous dancers.

We have an incredible choreographer, Ally Solomon, and I think her work on this has just been outstanding.

And we have a very multicultural cast.

So the decision was, you know, also to recognize that Jewish culture is extremely diverse.

- And I think in the world that we're living in today to be able to tell this story with a multicultural and a very diverse cast is essential to listening, to watching and to really appreciating the brilliance that is Fiddler on the Roof.

- And I do think it's important that the story be told specifically in modern times because there's so much hate in the world right now.

- And I think one of the important moments of the social justice movement that we're living through right now is being able to look at pieces like Fiddler on the Roof through the lens of a contemporary eye as well as understanding the historical context within which these pieces were written.

- When the musical was originally written, it was really very much about American Jews.

And in that way it's very much about all American immigrants.

It's about what it is to be displaced from your home often for reasons that are beyond your control.

And by losing everything or giving up everything, one has to face the unknown with some kind of hope that they will meet a better future.

And I think that there's so much uncertainty, so many people's lives were upended by the pandemic, or even by current global political circumstances that one has to hope for a better future.

- This piece also deals with issues of immigration and as our country is unfortunately rife with more antisemitism to be telling a Jewish story, right now, feels incredibly necessary - Specifically looking at antisemitism.

I mean, that is a present issue.

It has been an issue for hundreds and hundreds of years.

And that is one thing that I think is an important story to continue to be told.

I know I have developed such a deeper understanding and appreciation for the history of all of that.

- There was a lot of enthusiasm from the students to do this particular show, and they were incredibly thoughtful and insightful about wanting to understand a culture that might not have been their own.

Of course there are some Jewish students in the cast but there are a lot who aren't and I've been incredibly impressed with how those conversations have been happening and how open everyone has been and how thoughtful and engaged in research and conversation on the subject.

It's a very talented group of people - I'm truly amazed and taken aback by the caliber and quality of talent among the year.

They are, as we say in musical theater, fierce.

They're just stunning individuals.

- And what I keep stressing to the students is that this is as good as it gets in terms of when you're able to bring this many top notch organizations together to collaborate.

And to truly understand the word 'collaboration' because we're all learning from one another.

- Working with a partially professional cast is also just so incredible.

The cast could not have been more gracious of sharing the space with us, and I'm just trying to take in as much information that I can from how they're approaching the work.

- Kind of couldn't ask for a more meaningful show and a more meaningful situation because it's just this spectrum of experience coming together.

And I think that, symbolically, it sort of feels like a new beginning and a great point of entry for making work together again.

- Thank you, Loretta.

(laughs) - Fiddler on the roof in concert hits the stage of Hill Auditorium this Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 4 pm.

For more on UMS and up coming performances go to onedetroitpbs.org.

Next up.

Dr. Charles H. Wright was a noted physician, activist and visionary who founded the city's first international Afro-American museum in 1965.

After several expansions, the state of the art facility is now the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Bridge Detroit's, Orlando Bailey, caught up with someone who knew Dr. Wright very well, the museum's longtime director of design and fabrication, Kevin Davidson.

- Kevin Davidson, director of design and fabrication at the Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History.

You are approaching a personal milestone yourself in that you're getting ready to make 40 years.

- [Kevin] That's right.

Being at the Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History.

Talk about this journey of 40 years, getting to 40 at the Wright.

- I started over on the Boulevard in the little three row house.

That was the museum that- - That's the first location, right?

- That's the first location.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- And Coleman Young worked with Dr. Wright to increase the vision and provide the resources to expand the museum and, you know, bring, you know, this larger vision to fruition.

I remember architects drawing up the plans for the second museum.

And I think even before the building was finished they were starting on drawings for the new facility.

You know, so Dr. Wright and Coleman young were moving fast.

- As we head into Black History Month, Kevin, one of the things that I would name is that the role of a museum for African American history in Detroit which the nation's largest black city.

And there, I see that there is really just in outright assault on the truth telling.

- Yes.

- The factual historical telling of black history and to censor it and to whitewash it.

How do you see your role and the museum's role in continuing to cascade truth?

- You know, a lot of school districts, including the city of Detroit, no longer have history departments.

So history is not a standalone area of study as part of the curriculum.

It sort of folded in with geography and you know, other areas.

And so that little sliver of history that's being told is obviously being told from a Europe centric perspective.

And so the type of history that we present here is generally not included.

And so what we've been engaged in is pulling together packets that we can send to the school districts so that these teachers can incorporate this learning in their classrooms.

And so our goal here, you know, is to continue to tell our story, to tell us our story of African-American and people of African descent around the world, you know, because it was Dr. Wrights charged.

His thing was, look, we need to write the wrongs in history.

We need to tell our story.

You know, we need to get it out there and make sure that any and every individual who comes through here has a complete understanding, you know, of our history and what we are all about and our contributions to this nation, the world and American history.

And our history is American history.

- Yeah.

- You know, and so we're taking our place.

- Mm - We're ensuring that we take our place.

That's our job.

- Mm.

And it's such, such important work, especially in the time that we're living in.

Happy Black History Month to you and all the folks at the Wright.

Kevin Davidson director of fabrication and design at the Charles H. Wright museum.

Thank you so much for joining us on American Black Journal.

- To see the full interview with Kevin Davidson go to our website @onedetroitpbs.org.

Sometimes a peanut butter sandwich just hits the spot.

And did you know, a peanut butter brand created right here in Detroit was one of the best around.

Detroit Remember When: Made in the Motor City takes us back to the creation, the rise and the fall of the creamy and smooth Velvet Peanut Butter.

Detroit broadcast legend, Erik Smith, has more.

(upbeat jazz music) - I really think local brands help you identify with who you are.

- [Erik] Okay.

So whatever happened to Velvet Peanut Butter?

- [Eric] It was a very prominent brand.

And I remember it being prominently displayed in the grocery stores.

And at the time most of the grocery stores were locally owned.

Stores that used to carry Velvet Peanut Butter are no longer around.

Great Scott, Farmer Jack, Chatham.

- [Erik] There were all the national brands.

Peter Pan.

Skippy.

But here in Detroit, Velvet was our peanut butter.

- I don't know that I realized it was a Detroit brand at the time.

It was just the most popular brand in the grocery store.

- But it was smooth.

It was smooth.

Fresh, pure, and delicious.

It was smooth.

- [Erik] Paul Zuckerman was the man behind Velvet.

He came to America from Turkey as a little boy and wound up right here in Detroit.

- It started in 1937.

And the way it happened, according to Paul Zuckerman, my father, he was driving a truck when he decided he wanted to marry my mother.

Her parents didn't think driving a truck was so impressive.

And he was looking to, he was always very entrepreneurial.

- [Erik] So Mr. Zuckerman and another truck driver went into the peanut butter business.

- They bought a couple of machines and set up shop in a garage on 12th Street.

My father and Harry Goss.

And the two of them alone together did everything.

- [Erik] Harry Goss ran production and Paul Zukerman became the salesman.

- He would tell me that he'd fill up his car with cases of peanut butter and go out and hit the road.

And his favorite sales pitch was, "I'm down to one last case of peanut butter.

I don't want to go home with it.

Just take the last one."

Make my day.

- [Erik] When World War II started Uncle Sam pressed Velvet into service to help feed our troops.

- Because the government felt it was such an essential product that probably put the stamp of approval on peanut butter.

Mothers probably felt, well, if it's, if it's good enough for the soldiers and they think it's healthy.

- [Erik] The velvets jar came with those fresh, pure and delicious faces inspired by Paul Zuckerman's little boy, Norbert.

- It does look like him.

He wasn't so pure, but he was a cute kid, adorable kid.

- [Erik] You know there was a time eating peanut butter was actually a chore.

The oil in the ground peanuts would separate.

And then they had to be mixed again by hand.

Paul Zuckerman had the solution.

- It was called Velvet Homogenized Peanut Butter.

And he always claimed that they started it.

So I only can believe that, but you know, I wouldn't go to court on it.

- He was so successful with it.

He was known everywhere as the peanut butter king.

And if he wasn't known, when you first met him as the peanut butter king, he made sure that you knew that he was the peanut butter king by the time you finished the conversation.

- In 1950, the peanut butter king decided to diversify, buying the Krun-Chee potato chip company - Soupy Sales advertised for them.

He used to call everybody a bird bath.

I don't know why you're a good bird bath or you're a bad bird bath.

He was just a wild guy.

- [Erik] By the late 1950s, Velvet merged with Sunshine Biscuit joining national brands like Hydrox cookies and Hi Ho crackers.

Test kitchen cooks dreamed up dishes with ingredients like gelatine, Miracle Whip, and peanut butter.

- No, but there was a big thing in those days jello and miracle whip, and jello and sour cream, and jello and whipping cream.

I loved it, but that does not sound like a very good recipe to me.

You can't win 'em all right.

- [Erik] The sunshine deal did make Paul Zuckerman a multimillionaire, but he stayed on in charge of the Velvet operation.

- When the brand was at its strongest, we had sales in Indiana in several cities, some in Illinois but basically it was a Detroit brand and an unbelievably well known Detroit brand.

- [Erik] Just a few years later Sunshine's enthusiasm for peanut butter, apparently dimed and Paul Zuckerman bought his company back for, well, peanuts.

By then, he'd be known as a philanthropist as well as the peanut butter king.

- His answer was, "Well, I guess I'm just a lucky truck driver."

Just a lucky truck driver.

So people would sometimes would tease and make a little bit of fun about it.

- [Erik] Once again, Velvet Peanut Butter was sold to another national company that well shut it down in the 1980s - Things disappear and you don't really notice them for a long time.

And then when you can't find it anymore you start to wonder.

- [Erik] Well, now it's back in local supermarkets.

Eric Bruce, a Detroit area native, is making Velvet Peanut Butter, once again.

- We went back to a Velvet recipe from the 40s.

Velvet Peanut Butter, just like all other brands, the recipe had changed throughout the years.

And we went back to an old fashioned recipe.

- It became a terrific brand, but the real story is that it was Paul Zuckerman.

You know, he made it what it is.

I guess the proof is it's on the shelf, again.

Got Velvet Peanut Butter back on the shelf, which is quite a nice thing.

- For more on Detroit Remember When: Made in the Motor City check out our website @onedetroitpbs.org.

That does it for me but we leave you with a snippet of a performance from Detroit Performs Live from Marygrove.

It's Aaron Lewis, performing Stop Wasting My Time.

Enjoy and see you next week.

(Stop Wasting My Time) ♪ Ooh ♪ Dada da da da da ♪ Dada da da da da - Wrote this song for you girl I hope you like it.

It goes like this.

♪ You know you wasting all my time ♪ ♪ With your wordplay on my mind ♪ ♪ Instead of being out of ♪ I think you should pack up and walk ♪ ♪ You know I'm tired of your games ♪ ♪ You think you have control of my brain ♪ ♪ I give you my best advice ♪ You don't wanna pick this fight ♪ ♪ No no no no ♪ No no no no ♪ No no no no no no no ♪ You think I want your love ♪ But your nobody I can trust ♪ So I'm warning you you just go ♪ ♪ Go, go ♪ Get outta my life, yeah ♪ I think you had your fun, ♪ But now it's time to run ♪ Don't make me say twice ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ Yeah ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ Now, you want me to be nice ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ Yeah ♪ I've put up with you for too long ♪ ♪ So I bid you baby with this song ♪ ♪ You did your (indistinct) ♪ And now I wound up hurt ♪ Yeah ♪ You think I want your love ♪ But your nobody I can trust ♪ So I'm warning you just go ♪ Go, go ♪ Get outta my life, yeah ♪ I think you had your fun ♪ But now it's time to run ♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ Stop wasting my time.

♪ Now you want be to be nice ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ Yeah ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Get outta my life, yeah ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Shoo-by da doo doo doo ♪ Shoo shoo ♪ Get outta my life, yeah ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Shoo-by do do doo doo doo ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Shoo-by da doo doo doo (ad libitum) ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Yeah ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ Please stop wasting all my time ♪ - Break it down.

♪ You think I want your love, ♪ But you nobody I can trust ♪ So I'm warning you ♪ Just go ♪ Go, go get outta my life, yeah ♪ ♪ I think you had your fun ♪ But now it's time to run.

♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ Yeah ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ Yeah ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ - [Man 2] You can find more @onedetroitpbs.org or subscribe to our social media channels and sign up for our One Detroit newsletter.

- [Woman 1] From Delta faucets to bare paint.

Masco corporation is proud to deliver products that enhance the way consumers all over the world experience and enjoy their living spaces.

Masco.

Serving Michigan communities since 1929.

- [Man 1] Support for this program is provided by the Cynthia Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism and Detroit Public TV.

The Kresge Foundation.

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

- [Woman 2] The DTE foundation is a proud sponsor of Detroit Public TV among the state's largest foundations, committed to Michigan focused giving.

We support organizations that are doing exceptional work in our state visit DTE foundation.com to learn more.

- [Man 2] Business Leaders for Michigan dedicate to making Michigan a top 10 state for jobs, personal income and a healthy economy.

Also brought to you by the Fred.A.

and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and Viewers Like You.

(upbeat music) (piano music)