Celebrity Jews

Kravitz kosher? Nope

Two weeks ago, a lot of Jewish papers, including this one, ran a JTA article about rock star Lenny Kravitz. It noted that "... the son of a Jewish TV producer and [black] actress Roxie Roker ... was making his film debut in 'Barbecues and Bar Mitzvahs.'"

What the JTA didn't mention is that Kravitz's new CD is called "Baptism." Lenny told the New York Daily News: "It represents a spiritual and music rebirth ...The blood [on the CD cover] is the blood of Christ, and we are being cleansed by his sacrifice." The News described Kravitz as a "Christian who claims God revealed himself to him when he was in an infirmary with the flu at age 13." According to other bios, Kravitz wasn't raised in any faith, but has been a Christian since 1996.

Kravitz gets more than his share of mentions in the Jewish press because he's very popular; he has a "Jewish name"; and his color makes stand out from the Jewish crowd. But color shouldn't really be an issue — prominent Jewish African Americans include comedian Rain Pryor, the late Nell Carter and writer Julius Lester. Kravitz could have chosen to be Jewish in a religious sense. However, he chose Christianity, and its time to stop this mishugas about the "Jewish" Lenny Kravitz in the Jewish press.

TV casting notes

Fran Drescher of "The Nanny" fame, has signed to do a WB Network series this fall called "Shacking Up." Drescher plays a woman who is facing the challenge of living with an adult son who is a couple of years younger than her live-in boyfriend. Reports say that the show could be given a midseason replacement slot.

Camryn Manheim is done with "The Practice," but she hopes there will be new life for her character, Ellenor Frutt. Dan O'Shannon, a producer of "Frasier," is working on developing a new show about Frutt.

Composer/lyricist Jeff Marx not only picked up a Tony nomination for his hit musical satire of "Sesame Street," entitled "Avenue Q," but a "Q" touring company and TV show are in the works. Marx is a Cardozo Law School graduate who took another career path.

Briefly noted

Jack Klugman canceled a long-standing theater engagement in Milwaukee to fly back to New York and sit shiva with Tony Randall's family. ... CBS announced that it will give Jason Alexander another chance to make it as a solo act in sit-com land. This fall he'll appear in the series "Listen Up." Alexander will play a character based on Washington Post sports writer and lifestyle columnist Tony Kornheiser. ... Meanwhile, veteran Ed Asner is cast as John Goodman's father in the CBS comedy/drama "Center of the Universe."... Also drawing a paycheck is handsome actor Scott Cohen ("Kissing Jessica Stein") who is cast in the fall NBC comedy series "The Men's Room."... Having to wait until mid-season until she hits the tube is Patricia Arquette, who stars in "The Medium," a Fox series about a suburban mom who uses her psychic powers to solve crimes. (Arquette is Jewish on her mother's side.) ... Not worrying about a paycheck is Zach Braff, the star of NBC's "Scrubs." The series has been renewed for two more years.

Columnist Nate Bloom, an Oaklander, can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).