Epoch Arts 1-15-2016

ALL PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES

C1 January 15–21, 2016

You took something very precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again.

I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul.

—Nadine Collier, daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance, one of the victims of the Mother Emanuel church shooting, at the Charleston courtroom on June 19, 2015

Music With a Purpose

“New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace” at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York on Dec. 31, 2015.

Music power couple Robert and Victoria Sirota on transforming grief into peace Victoria and Robert Sirota at their home on Dec. 23, 2015.

By Milene Fernandez | Epoch Times Staff

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EW YORK—An incomprehensible hate crime can leave us emotionally paralyzed. In the aftermath of a tragedy, a big “Why?” can remain hovering indefinitely or it can transform

into something that gives us the courage to move on with our lives.

The mass shooting during a bible study class at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Mother Emanuel) in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015, left many in shock and in deep grief. Just two days after, the loved ones of the nine people killed gave a powerful message of forgiveness at the arraignment, creating a ripple effect throughout the nation.

The riveting piece reverberated throughout the cathedral and seemed to awaken everybody’s good will.

Victoria and Robert Sirota felt that ripple very strongly and decided to respond. They believe their job, as artists, is to create music that sensitizes. When beautifully performed, it can help people transition from grief to peace in a most sublime way.

The Sirotas were asked to create a piece of music in honor of the victims and their families, which was performed at the “New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace” at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York. It was not an easy request to fulfill, even as the couple sees it as their life’s work to help “turn the horror of the world into a more loving place,” as Victoria expressed it.

See Mother Emanuel on C4

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Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company’s curtain call at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.

THE POWER of SHEN YUN Now in its 10th year, audiences speak of the hope and joy that comes from the performances

By Catherine Yang | Epoch Times Staff

T

he first thing audience members seem to notice is the color. The curtains lift and the stage is lit with a bright, golden light. Streams of rainbow silk loop and twirl through the air. Costumes are coordinated in combinations so striking no one expected to see them. These are the things theatergoers talk about as they leave the theater after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Next, they remember the music—how relaxing and soothing it was, exciting too, and unlike anything they’ve heard before.

The dance, the movement, the performers, the technical marvel, the fascinating instruments—all of these are aspects that audience members around the world remember as they try to explain just what it is about Shen Yun that so uplifts them. They speak of hope, joy, power, and an experience they cannot sum up in words.

“That’s power in that room,” said Sundura Norton, a Houston-based choreographer and former dance teacher who ran her own dance school. Mrs. Norton and her husband, David, caught a performance near the beginning of the new 2016 world tour on Dec. 29, 2015.

She said the dancers had danced their way into her heart.

“You couldn’t close your eyes—you didn’t want to close your eyes. Everything was magical. The dancing, the grace, every movement was just perfection,” Mrs. Norton said. “It was so powerful. … The power of everything was just—I got chills.”

The Mission Shen Yun Performing Arts is a New Yorkbased performing arts company that came together with the mission of reviving traditional Chinese culture. It was formed in 2006 and is celebrating its 10th year with its biggest global tour—more than 400 performances in more than 100 cities.

The season just kicked off in Houston in late December and is now in full swing with four companies of the same size touring simultaneously. This weekend, Shen Yun has five performances at Lincoln Center, through Jan. 17, before a second run of performances in March.

Nearly every aspect of the performing arts company is unique: the art form it presents, the mission, and the production. This is because traditional Chinese culture, while close to 5,000 years old, was once nearly lost.

You couldn’t close your eyes—you didn’t want to close your eyes.

Everything was magical.

The dancing, the grace, every movement was just perfection.

Sundura Norton, choreographer

Shen Yun Performing Arts Lincoln Center David H. Koch Theater Tickets: Online: ShenYun.com/NYC Hotline: 800-818-2393 Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission) Date & Time: Jan. 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 16 at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 17 at 1:30 p.m.

March 2, 3, & 4 at 7:30 p.m.

March 5 at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

March 6 at 1:30 p.m.

March 9, 10, & 11 at 7:30 p.m.

March 12 at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

March 13 at 1:30 p.m.

The heart and soul of this culture, as Shen Yun’s website explains, is a set of spiritual values and principles that stem from the religions of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. These are religions and values that played cornerstone roles in China’s 5,000-year history only to be nearly wiped out in a decade under communism.

Nevertheless, these values live on in the classical Chinese dance Shen Yun performs today.

The Performance Sandy Monroe, CEO of an international company, is a self-described man with very little tolerance for imperfection. He travels and sees plenty of performances around the world— symphonies, ballet, opera, you name it—and often, too. He says he always watches for mistakes and is rarely completely satisfied.

But with Shen Yun, the “skill level is outstanding.” “I’ve never seen anything like it, ever,” he said.

“I’m very picky, and I was very, very impressed,” Mr. Monroe said after seeing a performance at the start of the new year with his wife, Sue, at the Detroit Opera House.

Mr. Monroe detailed how good the performance was and said he would recommend it.

The high caliber of the performance had put him in a very good mood—beyond the precision, was the performers’ ability to uplift.

“You feel happy. Even in the sadder performances, you still felt happy at the end. ... The experience was all happy,” Mr. Monroe said.

“That’s all we felt—it was very uplifting. The dancing was uplifting. The singing is uplifting, and the spiritual message is uplifting.”

The Effect As the curtain set on 5,000 years of ancient history, with worlds of distant dynasties and divine beings still dancing in theatergoers’ minds, Ms. Shivinder Kaur, an OB-GYN from Alameda, California, was left mesmerized.

“It was unbelievable, beyond imagination,” she said on Jan. 2. “It’s like magic!”

Ms. Kaur and Mr. Andy Sabhlok were at the nearly sold-out performance that night, where many audience members were moved to tears.

At a time of year that often sparks selfreflection and resolutions for self-improvement, the performance left audience members reflecting on the greater meaning of their own lives and the world around them.

“The three goals are very good—compassionate, truthfulness. Truthfulness is the first essence of everything. Unfortunately, people are getting away from it,” Mr. Sabhlok said. “Compassion is necessary. Tolerance is extremely important. All three things are very important.”

Such profound reactions to the performance

are common. In Houston, Barbara and Martin Renteria, co-owners of a private investigation firm, felt deeply reverent.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. You felt like you were special to be allowed to come see something like this. It was quite wonderful,” Mrs. Renteria said.

Anne Vollink, a classical pianist, found not just personal inspiration but hope for the future of the arts after seeing Shen Yun. “It was spectacular … [for] an American who doesn’t have the opportunity in this culture to see such grace, inspiration, beauty, precision, elevation, and the purity. It was very moving,” Ms. Vollink said in Houston.

“You’re feeling something from the dancers. You are feeling something very beautiful, very personal, very deep, very rich, very sincere, very elevated,” she said.

Front and center at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 2, sisters Lynn Pentz and Rene Besold had a close-up view of what they described as a divine experience.

“I have to say, that’s probably the finest overall performance in its totality that I’ve ever seen, bar none,” Ms. Pentz said. No small praise from the event producer behind such globally recognized events as Hands Across America and Live Aid. “Shen Yun is a beautiful, transformational experience,” Ms. Pentz said. “It’s a cross-cultural journey into, not only Chinese history and spiritual tradition, but it’s also an opportunity to just take a deep breath and have your soul fed by the highest form of art.”

The performance is so cathartic and uplifting because the artists are using their courage, consciousness, and grace to impact and uplift the world, she explained. To that, she said she was “deeply and profoundly grateful.”

“This is a real representation of what real power is,” Ms. Pentz said.

NTD TELEVISION

Art Director Cindy Holtom said Shen Yun Performing Arts was awesome at Salt Lake City’s Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre on Dec. 29, 2015.

NTD TELEVISION

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ALEX MA/EPOCH TIMES

NANCY MA/EPOCH TIMES

Classical pianist Anne Vollink said Shen Yun was “artistically integrated on every level” and “breathtaking in every way” in Houston on Christmas Eve.

Sundura and David Norton said Shen Yun had tremendous power at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston on Dec. 29, 2015.

“It’s remarkable! It’s astonishing! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Rene Besold (L) said of Shen Yun in San Jose on Jan. 2.

Sandy Monroe, CEO of Monroe and Associates, with his wife, Sue Monroe, at the Detroit Opera House on Jan. 1.

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January 15–21, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY JOAN MARCUS

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Theater Review

‘Fiddler’ Transitions to 21st Century

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By Diana Barth

Enough cannot be said of Danny Burstein, who brings a rich level of warmth, humanity, and decency to his portrayal of Tevye.

One can’t help but think of what’s happening today in many places in the world.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Broadway Theatre 1681 Broadway Tickets 212-239-6200, or Telecharge.com Running Time 2 hours, 45 minutes (one intermission) Closes Open run

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EW YORK—Presently in its fifth incarnation on Broadway, “Fiddler on the Roof” (based on stories by the Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem) marks an important addition to the season. This version resonates in a particularly potent manner with today’s world situation. The byword is “tradition,” and this presentation boils over with it.

Director Bartlett Sher, who moves confidently between Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera, has included some daring touches, propelling this version into the 21st century.

The show opens with a man in a contemporary red parka reading from a book and making notes on what he sees: a dismal railway crossing and a dilapidated signpost of “Anatevka,” a Ukrainian village.

This man shortly becomes Tevye (Danny Burstein), the dairyman of the village. We go back in time to pre-revolutionary Russia, as the entire cast of the show enters and marches downstage in a horizontal line stretching from both sides of the stage. This entrance alone gets a big hand as Tevye and the group sing the rousing “Tradition.”

With the action centering on Tevye and his family, he must cope with a lot of problems. For starters, he has five daughters—three of an age to find husbands. The shrewd book by Joseph Stein (winner of the Tony Award for this work) grades the daughters’ choices as indicative of various levels of tradition.

The eldest, Tzeitel (Alexandra Silber), who falls in love with the nebbish tailor Motel (Adam Kantor), obeys the rules by asking her father’s permission to marry. Second daughter Hodel (Samantha Massell) first gets engaged to fiery student Perchik (Ben Rappaport), then later asks for Tevye’s blessing. Her father is dumbfounded but reluctantly acquiesces.

The third daughter, Chava (Melanie Moore), will forever be estranged from her father, for she has fallen in love with a gentile, the Russian Fyedka (Nick Rehberger). Nevertheless, this couple chooses to elope, even lacking permission. Times are changing.

There’s interesting conflict when Tevye at first agrees to let Lazar Wolf (Adam Dannheisser), the butcher, marry Tzeitel, then must renege when she insists she would always be unhappy with Lazar. The butcher does not take lightly Tevye’s rejection, and Tevye himself is in inner conflict over favoring his daughter’s happiness over his earlier handshake with a respected member of the community.

These familial events are interspersed with fabulous music (by Jerry Bock, collaborating with Sheldon Harnick, responsible for lyrics). The three daughters sing “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” as the matchmaker of the village, Yente (a very funny performance by Alix Korey), weaves in and out of the action, seeking to ply her wares.

Other tuneful and moving numbers include “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “To Life,” and “Far From the Home I Love.”

Very much a part of the action is Golde (Jessica Hecht), who plays Tevye’s stern and nononsense wife, but strikes a strong note of sympathy as she sings the duet “Do You Love Me” with Tevye.

Enough cannot be said of Danny Burstein, who brings a rich level of warmth, humanity,

Three of Golde and Tevye’s daughters, all of marriageable age: (L–R) Chava (Melanie Moore), the youngest; Tzeitel (Alexandra Silber), the eldest; and Hodel (Samantha Massell), the middle child.

(L–R) The ghost of Grandma Tzeitel (Lori Wilner) visits Golde (Jessica Hecht) and Tevye (Danny Burstein) in a dream. and decency to his portrayal of Tevye, which solidly anchors the entire show.

Underlying everything is the ever-present fear of displacement, as pogroms are rife throughout the land. Finally it is announced that the entire village must pack their belongings and leave Anatevka, forever. We see Tevye pack his horseless cart and prepare solemnly for the terrible journey.

We see, or sense, the long line of refugees who must travel forlornly from the only home they have ever known. One can’t help but think of what’s happening today in many places in the world, in Syria, for example, as people are uprooted, often violently.

But “Fiddler” does not end despondently.

There is an underlying sense that because of the vibrancy of many of the characters—the daughters and their husbands, for example— they will find a place elsewhere, possibly in America, the New World, to plant new roots.

Production elements are superb. In addition to Bartlett Sher’s highly skilled directorial hand, there is the remarkable choreography by Israeli-born Hofesh Shechter, which brightens up the stage whenever his work is present. It is vivid and passionate, and the terrific dancers seem to really love performing it.

Catherine Zuber’s costumes capture just the right note of, dare I say, tradition, with a beauty that keeps them from looking shabby, as might be expected given the play’s setting. Michael Yeargan’s sets are suitably spare, highlighted

by Donald Holder’s lighting design.

An must-see production for lovers of musicals and non-musicals alike.

Diana Barth writes for various publications, including her own New Millennium, an arts publication. She may be contacted at DiaBarth@juno.com

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Music With a Purpose Music power couple Robert and Victoria Sirota on transforming grief into peace Mother Emanuel continued from C1 Victoria is an organist, author, librettist, and the canon pastor and vicar of the Congregation of St. John the Divine. Her husband, Robert is a distinguished composer and the former director of several music schools over a 30-year career, including NYU Steinhardt, Manhattan School of Music, and The Peabody Conservatory. The Sirotas have created many pieces of music together. Generally, Robert writes the music and Victoria the text or she plays the organ for his compositions.

“When you put the two of us together, it’s one fairly good creative person,” Robert said.

Robert and Victoria have been together for 49 years. The deep connection and love between them lit up the room in their home on the grounds of St. John the Divine, even on a gray, rainy day a week before the New Year’s Eve concert. They speak in harmony, seamlessly following each other’s phrases.

“All the creative stuff that we do … is very much informed by this relationship. And that’s really important. I don’t write anything without bouncing it off of her,” Robert said gesturing back and forth between himself and his wife.

“It’s sort of seeing in each other—which we saw very early on—the best of each other,” Victoria added.

Perhaps it’s their strong bond and commitment that gives them a foundation for creating music with a purpose.

“The truth is, when it’s really hitting on all eight cylinders, it’s a pretty amazing synergy,” Robert said about their relationship and their creative process.

Creating ‘Prelude and Spiritual for Mother Emanuel’ When the music director of St. John the Divine, Kent Tritle, asked the Sirotas to write the piece for the Peace Concert, they were both initially excited about it. But then when Victoria started pulling up the newspaper articles about the mass shooting and tried to come up with a narrative, she felt it was too horrible and grisly.

“We thought about it and then we thought, ‘You know what, we are not doing this.’” They wondered, “How do we do this without exploiting the situation?” Robert said. “And to have respect for the history of that strong group of people,” Victoria added.

Mother Emanuel was the first African-American church in the South built in 1816. It was burned to the ground as a suspected meeting place for planning a slave rebellion. The church went underground several times and then it was built again in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. “The people are the church not the building,” Victoria said.

Robert said he admired their fortitude. “This latest abomination is nothing new for them.

They have been attacked and murdered all the way through and they never, never give up, they get up again,” he said.

Victoria felt that the victims’ families’ words of forgiveness expressed in court were very beautiful and for a short while she thought they’d use their words. But then they decided against the idea. “That’s private, that’s sort of holy, even though it was in the newspaper, so we said no,” Victoria said.

Then one morning Robert woke up and started writing the music. He figured out what they could do and he talked Victoria into it. “It’s very interesting sometimes when you sort of reject a project, your mind kind of relaxes and another part of your brain, the part that isn’t so analytical, kind of kicks in,” Robert said.

He decided to create an old fashion spir-

When something is truly inspired and positive, something happens in the music that is beyond what we humans beings actually create.

Victoria Sirota

(Top right) The performance of composer Robert Sirota’s “Prelude and Spiritual for Mother Emanuel” during the “New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace” at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York on Dec. 31, 2015.

VISIT Robert Sirota’s website: RobertSirota.com

itual that’s about forgiveness and flying up to heaven. “In other words, not to create an abstraction, but sort of create a certain emotional neutrality from that thing [the tragedy] itself,” Robert said. “It was creating the space and the kind of prayer that you would pray in order to be able to forgive,” Victoria said.

Victoria said their challenge was to write simple and clear text, the way spirituals are incredibly clear theologically, while not being corny or using the situation. In writing the music Robert was very aware that the cathedral has an eight and a half second reverberation time, which is not the case in most churches. “It’s really designed for St. John the Divine,” Victoria said.

Within two and a half months they completed the 8 minutes of music and performed the world premiere at “The New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace,” a concert, which has become a tradition since it was founded in 1984 by the late composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein.

“This is also in the tradition of Bernstein who really believed that music had a purpose, it wasn’t just an abstraction—and that purpose was some sort of emotional evolution, moving you to a higher emotional plane and creating more compassion and all of those good things,” Robert said.

“When something is truly inspired and positive, something happens in the music that is beyond what we humans beings actually create,” Victoria said.

Robert Sirota with his wife, Victoria Sirota, after performing at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.

Music has the purpose of creating compassion, Robert Sirota says.

Robert Sirota.

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January 15–21, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES

Victoria and Robert Sirota at their home on Dec. 23, 2015.

(Middle right) Robert Sirota plays part of his piece “Prelude and Spiritual for Mother Emanuel” at his home on Dec. 23, 2015.

Concert for Peace Saint John the Divine was packed full for the “New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace.” After the evening opened with an exhilarating performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria (RV 589), Harry Smith, the NBC News correspondent commemorated the nine mass-shooting victims and introduced the “Prelude and Spiritual for Mother Emanuel.”

“In their honor tonight you are about to hear something that you have never heard before,” Smith said.

The piece starts with dissonant phrases that conjure confusion and chaos. The first third ends with nine percussive, violent-sounding chords.

It transitions to the soprano voices singing, “Flown away, flown away,” followed by the rest of the choir in canon. Then soprano Jamet Pittman who, as Robert hoped she would, seemed to show the way to an oasis. She starts singing, “Give me the faith, Lord, the faith Lord to love again, to love the way that you love me, to forgive the evil in my sorrow and pain. Oh give me courage to love again ...”

Pittman was teary-eyed as she sang. The riveting piece reverberated throughout the cathedral and seemed to awaken everybody’s good will.

The piece then transitioned to an upbeat spiritual, chancel piano-type section, one could easily

sing along to. Then all of a sudden everyone was brought back to the present moment in church.

Although it is only 8 minutes long, the piece is almost like a little opera about tragedy, grief, redemption, love, and forgiveness.

Before the performance the Sirotas had no idea how it would be received, but they were clear about what inspired them—the strength of forgiveness and how it reverberates.

“It’s the people who came out a couple of days after this terrible thing and somehow tried to confront it, and go on by using the language of forgiveness. Those are the people who really showed us,” Robert said.

After the performance Victoria felt overwhelmed. “It was amazing! When the chorus repeated the spiritual and the orchestral music swelled, it was as if we were all swept up in a prayer for peace,” she said.

NOTE: The concert was not recorded. The Sirotas are looking into plans to record a CD of choral works and hope to include “Prelude and Spiritual for Mother Emanuel.” ”This Is New York” is a feature series that delves into the lives of inspiring individuals in New York City. See all our TINYs here: epochtim.es/TINY or follow @milenefernandez on Twitter.

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JOY MARKS

DAVE KOTINSKY/GETTY IMAGES

The Absolute Manhattanite Quintessence of Old Hollywood Glamour

By Sibylle Eschapasse This week’s style diary is the very glamorous Joy Marks. The entrepreneur whose family owns an international mail order company is mostly known in the city for wearing the most amazing outfits on the social and philanthropic scene. From dramatic headpieces to magnificent gowns, she is very unique in her way of dressing. A real femme fatale that turns the heads of many.

Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style?

Joy Marks: My style would definitely be defined as Old Hollywood Glamour in the ‘40s and ‘50s and very feminine.

Ms. Eschapasse: If a close friend were to describe your personality in three words, what would they be?

Ms. Marks: A passionate, kindhearted, Barbie Doll.

Ms. Eschapasse: How did your style evolve since you were a teenager?

Ms. Marks: While it was already glamorous as my mother was a professional dancer and singer and was also on Broadway, and very taken with the movie star look, it evolved into an even more glam look, but I also loved wearing jeans, which my mother would never wear, but with a bit more flair and fashion. I was voted best-dressed in high school but still in keeping with the look of the time.

I, too, studied professional dance and our costumes were very ornate for professional performances. In college and graduate school I was in uniform a good deal of the time with my course of study being in psychology, nursing, public health, and business. Many times the lab coat would go over a beautiful dress and I did get to wear some couture while I did internships for Restaurant Associates and Bank Leumi.

When I married in college and soon began a family, my everyday look changed to accommodate my growing family, but at night I would emerge in something beautiful and feminine. My favorite at the time was North Beach Leather anything!

Ms. Eschapasse: What is the wildest thing you ever wore?

Ms. Marks: The wildest thing I ever wore was designed by Victor de Souza. He was creating many looks for me for theme parties besides the usual formal attire designed for charity events. He took a vintage red Dior gown and refitted it to perfection and created huge red wings that hit the floor with a red crystal hat with veil. It was a version of the red devil for a spectacular Robert Wilson event in Water Mill that he holds every year. Fashion can be serious but this was so much fun to create and wear.

A sense of style is what you envision on yourself and how you create that special look and aura and allure, that makes you look your very best.

JAMIE MCCARTHY/GETTY IMAGES

CINDY ORD/GETTY IMAGES

Joy Marks

(Top) Joy Marks at the opening night of “Otello” at the Metropolitan Opera on Sept. 21, 2015.

(Left) Joy Marks at the American Ballet Theatre 75th Anniversary Fall Gala at Lincoln Center on Oct. 21, 2015.

(Right) Joy Marks at the 2014 American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at Lincoln Center on Oct. 22, 2014.

Joy Marks has an eye for one-of-akind pieces.

Ms. Eschapasse: What are three accessories you can’t live without, and what’s one item that makes you instantly more confident?

Ms. Marks: My three items I cannot live without would be my many hats and hair accessories, especially by Maggie Norris, Victor de Souza, Ellen Christine Couture, and Suzanne of Madison Avenue. I almost always carry a Hèrmes Birkin as I go into the city almost everyday and it enables me to carry almost everything I will need for the day. I can never leave the house without a pair of Classic Tribute Saint Laurent sandals as they are the most comfortable shoes and very beautiful. I change into them for total comfort and the height of the shoes makes me instantly more confident!

Ms. Eschapasse: Who have been your greatest fashion influences?

Ms. Marks: My mother for sure! She loved the look of Rita Hayworth, Elizabeth Taylor, Bridgette Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and it definitely impacted my style.

Ms. Eschapasse: How do you dress on workdays versus weekends?

Ms. Marks: The weekends after the summer are more relaxing and spent with my family and my everyday attire would be leggings with Christian Louboutin boots, leather jackets and pants, turtleneck cashmere sweaters, and jeans but with an edge. For dinners out I prefer classic Dior cocktail dresses, Maggie Norris jackets with pants or a skirt, and my many Victor de Souza outfits. My shoes are almost always Christian Louboutin, Charlotte Olympia, and Saint Laurent, and perhaps an Hèrmes clutch or Dior evening bags, and of course Judith Leiber!

For an everyday look going into the city I would prefer a great suit that might go into evening. They are perfect for luncheons and cocktail parties. I love vintage Chanel, Dior, Maggie Norris, and Victor de Souza, and Karl Lagerfeld.

Ms. Eschapasse: Who is your style icon?

Ms. Marks: My style icon is Rita Hayworth. I loved her flowing tresses, flawless ivory skin, red lips, and fashion sense. Gilda was a favorite!

Ms. Eschapasse: What does having style mean to you? In other words, please define style.

Ms. Marks: While I love the many looks I see, a sense of style is what you envision on yourself and how you create that special look and aura and allure, that makes you look your very best. It is the creative and individuality that you design for your own persona. That sense of style can encompass a feeling at that moment, that spontaneity, of how you want to look that day, or that evening. That sense of style has room to play!

ROBIN MARCHANT/GETTY IMAGES FOR OLD FASHIONED MOM MAGAZINE

(Above) Joy Marks at the American Ballet Theatre 75th Anniversary Spring Gala at the Metropolitan Opera on May 18, 2015.

(L–R) Michelle-Marie Heinemann, CEO and publisher of Old Fashioned Mom Magazine, Tanja Dreiding Wallace, of Osswald Parfumerie, and Joy Marks in New York on Dec. 10, 2015.

Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of? What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for?

Ms. Marks: I am most proud of the purchase I made and envisioned on myself, while watching the movie “Basic Instinct.” While everyone was entrenched in the drama, I was making plans to purchase the Basic Instinct necklace at Bergdorf Goodman the following day. I was the first to have it of my friends, and have enjoyed it immensely. I later purchased the diamond heart.

I would pay a lot of money for something that I feel is a one-of-a-kind piece that possibly can’t be duplicated. I saw at the Whitney Museum a sable stole that I had never seen before. The luster over her Oscar de la Renta gown was too much to take. I was at Bergdorf Goodman in the morning to purchase both. I would not spend a lot of money on something that every-

one had. It would devalue it in my eyes. I love unique and unusual pieces, whether it be jewelry, evening gowns, or a special hat.

Ms. Eschapasse: When you go on the red carpet, how do you want your outfit to make you feel? Which designers can achieve that?

Ms. Marks: For the most part I plan my ensembles way in advance with the jewelry, hat, and accessories, although if something comes up suddenly I can yank something out of the closet, which is spur-of-the-moment sensational! Victor de Souza, Maggie Norris, Oscar de la Renta, Dior, and Zuhair Murad are red carpet wonders for me. Maggie Norris and Victor de Souza have made outfits for me within a few days and Maggie has ordered couture hats, which are done over a weekend for a Monday night event!

Ms. Eschapasse: What do you think of how others dress and what’s your advice to people who would like to develop their personal style?

Ms. Marks: I actually give advice to many but only for those who ask and I don’t judge anyone’s sense of style as it is so individual. I do try to help many of my friends develop a sense of style by emulating someone that they admire.

It may only be suggesting a scarf or a bag that might work for them. I am usually asked to help someone chose a wedding gown or evening gown, as I have tremendous patience and want to see them look their very best. I also encourage them, only if they ask, to use designers who might help them look amazing.

Joy’s Favorites Favorite color: Pale green, emerald green, and blues Favorite perfume: V by Clive Christian Favorite restaurant in New York: Le Cirque Favorite drink: Champagne by Verve Cliquot Favorite movie: “The Godfather” Favorite book: “Jane Eyre” Favorite quote: By Coco Chanel: “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”

Sibylle’s “Style Diary” is a column that explores style from the perspective of choices, and what that means for different people, with personal advice from some of the most stylish people in New York.

Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and now lives in Manhattan. She is a journalist and a contributing writer to various publications. Sibylle is also the author of a children’s book, “Argy Boy!: A New York Dog Tale.” She may be reached at Sibylle.Eschapasse@gmail.com

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January 15–21, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts

STYLES of

ALL PHOTOS BY INGRID LONGAUER/EPOCH TIMES

WHEN MIXING PATTERNS IS A HUGE SUCCESS. NOTICE THE BLACK BOW?

V I N TAG E M O D LOV E R S

By Ingrid Longauer | Epoch Times Staff

SO IT’S 2016 Is it finally time to wear silver jumpsuits or hats with antennas? Despite my childhood expectations, fashion is treating us well. Moreover, a great street trend happened: New Yorkers decided to step into the New Year by moving backwards.

Vintage patterns, heavy coats, and ‘50s shape skirts are all welcome in celebrating the first quarter of 21st century.

SUEDE COAT + FUR = TREND OF THE SEASON FOR ANYBODY.

THE COLLAR PEEKING OUT COLLAR ADDS A GIRLY VIBE. TRAVELING BACK TO 1920S CHICAGO.

GENTLEMEN, PREPARE YOUR HANDKERCHIEFS!

THINGS TO DO SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS

Shen Yun Performing Arts Jan. 14–17 The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center For 5,000 years divine culture flourished in the land of China. Humanity’s treasure was nearly lost, but through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is bringing back this glorious culture. $80–$300.

ShenYun.com/NY

COMMUNITY EVENTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Arvo Part Day Jan. 24 at 1 p.m.

The New School Tishman Auditorium 13th Street & Fifth Avenue The day will begin with a screening of “The Lost Paradise,” a documentary combined with the filming of “Adam’s Passion,” a musical theater piece featuring three works by Part, directed by the internationally renowned Robert Wilson. Following the film screening will be live performances of Part’s music performed by NY Choral and a symposium panel moderated by Dr. Peter Bouteneff, who will be joined by Dr. Nicolas Reeves, Corinna da FonsecaWollheim, and John Schaefer.

Free. NYChoral.org

VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN In Light of Venice Jan. 11–Feb. 12

Otto Naumann Ltd., 22 E. 80th St. More than thirty important works of the Renaissance, baroque, and rococo periods—many never before seen publicly—will be on view for this milestone event honoring David Rosand.

OttoNaumannLtd.com New York Ceramics & Glass Fair Jan. 21–24 Bohemian National Hall, 321 E. 73rd St. Thursdays–Saturdays at 11 a.m.–7 p.m. & Sundays at 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

On display will be everything from 17th century to contemporary objects, including porcelain, pottery, glass, cloisonné and enamels. $20.

NewYorkCeramicsAndGlassFair.com Revealed Terrain: The Semantics of Landscape Jan. 22–April 2 The Center for Book Arts, 28 W. 27th St. The landscape of book arts and design is ever expanding: technology and formation; language and voice; and audience and arena. Free.

CenterForBookArts.org

Winter Antiques Show Jan. 22–31 Park Avenue Armory, Park Avenue at 67th Street The Winter Antiques Show marks its 62nd year as the most prestigious antiques show in America, featuring the “best of the best” from antiquities through the 1960s from over 70 exhibitors. One-third of the Show’s exhibitors are specialists in Americana, with the rest featuring English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts. $25. WinterAntiquesShow. com

of genres and period styles.

This does not negate the camera’s direct relationship to the world—tying image to subject as naturally as a footprint—but instead reveals that photographs are always admixtures of fiction and reality tilted toward one end of the scale or the other. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org

Ancient Egypt Transformed the Middle Kingdom Through Jan. 24 Metropolitan Museum of Art The reunification of ancient Egypt achieved by Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II— the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom—was followed by a great cultural flowering that lasted nearly four hundred

years. $12–$25 suggested.

METMuseum.org

Dear Readers If you have an event to suggest, please send details to NYC_Arts@ EpochTimes.com in the format you see here.

ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Tenth Anniversary: Master Drawings in New York Through Jan. 30 Various locations Visitors will enjoy 29 separate world class exhibitions of drawings, pastel and oil sketches, and pen and ink artworks by masters of the 16th to 20th centuries, many newly discovered or on view for the first time.

MasterdrawingsInNewyork. com/map From Sèvres to Fifth Avenue: French Porcelain at The Frick Collection Through April 24 The Frick Collection Between 1916 and 1918, Henry Clay Frick purchased several important pieces of porcelain to decorate his New York mansion. From Sèvres to Fifth Avenue brings them together in the Portico Gallery, along with more recent acquisitions, to explore the role Sèvres porcelain played in eighteenthcentury France, as well as during America’s Gilded Age. Frick.org

ENDING IN MANHATTAN Grand Illusions: Staged Photography From the Met Collection Through Jan. 18 Metropolitan Museum of Art Photographers, like ventriloquists, can cast “voices” in a seemingly infinite number

Explore the mystery of pre-historic life at Discover the Dinosaurs!

Bring the entire family, and spend the day with dinosaurs!

January 22–24 ar

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January 15–21, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts KEN HOWARD/METROPOLITAN OPERA

KEN HOWARD/METROPOLITAN OPERA

Diana Damrau as Leila, a high priestess who must retain her virginal state in order to keep the seas calm.

A scene from Georges Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles.”

Opera Review

‘The Pearl Fishers’ Returns to the Met in Style

By Barry Bassis

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EW YORK—Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” is one of the most popular operas ever written.

His earlier work “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” (“The Pearl Fishers”) has languished in relative obscurity, except for the famous duet and a tenor aria.

“The Pearl Fishers” is back at the Metropolitan Opera, where the work was last performed in 1916. Anyone seeing this wonderful staging (a co-production with the English National Opera) will wonder why it took so long to revive the opera.

The British director and filmmaker Penny Woolcock (who was born in an expatriate community in Argentina) is primarily known for tackling provocative modern pieces, such as “Doctor Atomic” (which she directed at the Met) and “The Death of Klinghoffer” as well as documentaries about dog fighting and street gangs.

The opera begins in spectacular fashion with the sight of pearl fishers swimming behind a scrim. Are they real or video projections? Actually both. The three dancers are on wires that the audience can’t see.

The opera was originally set in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in ancient times. The new production takes place in the Far East, though not in any specified location, and the time period is unclear.

The plot starts with the reunion of two fishermen, Nadir and Zurga, who had been friends since they were children. Zurga is the leader of the village and Nadir had been away for one year. They had both fallen in love with a Hindu priestess named Leila and vowed to relinquish their romantic inclinations.

According to village beliefs, only the virgin priestess can maintain the calm seas and keep the divers safe. When Leila appears (albeit veiled), Nadir recognizes her and their mutual love is instantly rekindled.

Between acts, there is a projected image of a tsunami.

The storm breaks out during the second act.

Nourabad (the high priest) discovers the lovers and holds them responsible for the bad weather. Zurga appears to be sympathetic until he removes Leila’s veil and realizes that Nadir has broken his vow.

Zurga struggles with the thought that his former best friend and the woman he loved are about to be sacrificed. To save them, he sets the village on fire. At the end, Nadir and Leila escape while Zurga remains to face the music.

Granted, the plot (especially the ending) doesn’t make much sense. But this is an opera and audiences are tolerant when the music is sung and played this well.

The cast is outstanding: Tenor Matthew Polenzani is Nadir, baritone Mariusz Kwiecien is Zurga, soprano Diana Damrau is Leila, and

This early Bizet work deserves to be performed regularly.

‘The Pearl Fishers’ Metropolitan Opera Lincoln Center Tickets 212-362-6000, or MetOpera.org Running Time 2 hours, 29 minutes Closes Feb. 4

bass-baritone Nicolas Testé is Nourabad. They are all credible actors and outstanding singers.

The famous tenor-baritone duet, “Au fond du temple saint,” is stirringly performed by Polenzani and Kwiecien, and the tenor delivers an ecstatic rendition of the difficult aria “Je crois entendre encore.”

The score also includes a beautiful soprano aria, “Comme autrefois,” and a love duet between Nadir and Leila. Damrau is as terrific here as she was as Manon last season.

The chorus (as the villagers) plays a vital role and is up to its high standards, and so is the orchestra under conductor Gianandrea Noseda.

Special credit to Woolcock and her superb design team: Kevin Pollard (costumes), 59 Productions (video projections), Jen Schriever (lighting), Dick Bird (set design), and Andrew Dawson (choreography). From the swimming figures at the beginning to the fires in the last scene, the visual effects add to the drama.

The production proves that this early Bizet work deserves to be performed regularly.

The Jan. 16 matinee will be transmitted live around the world as part of the Met’s Live in HD series.

Barry Bassis has been a music, theater, and travel writer for over a decade for various publications.

FERNANDO MARRERO/REPOSADO P.C./MEDIAPRODUCCION/S.L.U./IFC FILMS

Film Review

‘A Perfect Day Five Kosovo Aid Workers in Search of a Rope (L–R) Mélanie Thierry (Sophie), Olga Kurylenko (Katya), Eldar Residovic (Nikola), and Benicio Del Toro (Mambrú) in Fernando León de Aranoa’s “A Perfect Day.”

By Mark Jackson | Epoch Times Staff Balkan Mountains—1995. Great opening shot: From under a drain grate, on the bottom of a well, looking up at the sky … no, wait—that’s no grate. It’s the silhouette of an obese, naked, dead man being winched upward, after having been dumped down there, ostensibly by Serbs, to contaminate a Croatian village’s water supply.

Who you gonna call? Corpse busters. Hauling out this human contamination bomb is Mambrú (Benicio Del Toro), the Puerto Rican leader of an international team of four aid workers. Hmm ... looks like that rope is frayed.

The not-quite-“M.A.S.H.” movie, “A Perfect Day,” is kind of like a macabre Dr. Seuss rhyme (improv’d Seuss-like poem): “My hat is off. My rope is old. I have a corpse I like to hold.” Snap! Plummet! Splash! “And now my story is all told.”

Meet the Cast Teaming up with Mambrú is veteran loose cannon “B” (Tim Robbins), whose adrenaline-junkie cowboy attitude, fronted by his deadpan delivery, scares the rookies. Like this (made-up dialogue): “Is that a dead cow in the middle of the road?”

“Yep. Know why? They kill cows and put landmines next to them. But you never know whether it’ll be to the right or left of the cow.”

“Which way do we go then??!”

B floors the jeep straight over the cow—and much shrieking and hyperventilating ensues.

Doing the shrieking is the rather too-pretty

It’s a replacethe-frayedhaul-rope plot.

‘A Perfect Day’ Director Fernando León de Aranoa Starring Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, Olga Kurylenko, Mélanie Thierry, Fedja Stukan, Eldar Residovic Running Time 1 hour, 46 minutes Rated R Release Date Jan. 15

blonde, French Sophie (Mélanie Thierry), the group’s achingly naïve, idealistic, stubborn, contentious, rather unlikely, water and sanitation expert.

Next up is interpreter Damir (Fedja Stukan), a melancholic local, looking a little like Daniel Day-Lewis with a droopy black ‘stache, and— because of the location and the long coat—a little bit Borat.

Then there’s dark, stunning Russian Katya (Olga Kurylenko). Mambrú runs into her while attending a U.N. meeting. She’s there to ascertain whether the area’s still in need of aid workers.

Mambrú and Katya once had a thing, when she was a rookie. But now Mambrú’s got a girlfriend back home who’s demanding a domesticity decision. Mambrú’s a wiley, gruffly charming keeper-opener-of-options.

Plot It’s a replace-the-frayed-haul-rope plot: They drive around looking for a better rope to haul the corpse-contaminant with. They get a tip from a local boy they rescue from bullying, who leads them to a very fine piece of rope indeed—problem is, one end of it is attached to an exceedingly unfriendly German Shepherd.

So? Why should we care about any of these people? Because they’re all idealistic, good Samaritans? Who feel it’s a calling, to deal with putrid cow-bombs, putrid well-bombs, no sleep, endless and maddening bureaucratic red tape, shifting chains of-command, freez-

ing overnights in their two-jeep convoy that has “Aid Across Borders” stenciled on the side?

Sort of. There’s more than a little kinship to anti-war comedies like “M.A.S.H.,” as well as 1996’s tornado movie “Twister,” where an intimate, committed crew, arriving from far and wide, band together to face danger on a regular basis—and take a laid-back, jokey approach to all of it. And appear equally (if not more) interested in fooling around with any member of the opposite sex who’s available.

Which is always a good story to tell— “M.A.S.H.” was so beloved, it spawned an equally beloved TV spinoff that ran for a good long time.

The thing is, in the face of daily atrocities, while they clearly face the constant challenge of hanging onto their compassion, this particular crew in this particular movie is a little too laid-back, a little too unaffected-looking, the humor a little too lightweight, and the instances and degree of exposure to what they’re up against, a little too diluted—to conjure up the necessary amount of audience pathos to care about their struggles.

Still, most likely due to a counterculture upbringing on 1960s hippie communes, wreathed round with strains of Ravi Shankar and Bob Dylan, this reviewer has a soft spot for these kinds of stories: of cozy, small, impassioned communities, standing in the face of tremendous odds, compassionately trying, in some form or another (Vietnam War protests, Biodynamic gardening, Waldorf education, Save the Whales, and so on) to save sentient beings.