Epoch Arts 11-27-2015

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Stella Jean’s New World Order Communication and culture lead her aesthetic sensibilities.

‘Creed:’ Rocky 7 Rocks

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Balboa transitions from warrior to elder.

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Elena Zahlmann as Cinderella in the New York Theatre Ballet performance.

The Classics: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Our Perspective Through

Classical Ballet

NYTB founder Diana Byer on the divide between past and present, timeless pieces, and how art reflects the world we live in

By Sharon Kilarski | Epoch Times Staff

W

hat classical ballet can offer, not only to dancers but to the general public, is an idea of what came before us, says Diana Byer, founder and artistic director of the New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB).

We can gain perspective on how our culture has changed if we look at how dance has changed.

Before establishing NYTB, Byer performed as a soloist with such noteworthy companies as Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Manhattan Festival Ballet, New York City Opera Ballet, and the Juilliard Ensemble.

In general, “the [classics] let us see the ways in which the world has changed, because art reflects the world and where we’ve been. It’s a reflection of everyday life at a particular point in time,” she said in a phone interview on Oct. 15.

As Byer quoted artist Boris Schatz, “Art is the soul of a nation.”

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November 27–December 3, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts S I BY L L E ’ S S T Y L E D I A RY KATY WINN/GETTY IMAGES FOR IMG

(L–R) Katrina Szish, Tracy Stern, and Susan Chin at New York Fashion Week in 2010.

Tracy Stern on Being Bohemian Chic and a

Free Spirit in the City

This week’s style diary guest is the very lively Tracy Stern. She introduces herself as an artist, entrepreneur, and interior designer, but is also the author of the Gypchic Travel guides as well as an adventurer, a tea aficionado (and founder of Tea & Co.), a skateboarder, and even an entertaining hostess! She is as fun and creative as a New York social butterfly can be.

Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style?

Tracy Stern: I’m a double agent in style. I can dress uptown glamour and ‘70s bohemian.

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

Ms. Stern: Sunshine Barbie! (that’s 2 words)

Style is an effortless selfexpression of the moment, capturing your shining essence.

Tracy Stern

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

Ms. Stern: Since I was an inquisitive youth and

Tracy Stern at MOMA in 2012.

JOE CORRIGAN/GETTY IMAGES

By Sibylle Eschapasse

lost myself in books, I fell in love with Hitchcock and his icy heroines. My style was ever evolving ... I won class individualist in high school.

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

Ms. Stern: Where to begin. ... My burning man wardrobe this year was pretty fierce.

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

Ms. Stern: Since I work from home and walk a lot, I’m in the typical yoga uniform. Lunch dates require a classic body con sheath by Roland Mouret or Cushnie Et Ochs, a great clutch and classic heels with cuff bracelet. Weekends are cozy jeans and boots with T-shirt and jacket with hat.

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

Ms. Stern: I love my Wonder Woman collection of cuff brackets by Alexis Bittar, Chanel, and Hermès. The accessory I can’t live without is my iPhone. I need to text my kids and do business while playing and traveling. My sunglasses make me more mysterious and I can’t leave home without them!

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

Ms. Stern: Iris Apfel, my grandmother, Josephine Baker, Halston, Brigitte Bardot, and Vogue magazine.

Ms. Eschapasse: Who is your style icon?

Ms. Stern: Jerry Hall, hands down.

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

Ms. Stern: Having style means being individually creative. It’s a no-brainer. My style is personal and innate and can’t be really explained.

It’s of the moment; a feeling I channel everyday; I wake up channeling a different fashion or character.

Style is an effortless self-expression of the moment, capturing your shining essence.

Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of?

Ms. Stern: I scored a vintage Schiaparelli hat from Paris.

Ms. Eschapasse: What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for?

Ms. Stern: I love one-of-a-kind pieces and have

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

50 UP TO

gone to auctions to buy vintage Norell gowns.

Price isn’t a factor so much as the style of the piece I covet. I have bought $15 gauchos at a flea market and equally love the purchase as much as a high ticket item.

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. Stern: I honestly don’t spend a lot of time thinking of what to wear and get dressed for the red carpet in a flash! I simply open my closet and see what I feel I may like. Then I pick shoes and jewelry and I’m out the door.

It becomes routine ...

The designers for red carpet I wear: Victor de Souza, J Mendel, Carolina Herrera, Gemma Kahng, Maggie Norris, Hervé Leger (if I’m on a date).

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. Stern: I personally don’t judge others dress but will definitely appreciate others’ individuality in their style.

Tracy’s Favorites Favorite color Orange (passion) Favorite perfume Killian’s Love or Frédéric Malle’s Carnal Flower Favorite restaurant in NY 11 Madison Park Favorite drink Green tea latte with chai Favorite movie “Doctor Zhivago” Favorite book “Pride & Prejudice” by Jane Austen Favorite quote “To make living itself an art, that is the goal.”

Henry Miller 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 MONICA SCHIPPER/GETTY IMAGES FOR GOTHAM MAGAZINE

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November 27-30 SHOP.SHENYUN.COM 800.208.2384 (L–R) Robin Cofer, Cassandra Seidenfeld, Tracy Stern, Renee Adrienne Smith, and Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin at Akris on Madison Avenue on Nov. 20.

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November 27–December 3, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 2 at 7–9 p.m.

Rockefeller Center Join thousands of festive fans for the sensational moment when 45,000 LED bulbs burst into beautiful luminescence lighting the humungous Norway Spruce. Expect high-kicking numbers from the Rockettes and other acts, along with surprise celebrity performances (past guests have included Idina Menzel, Ariana Grande, and Mariah Carey). Free. RockefellerCenter.com

The Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony in 2013.

THINGS TO DO

COMMUNITY EVENTS NEW IN MANHATTAN The 2015 Origami Holiday Tree: Mighty to Microscopic Life Through Jan. 10 American Museum of Natural History One of New York's most beloved displays, the Museum's Origami Holiday Tree is bedecked each year with intricate origami models inspired by items in the permanent halls, Museum collections, and current exhibitions. The theme of this year’s 13-foot tree is Mighty to Microscopic Life, with models inspired by the upcoming exhibition The Titanosaur, and the new exhibition The Secret World Inside You. Museum admission: $22 adults, $12.50 children, $17 seniors and students. AMNH.org A Musical Journey Through Darkness and Light Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

127 W. 83rd St. Join Michael John Trotta and the New York Repertory Singers for their debut concert featuring a wonderfully festive program of the composer’s settings of music that celebrate the season of Winter. $19–$49, discount with code: EPOCH. NYRepSingers.com

ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Holiday Express: Toys and Trains From the Jerni Collection Through Feb. 28, 2016 DiMenna Children’s History Museum, 170 Central Park West This holiday season, the New-York Historical Society transforms into a magical wonderland with a dynamic installation from its renowned Jerni Collection of model trains, scenic elements, and toys from a bygone era. Free.

NYHistory.org New York & The Nation Ongoing The Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History 170 Central Park West Explore the story of New York and America in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History. $20 for adults, $12 for students, $15 for seniors. NYHistory.org

NEW ELSEWHERE Neighborhood Concert: Pistolera Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m.

Bronx Library Center Brooklyn-based rock band Pistolera performs catchy and highly danceable accordion-led Latin pop.

The ensemble’s name, which means “female gunslinger” in Spanish, was chosen by singer-songwriter Sandra Lilia Velásquez to convey a sense of both femininity and fierceness. Free.

CarnegieHall.org

VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Trees: Oil Sketches From the Thaw Collection Nov. 24–July 10, 2016 The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave. During the second half of the eighteenth century, the practice of using oil paint on paper while working outdoors became popular among landscape artists.

Trees, individually and in stands, emerged as an important motif for oil sketch practitioners. $18.

TheMorgan.org Tony Capparelli— The Art Sport Gallery FIT Through Dec. 12, Seventh Avenue at 27th St. Tony Capparelli is an adjunct associate professor of illustration at FIT. As an artist, he is an interpreter of the world of sport. Tony Capparelli—the Art of Sport will feature artworks in a variety of media, representing many different sporting activities and sports celebrities, such as the late former Heavyweight Champion of the World “Smokin Joe Frazier,” NBA great Lenny Wilkens, and New York Rangers Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert. Free.

FITNYC.edu

ENDING IN MANHATTAN American Realism: Past and Present Through Nov. 30 Cavalier Gallery, 3 W. 57th St., Fourth Floor In presenting this extraordinary survey of American Realist works, the Cavalier Gallery has created a historic show that highlights the importance and diversity of the American Realism Movement.

CavalierGalleries.com Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions 2003–2014 Through Dec. 6 Metropolitan Museum of Art Focuses on approximately 30 works from Europe, the United States, Japan, India, and Tibet. $12–$25 suggested. MetMuseum.org

NEW ELSEWHERE Tsering Phuntsok: The Art of Thangka Through Dec. 20 The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art,

338 Lighthouse Ave., Staten Island The Tibetan Museum is pleased to exhibit a selection of thangkas from master artist Tsering Phuntsok. Thangkas are scroll paintings on cloth, usually sewn into a stronger fabric to enhance safety and stability. Thangkas are easily portable, storeable paintings that have been created in the Himalayas for centuries. $6.

TibetanMuseum.org

PERFORMING ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Die Fledermaus Dec. 4–Jan. 7, 2016 Metropolitan Opera James Levine brings his incomparable musicianship to Johann Strauss, Jr.’s beloved operetta for the first time in his 45-year Met career. From $25.

MetOpera.org

ENDING IN MANHATTAN Tosca Through Dec. 1 Metropolitan Opera, 30 Lincoln Center Plaza The many facets of Puccini’s eternal diva are explored by a quartet of charismatic sopranos: Oksana Dyka, Angela Gheorghiu, Maria Guleghina, and Liudmyla Monastyrska. From $25.

MetOpera.org

MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.

Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall DCINY ushers in the holiday season with the fifth annual presentation of its signature version of Handel’s Messiah, the Beecham/Goossens’ 1959 reorchestration for full symphony orchestra.

The performance is led by maestro Jonathan Griffith, featuring an international choir made up of singers from five different continents. $10–$100.

CarnegieHall.org New Music for Strings and Piano Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Saint Peter’s Church, 54th Street & Lexington Ave. The New York Composers Circle announces its second concert of its 2015-16 season. Suggested donation $20. NYComposersCircle.org Time Travel Dec. 2 at 8 p.m.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th St. Subtly evoking the early 18th-century musical world inhabited by Charles Avison and Domenico Scarlatti, American composer William Anderson’s hypnotically beautiful songs, orchestrated by Anthony Korf, also conjure up sound worlds as diverse as Japanese koto, indie rock, and nursery rhyme. Featuring contralto Elizabeth Farnum. $35.

RiversideSymphony.org Tara Erraught Henning Ruhe Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Tara Erraught’s career is skyrocketing with stellar performances at the Vienna State Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, and Bavarian State Opera. The Irish-born singer makes her New York recital debut in a program that includes German lieder

by Brahms and Liszt. She also performs songs by English composers Delius and Quilter—both singer and audience favorites. $43.

CarnegieHall.org Baroque Collection Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center The unparalleled Kavafian sisters join an exceptional roster of musicians for a program of musical gems, showcasing the endless variety of the Baroque repertoire. $45–$88.

LincolnCenter.org Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage In this program, Orpheus presents fresh interpretations of treasured favorites. The Concerto Grosso in C Major, Op. 6, No. 5 is Handel’s masterful adaptation of an earlier work. In homage to Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky’s Divertimento is performed

by Augustin Hadelich in a new arrangement by Dmitry Sitkovetsky. $14.50–$110.

CarnegieHall.org New World Christmas: Navidad en Latinoamerica Dec. 5–25 Cathedral of Saint John the Divine Early Music New York's superb vocal ensemble and a plethora of plucked strings performs sacred works for Spain's and Mexico's cathedrals, interspersed with instrumental & vocal chanzonetas, villancicos, coloquios, ensaladas, and indigenous dances by Santiago de Murcia. $20$50. EarlyMusicNY.org

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

Holiday Gift Guide Need help finding the perfect gift for him or her?

Check out the NYC Holiday Gift Guide compiled by the Epoch Arts & Style team. www.EpochGift.com

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November 27–December 3, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts MATTHEW MURPHY

Theater Review

Loyalty Meets Resistance A family's story in the Japanese-American internment camps

By Judd Hollander

Telly Leung and the cast in a dance from “Allegiance.”

NEW YORK—The new Broadway musical “Allegiance” shows that the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs must also be tempered with the need to understand and forgive those who don’t share your point of view. The show puts a human face on one of the most shameful incidents in recent American history: the forced internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II. With a book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione and music and lyrics by Jay Kuo, “Allegiance” introduces us to the Kimuras, a typical family living the American dream.

Part of a thriving Japanese-American community, they own a farm in Salinas, California.

The farm is run by Tatsuo (Christópheren Nomura) with help from his daughter, Kei (Lea Salonga), the defacto matriarch since her mother died years earlier giving birth to Sammy (Telly Leung).

Sammy is now a college student with an eye toward law school, a career path he does not want, but one his father insists he follow. Observing all is Tatsuo’s father, Ojii-chan (George Takei).

Everything changes with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States’s entry into the war. Almost immediately, the Japanese in the United States find themselves marginalized with Sammy and his friends denied the right to enlist due to their being classified as “enemy aliens.”

With anti-Japanese hysteria on the rise, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs a declaration in early 1942 ordering the removal of U.S. citizens/residents of Japanese ancestry to so-called relocation centers. The Kimuras and many of their friends find themselves transported to a camp in Wyoming, where living conditions are primitive, medicine scarce, and dust storms and freezing temperatures frequent companions.

Eventually, through political maneuvering,

Lea Salonga and George Takei in “Allegiance,” which exposes the plight of Japanese-Americans during their internment in World War II.

’Allegiance’ captures a period when America was facing one of its darkest hours from without.

As far as the acting is concerned, George Takei steals the show.

MATTHEW MURPHY

‘Allegiance’ Longacre Theatre 220 W. 48th St. Tickets 212-239-6200, or Telecharge.com Running Time 2 hours, 35 minutes (one intermission) Open Run

Theater Review

‘On Your Feet!’

By Diana Barth NEW YORK—Before “On Your Feet!” even begins one is met with a barrage of ear-deafening music from behind the curtain. Is this meant to inform the audience that loud is good?

Well, sometimes.

“On Your Feet!” is a musical (book by Alex-

Japanese-Americans are allowed to enlist in the Army, on the condition they first sign a loyalty oath to the United States. Sammy is eager to join the Army and thus prove himself to be a true and loyal American and through his example, help to free his family and friends.

Sammy’s decision, however, puts him directly in conflict with his father, who forbids him to enlist. Caught in the middle is Kei, who finds herself attracted to Frankie Suzuki (Michael K. Lee), one of the more vocal dissidents in the camp, who refuses to sign or serve until his fellow internees are freed.

Each of these men see the importance of standing up for his beliefs—whether his allegiance is to his own belief or those his country demands.

Hand in hand with this idea are the dangers of going to an extreme in these beliefs. This is the reason Tatsuo tries to discourage Sammy from trying to enlist right after Pearl Harbor.

And, in a nice touch, when Sammy hangs an American flag outside their living quarters in the relocation center, Ojii-chan gets the last laugh by concealing wind chimes, considered contraband, inside the folds of the flag.

Later Sammy becomes the adapter-in-chief, trying to get his fellow camp members to sign a petition and present their list of grievances to the camp officials.

However others, such as Frankie and Tatsuo, refuse to simply go along with what is asked for. They stake out their own moral high ground by demanding the rights they see as already their own—as Americans—without being willing to go to extra lengths to prove it.

Ojii-chan, the term meaning “grandfather,” demonstrates the wisdom of someone able to adapt to his situation while finding tiny victories wherever he can. He does so not only with the aforementioned wind chimes, but also through the garden he grows at the camp.

Unfortunately, the musical ignores many historical facts surrounding the incidents depicted; their acknowledgment could have made “Allegiance” more complete. For example, very little anti-Japanese sentiment, other than the standard “Jap” comments, is heard in the days and weeks after the attacks.

ander Dinelaris; music produced and recorded

by Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine) that tells the story of the rise to international musical fame of the noted Estefan couple.

Starting out in their native Cuba, Emilio (Josh Segarra) persistently woos the appealing Gloria (Ana Villafañe) under the watchful eyes of Gloria’s mother, Gloria Fajardo (Andrea Burns), and grandmother Consuelo (Alma Cuervo).

Emilio, already a professional musician and budding impresario, not only finds Gloria attractive, but feels she has potential as a star singer. At first it’s slow going for Emilio, as Gloria’s mother disapproves of the young man’s advances.

Why, he wonders, is he such anathema to Fajardo? Consuelo informs him that it is simply jealousy; Gloria’s mom could have had a chance at stardom, but family duties ruled out that possibility. At which point we are treated to a vivid solo number by Andrea Burns.

In fact, a large portion of the show early on is devoted to performances by Little Gloria, sung with a mature belt sound by Alexandria Suarez.

As time goes on, Fajardo relents in her oppo-

The choice of Ana Villafañe to portray Gloria Estefan was serendipitous.

‘On Your Feet!’

Marquis Theatre 1535 Broadway Tickets 877-250-2929, or Ticketmaster.com Running Time 2 hours, 30 minutes (one intermission) Open Run

Indeed, much of the early show seems rushed. The story doesn’t really find its footing until the internees arrive at the camp.

It also would have been nice to see more than one brief mention of the decades-long struggle for reparations for those interned.

The United States finally issued those reparations, along with a formal apology, in 1988.

As far as the acting is concerned, Takei steals the show. His performance takes on an added poignancy when one realizes this is an intensely personal story for him as he and his family were among the 120,000 interned.

Salonga, who has a brilliant singing voice, strikes a chord as a self-described old maid for whom family is everything. Yet she finds love where she never expected to.

Leung is good as the true believer Sammy.

He sees his attempts to work with the system as a way to earn his people the rights and respect denied them.

Nomura is good as the father of Sammy and Kei, almost deliberately one-dimensional at the beginning, but ultimately showing himself to be just as principled as his son, which may be the reason the two disagree so much.

The score is rather enjoyable. Some of the more soul-stirring numbers are “Gaman” (“endurance with dignity”), “Wishes on the Wind,” and the very powerful “How Can You Go?” Also of note is the very satirical “442 Victory Swing,” “Resist,” and the cute “I Oughta Go” between Sammy and Hannah Campbell (Katie Rose Clarke), an Army nurse at the camp. The number offers the beginnings of a romance between the two.

A gripping tale, “Allegiance” captures a period when America was facing one of its darkest hours from without, while at the same time, all too many made it even darker for those within.

Also in the cast are Greg Watanabe, Darren Lee, Rumi Oyama, Catherine Ricafort, Scott Watanabe, Janelle Toyomi Dote, Aaron J. Albano, Momoko Sugai, Marcus Choi, Elena Wang, Dan Horn, Scott Wise, and Kevin Munhall.

Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.

sition to the match of the young couple, and the Estefans go on to great success. Not only is Gloria a terrific performer, but Emilio is a great negotiator and able to get contracts that put the couple over the top in their field.

Late in the story, a tragic auto accident fells Gloria with a severe back injury. But, with perseverance, grit, and family support, she is able to overcome that obstacle.

In fact, a late scene in the show between the couple and Fajardo is the most moving, as Fajardo, seemingly for the first time, warms up to son-in-law Emilio.

Throughout the show we hear many of the major hits that Gloria made famous, including “Cuba Libre,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Get on Your Feet,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Turn the Beat Around,” and more.

“Conga” takes the company offstage and into the aisles, inviting audience members to join them. A few take up the offer, though they seemed to me to be plants.

The songs are accompanied by fierce dance numbers (choreography by Sergio Trujillo). I say “fierce” quite deliberately. The dances are all performed with great abandon and not always with the sublime skill usually projected

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November 27–December 3, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts MICHAEL BROSILOW

Theater Review

‘Agamemnon’

By Sharon Kilarski | Epoch Times Staff CHICAGO—Court Theatre’s Nicholas Rudall has retranslated and juxtaposed three Greek tragedies, related by myth rather than by author, to create an artificial trilogy. It’s a noble effort, for he aims to deepen our appreciation of these classics. Unfortunately, the resulting production of the second play in the cycle—Aeschylus’s “Agamemnon”—lacks the nobility of Rudall’s intention.

In trying for a contemporary reading, director Charles Newell takes the very little stage time of the play’s namesake and deflates our expectations for the returning hero. Agamemnon’s few speeches reveal that he is untrustworthy and ready to use his power against any who might thwart him.

Above the city, a weary watchman spies a distant light. It signals that Greece has won a 10-year war against the city of Troy. Queen Clytemnestra (Sandra Marquez) had organized a torch relay so that she would be forewarned of the outcome of the war as quickly as possible.

The chorus, here a small lot of old men (Alfred H. Wilson, Thomas J. Cox, Gary Wingert), doubt Clytemnestra’s announcement of Greece’s victory. After all, a woman can hardly be trusted.

A woman’s betrayal started the war: Queen Helen ran off with her lover to Troy, deserting her husband, that is, her king and her country.

Moreover, the chorus knows that Clytemnestra has also betrayed her husband and king by taking a lover while he’s been away, although she brazenly denies it.

But a herald (Gabriel Ruiz), running ahead of the returning soldiers, confirms Clytemnestra’s news. The war is indeed won.

Ten years before, King Agamemnon sacrificed the couple’s daughter, Iphigenia, in order to appease the gods and hasten his fleet to battle. Devastated, Clytemnestra has not forgiven him. On the contrary, she has been waiting to set in motion a plan she’s been hatching for years: the murder of her husband.

And now the time is ripe. When Agamemnon (Mark L. Montgomery) finally returns with war trophy in tow—the princess and soothsayer Cassandra (Adrienne Walker)—Clytemnestra pretends to welcome him.

Then, due to Clytemnestra’s insistence, Agamemnon steps upon a runway of costly purple fabric, an act of hubris for a mortal, which seals his doom.

The myth of Agamemnon is a hard one for modern audiences to bear. Our hearts sicken at the thought of a father killing his child. To the Greeks, though, it may have been the ultimate test of allegiance in which a commander makes the sacrifice for the good of his country—like sending a son off to war.

For us, the action betrays innocence, pits the strong against the defenseless, and destroys our ideal of family. So we are already inclined to despise Agamemnon.

Yet our abhorrence conflicts with the play’s message. The play’s original intention, crucial to playwright Aeschylus’s “Oresteia” trilogy, was to demonstrate how an eye costs an eye and how blood begets blood. We should be so appalled by this chain of bloody crimes depicted in play after play that we agree with the Athenian cure: justice through law and reason.

Thus, the challenge of directing the play for an audience today—especially when seen without its companion pieces—is in offering some-

by top Broadway chorus dancers.

It seemed as if the producers or creative staff (direction by Jerry Mitchell, who boasts a slew of credits and theater awards, including a Tony) felt that sheer force, loud volume, and enthusiasm would win the day. Not so, in my opinion.

In fact, the greatest flaw in the show is that the musical numbers do not appear integrated into the story. The dances were placed seemingly without rhyme or reason. Each could have been put anywhere in the show. Nor was there any reference to them in the spoken scenes. In fact, the dialogue could have been entirely removed and the dance numbers alone could make up numerous examples of Latin dance.

As the dance numbers did not enhance or advance the purpose of the production, the dances, though exciting on their own, seemed more of an interruption than an advantage. In sum, the production lacked unity.

However, there is plenty in “On Your Feet!” to please a large audience. The show is infused with Latin music—its passion and vitality.

Overall, the musical numbers are infectious, and there are some terrific performances. The choice of Ana Villafañe to portray Gloria Este-

The Herald (Gabriel Ruiz, front) brings the news of the Greek victory to the people of Argos, (L–R, back) Gary Wingert, Alfred H. Wilson, Michael Ghantous, and Thomas J. Cox, in “Agamemnon.”

The myth of Agamemnon is a hard one for modern audiences to bear.

Sandra Marquez as Clytemnestra and Mark L. Montgomery as Agamemnon.

The regal queen welcomes home her hesitant king.

MICHAEL BROSILOW

‘Agamemnon’ Court Theatre 5535 S. Ellis, Chicago Tickets 773-753-4472, or CourtTheatre.org Running Time 1 hour, 25 minutes (no intermission) Closes Dec. 6

fan was serendipitous. Not only does she have beauty and the skills of singing, dancing, and acting, she also has charisma, that indefinable quality a star must possess.

Josh Segarra gives a strong and believable performance as Emilio. The other principals mentioned, including Andrea Burns, Alma Cuervo, and Alexandria Suarez, offer top support. And I mustn’t omit young Eduardo Hernandez, a phenomenal miniature dance star.

It’s also nice to see a woman rise to the top of her profession. In case you might not know who Gloria Estefan is (responsible for music, lyrics and orchestrations, along with husband Emilio), according to the program notes, she is “the most successful Latin crossover performer in the history of pop music.” She boasts seven Grammy Awards and more than 100 million albums sold worldwide.

So, if you’re into that Latin beat to warm you on a cold winter’s night, “On Your Feet!” is your ticket.

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

thing to counterbalance Agamemnon’s crime.

He needs to be ennobled in some way. We must at least feel he is an honorable leader, willing to re-establish justice on his return home to rule. If not, we do not feel the need to let go of vengeance.

Yet here, however theatrically appealing, Agamemnon emerges from what looks like Hades on the River Styx, not from a chariot bringing a triumphant warrior home. This image fits the figure we meet.

Montgomery’s Agamemnon, like hollow politicians today, chooses his words for effect— a point emphasized by his stepping up to a microphone. No honesty. Instead of reclaiming his right to rule with justice, he threatens his people. No honor. We are left with an aftertaste of a smarmy despot.

Why, we wonder, has the chorus so anticipated his return? Why do they love him? Why do they feel horror at his murder? We don’t.

Until this point, we see the chorus as genial worriers with some dignity and humanity, but after they are taken in by this sham ruler, we see them as somewhat foolish.

As Agamemnon’s portrayal should help pull us toward reason, Clytemnestra’s should push us away from revenge. We should shudder at the murderess, no matter how much we sympathize with her.

But here, elegant Marquez—queenly, restrained—handles the chorus and her husband with aplomb. In fact, she never fears her plot will fail; she seems like a woman who could not only plot to overthrow a ruler, but also handle the reins of governance herself.

She is hardly the looming terror whose emotions force us to recoil in horror.

Akin to Marquez in restraint is Walker’s Cas-

sandra, the prophetess. Able to see her own impending death, Cassandra could also evoke terror for us. Yet she seems a ghost already, resigned to her fate, or perhaps living out a dream of her last few minutes. So our fear is not stoked by the seer, either.

Only two characters compel: Gabriel Ruiz’s Herald brings the news of victory in an urgent rush, still reeling from a war that he hasn’t quite shaken off; and Aegisthus (Michael Pogue), the queen’s lover and nephew-inlaw, is in control and speaks from the heart.

Even after he acknowledges his part in the plot to murder the king, we are drawn to his conviction.

And when Aegisthus reveals that the whole House of Atreus, Agamemnon’s tribe as well as his own, is steeped in its own blood, when he reveals the hideous ancient crimes that range from adultery to murder to cannibalism against his side of the family, we somehow feel that justice has been served with this murder.

In short, when a cool Clytemnestra and straightforward Aegisthus replace a noble Agamemnon, we leave inclined to side with the murderers seeking justice through vengeance. Not with reason and law.

Is that why it is Clytemnestra’s photo that appears on the program cover rather than her husband’s?

With the bloody crimes we see in the world today, this is not where we want to be.

Ever since 1988 when the Steppenwolf Theatre world premiere of “The Grapes of Wrath” won the Tony Award for Best Play, Chicago productions have enriched and invigorated New York theater. Presented here is the very best Chicago currently has to offer.

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Our Perspective Through

Classical Ballet Classical Ballet continued from C1 “It tells you about the world now and how people lived then. Then you can put them side by side and compare them,” she said. In other words, it gives us perspective.

How Dance Has Changed We can gain perspective on how our culture has changed if we look at how dance has changed.

Most new dances choreographed today mix classical ballet and contemporary dance styles.

“It’s gotten aerobic and athletic and is easy on the eye. We see the gorgeous body and are wowed by what it can do and its unbelievable tricks,” she said.

But in looking back, we find that traditional ballet was very different. Recently, Byer saw ballets clips from the early 20th century at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

She was enthralled by what she saw: “Traditional ballet was more internal and not as showy. It was quieter. A nod, a small gesture spoke about the human condition,” she said.

“It wasn’t visually spectacular, but there was a beauty of movement, an openness of the body. It was three-dimensional in the movement and [they used] a complete use of the body to express themselves—a freedom with the shoulders and head rather than relying on the arms and legs,” she said.

The overall quality was very generous. They were generous to the audience. The dancers didn’t rely on high, athletic jumps or pirouettes. “They didn’t step out of the story or call attention to themselves to tell it. For me, it was quite wonderful,” she said.

A Divide Between Past and Present Yet today, even if we wanted to authentically replicate classic ballet of past—the way it was performed in the middle to late 19th century— we would find the task more than daunting.

First, dancers today have different body types than dancers in the 19th century. In the past, their bodies were softer looking and more rounded, she explained. For this reason alone, the rhythm of pirouettes would be different.

In addition, pointe shoes were constructed differently, without the same kind of support they have now.

Perhaps the most important reason that

The Classics: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Traditional ballet was more internal and not as showy. It was quieter.

A nod, a small gesture spoke about the human condition.

Diana Byer, founder and artistic director, New York Theatre Ballet

ballet of the past cannot truly be reproduced, though, is the fact that we cannot see these ballets. We cannot see a whole performance from before the 20th century, so replicating one is mostly guesswork.

The clips Byer watched, for example, were short—nowhere near a whole ballet. Even with existing notation, these ballets would be nearly impossible to reproduce in order to capture their original intent.

Life Lessons in Timeless Pieces More recent ballets, however, can be approximated. We can try to recreate the classic ballets of the 20th century. Under Byer’s leadership, NYTB often restores classic ballets, going the extra mile to ensure authenticity by bringing in original dancers or designers, or by researching details of the original production.

In so doing, Byer aims “to recreate the original artists’ vision,” according to the company’s website.

The benefit of recreating these ballets is that some of them offer us a perspective that is timeless. That is, some ballets tell stories that remain vital today.

Byer has acquired this belief through her years of teaching ballet. She has taught ballet at the Manhattan School of Dance, Compagnie de Michel Hallet (Lyon, France), and Cascina Bela (Milan, Italy), as well as in dance centers in Canada and the United States.

At Ballet School NY, she is the director of ballet instruction in the Children’s Division and regularly teaches Company Class for the New York Theatre Ballet. Thus, she teaches adult professionals as well as beginners.

Book Review

Byer used the ballet “Cinderella,” a ballet NYTB founder choreographed by Sergei Prokofiev that preDiana Byer miered in 1945, as an example. Some moth- after a performance of the ers have worried that this ballet teaches girls “Nutcracker” that if they wear nice clothes they’ll find a man at the who will “save her.”

NewYork– “For me it’s a story about how to cope with Presbyterian misfortune, that working hard has rewards, that people who are cruel can change,” she Children’s Hospital in 2014. wrote in a follow-up email.

Byer acknowledges that some ballet stories may have simple messages, but she believes they can be potent, especially in the case of the ballet “Cinderella.”

“Life lessons were in the old dances. The great ballets could instruct children, teens, and even adults,” she said.

Where Ballet Is Headed Yet despite the benefits of seeing traditional ballet, audiences today rely on indirect experiences. They watch ballet online or through videos or DVDs. In exchange for convenience, people miss seeing the performers breathe and the nuances unfold in a live performance; they lose an essential aspect of the art.

This unfortunate trend means that live ballet is losing its audience, and perhaps an art through which future generations might learn about those living today.

Practitioners involved with the classical arts respond to why they think the texts, forms, and methods of the classics are worth keeping and why they continue to look to the past for that which inspires and speaks to us. For the full series, see ept.ms/LookingAtClassics

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‘Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story’

By Chelsea Scarnegie American singer-songwriter Jewel has been in the public eye for past the couple of decades, starting with the release of her debut album, “Pieces of You,” in 1998. Remarkably, her public life has been rather private. She has stayed out of the tabloids and avoided much of the bad press that plagues celebrities today.

But her book “Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story” breaks the secrecy that protected her for so long.

Opening up and being center stage has never been a mindless task for Jewel. “I was five when I first went onstage, my handmade Swiss outfit awkward and itchy,” she writes. “I was so nervous that I got the hiccups, though luckily no one could tell because yodeling sounds like hiccupping anyway.”

As a preteen, Jewel had already experienced Alaskan farm life, lived in a cabin, performed in bars, and suffered physical and mental abuse from her father. At this point, plucky young Jewel was ready to just fit in. “I was so nervous about junior high, and did my best to fit in by asking the most popular girl for a picture of herself so I could get my hair permed the same way.”

It soon became clear to the budding singer that normalcy was not an option. In high school, she enrolled in the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.

She arrived and realized just how unconventional her life had been: “I was shown around campus, but someone may as well have been giving me a tour of Mars. There were kids wearing crisp navy blazers and sharp pleated khakis and pearl necklaces.” This was all so different from the rustic and eclectic lifestyle of Alaska.

“Never Broken” almost possesses an enchanted quality. Jewel’s life comes complete with the wildness of the vast Alaskan frontier,

Jewel continues these mindful behaviors that have shaped her life.

‘Never Broken’ Author Jewel Publisher Penguin Group USA Pages 386 Price $27.50

Jewel before her performance at The Mint in Los Angeles on Sept. 16, 2014. a log cabin built by her family, and a transformation from a young vagabond to a successful singer that would make Cinderella envious.

The most mystical element of Jewel’s life comes in the form of her detached mother, Nedra, who had separated from Jewel’s father when she was still a young girl. As a result, Jewel’s life was thrown back and forth between the small cabin with her father and the radiant aura that constantly surrounded her mother during their occasional visits.

Nedra’s life is centered on the mysterious and unseen: “She would leave me alone, but not before telling me amazing stories about the power of our minds, one example being that one could turn lightbulbs on and off with enough concentration.”

The difference between an abusive father and a seemingly enchanted mother was like night and day, and for the rest of Jewel’s life, she would desire a motherly love that did not exist.

Jewel presents the reader with further insight into Nedra’s mind. At one point, 18-year-old Jewel (who had been paying rent once the two of them moved in together) is fired for refusing to sleep with her boss. Her mother isn’t concerned. After all, they could just live in their cars—a prospect that would make a more responsible mother cringe.

Being homeless obviously is a lot more complicated than her free-spirited mother made

it seem. Jewel recalls, “People walked away from me on the street. People looked at me like I was subhuman. I looked dirty and lost, and frankly I was.” Yet it is this pivotal point in her life that dictated how she was to live out the rest of her life.

She developed her own mental exercises, apart from Nedra’s, that helped her to cultivate positive thinking and how to turn negative thoughts into creative words.

Jewel continues these mindful behaviors that have shaped her life.

Best of all, she shares this advice with her readers in a beautiful afterword that lists and explains the main themes of her memoir.

Pieces of wisdom, such as “Hard wood grows slowly,” “Spend time in silence,” and “Create a home for happiness,” found their places in Jewel’s life and transformed her outlook.

Above all, Jewel truly does believe that we are never broken. “Each of us has a self that exists undamaged and whole, from the moment we are born, waiting to be reclaimed,” she writes.

“My life has not been about fixing what is broken. It has been about engaging in a loving and tender archaeological dig back to my true self.”

Jewel’s memoir “Never Broken” is an invitation for us to do the same.

Chelsea Scarnegie lives and writes in the Chicago area.

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All the looks, for me, are words. The idea is that I’m telling you a story.

Stella Jean, Italian fashion designer

STEFANIA D’ALESSANDRO/GETTY IMAGES

ITC ETHICAL FASHION INITIATIVE

Designer Stella Jean’s use of prints is attracting international attention.

Stella Jean Autumn/ Winter 2014 in Milan.

STELLA JEAN’S

New World Order— in Fashion and Beyond

By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff NEW YORK—Italian designer Stella Jean is a relative newcomer to the fashion world, but her way of mixing prints with traditional tailoring has been steadily attracting attention globally.

Giorgio Armani described her as “the future of fashion,” and in September 2013 invited her to showcase her designs as a guest in the Armani/Teatro space during Milano Moda Donna. “[Armani] said to me, ‘Never loose your DNA because it’s the most powerful thing, and you are recognizable—this is more than a signature,’” recounted Jean at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in conversation with Museum of FIT curators Ariele Elia and Elizabeth Way on Nov. 2.

Born in Rome to a multicultural family, with an Italian father from Turin and a Haitian mother, Jean is as Italian as they come. But growing up in Italy, the color of her skin has always been treated as a sign of being “not from here.”

The repetition of this experience is something that she recalls with exasperation, yet it has also compelled Jean to express her heritage through fashion.

Stella Jean Spring/ Summer 2015 in Milan.

What’s in a Print Working with wax-print fabric in her first collection, she said she learned not to trust appearances. What she thought was African wax-print fabric made in Africa turned out to be made in Holland. This was a shocking discovery for Jean, considering the history of the Dutch colonies in Africa.

The incident became a turning point for Jean.

As a result, she decided to partner with the International Trade Centre’s Ethical Fashion Initiative project.

The project led Jean to Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya, and Ethiopia where she got to meet and work with local artisans to make fabrics that are ethically produced, through traditional methods.

Since then, she has used each collection to highlight either a traditional technique or new fabric, presented as made by the artisans to showcase their heritage to a larger world audience.

The Spring/Summer 2015 collection took her back to Haiti. Inspired by naive art of Haiti, the collection’s highlights were painterly prints.

“It’s one of my tools to show the country in a different way. I start everything from struggle, but what I want to pass [on] is joy and happiness,” said Jean.

The idea of countercolonization is one of Jean’s most immediate concerns. She calls the migration of people who come to the West as refugees escaping political conflicts countercolonization because this time, the east is coming to the west, with the marked difference that it’s not with a mission of oppression or submission.

As Jean sees it, we have two options: war, or we learn to work together—make fashion, share stories, and learn to appreciate different cultures on a deeper level.

“We don’t need any more ‘I love Africa’ shirts—you need to show that it’s beautiful.

Buy it because you like it and because you treat it like all the other pieces of your collection or wardrobe.”

The Nostalgic and the Exotic The Fall/Winter 2015 collection is Jean’s answer to those who go to tropical places and buy exotic prints, yet are at a loss as to what to do with them once they return to the big city.

She used the 1960s silhouette, even incorporating the crinoline into the construction of coats and skirts paired with colors and patterns inspired by Indian Himalaya and Africa.

“That’s what I like when people buy one of the my skirts to mix it with some elements of your memory. It’s a kind of nostalgic and familiar touch that I have in my collection and on me all the time.”

As always, she hopes that people don’t just take her ensembles as she presents them, but mix her creations with their own pieces to tell rich, compelling, and multitextured stories.

TULLIO M. PUGLIA/GETTY IMAGES

Stella Jean Fall/Winter 2015/2016 in Milan.

Communication and culture lead her aesthetic sensibilities.

Giorgio Armani described her as ‘the future of fashion.’

NEW PAGODA S P E C I A LT Y I N C .

Early 19th Century Tiffany Grande Carriage Clock, strike repeater with Alarm

Stella Jean Spring/ Summer 2016 in Milan.

PIETRO D'APRANO/GETTY IMAGES

The Shirt and the Skirt “The shirt always represents my father’s side— so I will always have a mannish shirt, often striped, and the skirt represents my mother’s side, which is a wax print for the black roots of Haiti—the first black republic in the world, and a country proud of its African roots,” Jean said.

The mix of masculine with feminine, pinstripes with painterly prints, muted hues with exuberant colors, is something that goes beyond fashion for Jean. Communication and culture lead her aesthetic sensibilities. Jean doesn’t think that the world needs more “designers,” she said using air quotes, at least not ones who work only superficially and follow trends.

As soon as a fashion show finishes, the images can go around the world in a few seconds; Jean sees this as the perfect climate through which to engage in a dialogue.

“All the looks, for me, are words,” said Jean, “the idea is that I’m telling you a story, I want you to listen, not only to look at the show thinking, ‘That skirt would look good with what piece.’”

Most designers would be happy should their audience limit themselves to such pragmatic thoughts.

The conversation she wants us to have is one about a sense of place, a sense of community and connectedness, as well as the joy of expression through signs, symbols, and colors. There is also the idea of being able to appreciate authentic craftsmanship and artisanal techniques.

Stella Jean works on her painterly prints in Haiti.

40 W 25th St #103, New York, NY 10010 • (212) 645-1964 facebook.com/newpagodaspecialty

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Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson in “Creed.”

Film Review

‘Creed’: Rocky 7

From Warrior to Elder

By Mark Jackson | Epoch Times Staff ehement fist-pump! Yes!!! Rocky number 7 rocks!! It would have been such a shame had “Creed” not rocked.

Sylvester Stallone can bow out gracefully now. The same thing was happening to the Rocky franchise that happens to boxers—they don’t know when to quit.

The Philly cheese-steak-tasty “Creed” brings it all full circle; it hands off the generational torch and tells this story that’s much needed in America today: the second, late-life male rite-of-passage. That is, where Rocky Balboa finally lays down the warrior sword, and takes up the elder staff.

Johnson’s Creed Young Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) was born out of wedlock, never knew his famous father, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world—Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers, of the first four “Rockys”).

His mom died early, so Adonis was shunted

What we saw was Creed live up to his father’s name, dig down deep, come up with true toughness, and become a man.

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through LA foster homes and juvie, picking up a fierce survival creed. “He fights,” it’s explained. Apollo Creed’s widow (Phylicia Rashad) finally finds and raises him, with plenty of opportunity and upward mobility.

But the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

We know this because both father and son have Greek-god names starting with the letter “A.” Adonis may be an investor by day, but teaches himself boxing by night (YouTube tutorials, a la MMA fighter Jon “Bones” Jones, perhaps?), and goes skill-sharpening in Mexican matches.

Hero’s Journey to Philadelphia Like fighter Manny Pacquiao’s real-life hero’s journey to Manila, for Adonis, all roads lead to Philly. Why? To find a master of the boxing trade, an older male who believes in him.

Cue “Adrian’s” restaurant.

What else would it be named? “I don’t do that stuff no more,” says Mr. Balboa, the elderly restaurateur. Sure he doesn’t. He must first be coaxed out of retirement by splendiferous talent. Adonis has that part covered.

Old School Finally we get to the parts we’ve been waiting for: boxing training montages. There’s no iconic glugging of 12 raw eggs, which was something nobody’d ever seen before in 1976, but there’s plenty of old school chicken-chasing, grizzled gyms, and encyclopedic boxinglore-spouting, and mitt-hitting codgers.

There’s an entertaining artifice that director Ryan Coogler uses to great effect—the fighter résumé. It goes like this: we see prowling panther-like super-middleweights; heavyweights left-hooking big bags like lions, bantamweights slipping and jabbing like cobramongoose matchups.

Then, brash, ultimately untested “Baby Creed” (as one Philly gang member calls him, to the immediate detriment of his face) jumps in the ring and challenges, “Anybody who can hit me in the face gets the keys to my ‘stang!”

Suddenly, imaginary fight-stat billboards light up, next to this or that boxer-predator: “Height, weight, reach, perfect record, many KOs” It’s like entering the Bronx Zoo big-cat house and reading, “Siberian tiger, largest cat in the world, 700 pounds.” You say, “Dang.”

Adonis better think twice about proffering his ‘stang. “Welcome to the jungle!” as Axl Rose sang.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere There’s a top-notch, every-look-and-wordcounts romance with girl-next-door Bianca (Tessa Thompson, from “Dear White People,” in a star-making role). She’s a soul-singersongwriter who holds court locally and crafts her songs neighbor-disturbingly loud. I won’t give away the reason why.

There’s Rocky’s touching cemetery pilgrimages; taking his not-very-well-hidden foldingchair out of a nearby tree, pulling up a seat to Paulie and Adrian’s graves, to talk to, confess, read the paper, and generally hang out with his deceased wife and best friend.

There’s the ultimate Rocky thing: Adonis gets a title shot with a highly experienced, super-tough, vicious trash-talking Brit boxer, “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (actual ABA cruiserweight champion Anthony Bellew).

Then a not-so-Rocky thing: our old friend with the exact same hat (different color) starts to feel … not himself. Doctor’s diagnosis is not good. But Adonis isn’t going to fight unless Rocky fights too. Lots to fight for. Adonis, to prove that he “wasn’t a mistake;” Rocky for life itself.

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Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson.

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Creed Diagnosis “Creed’s” the kind of gritty, cozy, workaday

(L–R) Ricardo McGill as Padman and Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in “Creed.” tale we love in America, with more than a little in common with the hugely popular MMA fight-film “Warrior,” also set in Philadelphia.

Something about making the commonplace sing, like backyard shots of trains moving in the near distance, seen over neighboring fences, and the proudly low-rent seediness, beloved of the fighter-pilots in Tom Wolfe’s “The Right Stuff,” and by boxers the world over.

And of course the score and soundtrack must rock. It must hip-hop, more accurately. Ludwig Göransson’s hip-hops, while layering in some of the old Bill Conti original “Rocky” themes, as well as sprinklings of John Legend and The Roots.

Flip-Flop to Hip-Hop Interestingly, boomer-generation Italian Philly, where Rocky grew up, is now millennial African-American. The first Rocky had the “Italian Stallion,” an overwhelming underdog, go up against African-American Apollo Creed’s iconic champ. Creed made fun of Rocky’s working-stiff Italian palooka-ness, while giving him a once-in-a-lifetime title shot, as a publicity stunt.

“Creed,” puts a highly educated AfricanAmerican underdog up against a workingclass Brit-bloke champ, who insists Adonis take his dad’s famous name in return for getting a title shot—also as a publicity stunt.

Moreover, champ Conlan trash-talks up the fact that Adonis’s famous trainer is the real-deal, whereas young Creed’s own silverspoon upbringing is suspect in terms of true toughness.

Love It’s clear Stallone loves this character dearly.

Rocky Balboa is his baby, after all. He made him up, breathed life into him, and Rocky made Sylvester Stallone immensely successful.

What we love about Rocky is that he was a sweetheart who’d give you the shirt off his back—all heart. “Creed” is the realest Stallone’s been as an actor, probably since … well … Rocky.

All the acting is superb, and Michael B. Jordan, if he keeps this up, might make a name for himself that lives up to that other Michael Jordan (also known for quality performances).

Rocky’s segue from warrior to mentor and is as touching as Mike Tyson’s words after his last fight, “My heart isn’t into this anymore. … It’s time to move on with my life and be a father, take care of my children.”

As Rocky said after the big fight, “Everyone here knows they’ve seen something special.” What we saw was Creed live up to his father’s name, dig down deep, come up with true toughness, and become a man. But it was only possible because the former Italian Stallion believed in him. That’s taking up the elder staff.

‘Creed’ Director Ryan Coogler Starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew, Graham McTavis Running Time 2 hours, 13 minutes Rated PG-13 Release Date Nov. 25