KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES
The Oldest and Most Important Chinese Paintings
SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
The Mischievous Monkey King Shen Yun brings ancient tales of ‘Journey to the West’ to life.
The Met exhibition is a collection of some of the rarest and most precious Chinese brush works. See C4
See C2 SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
C1 December 25–31, 2015
Creating New Audiences for Classical Music
By Milene Fernandez | Epoch Times Staff
BENJAMIN CHASTEEN EPOCH TIMES
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EW YORK—When Sebastian Lambertz arrived in the city from the town of Norf in Germany, he could not stop people-watching. He was completely fascinated. The rich variety and unstoppable energy of New York seemed to finally match his own pace, curiosity, and gregariousness about life, music, and the arts.
“When I do something, I have to be 100 percent into it, otherwise I can’t do it,” he said, reflecting on his music career so far at The New School where he studied with the clarinet virtuoso, Charles Neidich and where he recently completed a Professional Studies Diploma at the Mannes School of Music. Hearing him play the clarinet, there’s no question about his passion and dedication. He captivated the audience with ease playing Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and Francis Poulenc with a chamber ensemble at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the Lincoln Center on Nov. 18.
See Creating Audiences on C3
Clarinet player Christian Lambertz in New York on Nov. 29 (above) and Dec. 4 (below).
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December 25–31, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
Shen Yun Performing Arts
Shen Yun Brings Ancient Tales of ‘Journey to the West’ to Life By Leo Timm | Epoch Times Staff
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t is said that the Monkey King was born from a mystical stone egg at the summit of Flower-Fruit Mountain. The courageous primate first established himself as the ruler of the apes, and then learned the Way from a Taoist master, who taught him to develop a wide range of extraordinary powers. But the Monkey King was mischievous and stirred up chaos wherever his travels took him. He rampaged through the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, terrorized the king of hell in the underworld, and even brought disorder to the heavenly court of the Jade Emperor. No god or enlightened being was able to match his strength. Finally, deities sought the help of the Buddha, who ensnared the troublemaker in his mighty palm. Thus began the Monkey King’s imprisonment, and his path to redemption. This is the opening tale told in “Journey to the West,” perhaps the most easily recognized of China’s four major classic novels. This tale is also retold by internationally acclaimed Shen Yun Performing Arts, which uses classical Chinese dance to bring major characters and stories from this 16th-century epic to life on stages around the globe. In the novel the monk Xuan Zang leads a group of pilgrims seeking to retrieve holy scriptures from the land known today as India, home of the Buddha. In fact, there really was such a monk. Xuan Zang made the dangerous trek in 627 A.D. It took him 17 years to complete the journey, which he did mostly on foot, across the Himalayas to what was known in China as the “Western Paradise”—and back again. The journey was a tremendous success: He returned with over 1,300 sacred scrolls and spent the rest of his life translating them—forever changing the face of Buddhism in China. In the novel, Xuan Zang is protected by powerful guardians appointed by the Goddess of Mercy. As in real life, he has been sent on his mission to India under the authority of the Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong. The journey west from China across the mountains is perilous. Along the way are all sorts of demons who aim to capture and eat the monk, believing that his holy flesh will grant them eternal life. The monk, who has sought spiritual perfection through nine lifetimes, is deemed fit for the monumental task at hand, but is helpless at protecting himself. His bodyguards possess great abilities, but have fallen from heaven. In accompanying the monk they have been offered a chance to mend their ways. The Monkey King, by far the most powerful of the bodyguards, is now given the name Sun
Shen Yun dances tell stories that helped form the Chinese outlook on life through millennia. Wukong, meaning “enlightened to emptiness.” The monk’s other protectors are Pigsy, a fallen deity who appears as a jovial-yet-lustful manpig, and the Sand Monk, a former immortal exiled to earth as a river monster.
Shen Yun now has four companies that tour the world.
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.
Reviving Traditional Culture The episodes Shen Yun takes from the pages of “Journey to the West” are like many of the dances in a typical Shen Yun program, which the company’s website states are drawn from the “pages of history, literature, and universal themes.” These dances tell stories that helped form the Chinese outlook on life through millennia. They involve great acts of heroism, or the illustration of a moral principle, or examples of how the gods helped shape a culture traditionally regarded as semi-divine. In addition to classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun also offers folk and ethnic dances, bel canto style singing, an orchestra that melds a Western orchestra with Chinese instruments, digital backdrops that can transport the audience through space and time, and gorgeous costumes. A nonprofit organization based on a campus in the countryside north of New York City, Shen Yun produces an entirely new program of dances, songs, and musical scores each year. Beginning with one company in 2006, Shen Yun now has four companies that tour the world for five months, visiting over 100 cities in the Americas, Europe, East Asia, and Oceania. In offering these programs, Shen Yun seeks to revive China’s ancient culture, which was almost destroyed under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese classical culture remains in high regard around the world, and particularly in East Asia, where Shen Yun has performed at theaters in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and other nations.
“Everyone in Japan knows the novel ‘Journey to the West,’” said classical Japanese dancer Hanayagi Jugetsuen, who saw Shen Yun this year. “Many Japanese dances also incorporate some of the stories from the novel.” “The way Shen Yun presented the story was full of wit and humor, something we feel quite at home with,” she added. Others have praised Shen Yun for its childfriendly performances that demonstrate basic moral principles, such as those embodied in its portrayals of “Journey to the West.” Cultivation Below the surface of the novel’s action are complex themes of hardship, teamwork, temptation, discipline, and cultivation—the attempt to improve oneself morally and spiritually. The group of pilgrims faces 81 trials during their journey west, and many of these trials are reflections of their own imperfections. According to an introduction on Shen Yun’s website to “Journey to the West,” the character of the Monkey King can be seen as “representing the ‘monkey mind,’ a mind of unruly thoughts that need to be reined in.” Shen Yun points out that despite the disciples’ shortcomings, each is offered forgiveness and redemption. “And the ordeals they face— from conquering fear to resisting temptation— represent the trials and tribulations one must overcome along a spiritual path.” “Indeed, in this novel so rich in symbolism, the tribulations the travelers face are metaphors for the trials one must pass on a spiritual journey,” states the Shen Yun website. “Yet, in the end, the pious pilgrims triumph, they return to China with the sacred scriptures, and return to their rightful places in the heavens,” the Shen Yun site says. “In bringing these traditions forward, the story of the Monkey King inspires us to reflect on where we came from, and on our own journey home.”
(L–R) Pigsy, a demon disguised as a beautiful woman, the Monkey King, and monk Xuan Zang, as Shen Yun envisions the characters from the literary classic, “Journey to the West.”
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December 25–31, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
2 BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
1 1. Sebastian Lambertz talking about his projects at The New School on Nov. 29. 2. Playing with a student ensemble at Mannes School of Music.
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Creating New Audiences
3. Passing out St. Nicholas chocolates to the student ensemble on Dec. 4.
for Classical Music Creating Audiences continued from C1
A good piece never stops; you can listen to it 500 times and you will find something new in it. Sebastian Lambertz, clarinetist
Drawings by children who participated in Lambertz’s project, “Little Ant Got Hurt‥”
His sound is very clean, flowing naturally from his breathing and technical dexterity, with subtle changes in color. His presence on stage is both buoyant and assuring. The Journey Lambertz started studying music at age 8. He assumed he was the worst student in the class because the teacher would always kick him out for talking too much. Then when it came time to choose an instrument, he picked the synthesizer but his teacher said no. She urged his parents to convince him to play “a real instrument” (one where he could produce the sound directly versus relying on electricity) because he was the most talented student she’d ever had. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and Lambertz has had a two-year stint playing in the orchestra of the Staatsoper Hannover (Opera House of Hannover); he played with the Bamberg Symphony and other philharmonic symphonies; he has toured in Europe, Asia, and North America with his own ensembles; has participated in numerous international festivals; and has regular live and studio recordings with all major German broadcasting companies. While the progression of his professional career as a musician appeared quite smooth on the surface, it almost came to a complete standstill in 2012 when he was playing at the Staatsoper Hannover. For many professional musicians their ultimate goal is to play in an orchestra, but Lambertz eventually felt stuck. “It was a great experience to play all the great music and big opera repertoire, but in a traditional orchestra you do the same things year after year. The communication within these orchestras often felt rather old fashioned to me, more hierarchical. ... So I decided to do something else,” he said. So he thought about other ways he could do music. He also needed a backup plan. Since he loves bringing people together, organizing ensembles, and making things happen, he completed his masters in international arts management at the Center for International Arts Management (CIAM) in Cologne, Germany. Bridging the Gap As beautifully as he may play Mozart’s clarinet concerto, for example—which is considered a kind of holy piece for the clarinet—even those closest to him (nonclassical music aficionados) have told him it’s boring. Receiving such feedback compelled him to question why, and inspired him to want to find ways to make classical music more accessible and more relevant to people today. For about three years (2010–2013), he was a scholar of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Köln e.V. foundation and played in concerts and gigs in homes for the elderly, facilities for the disabled, and prisons. The response was incredibly positive and inspiring for him. Some tough male prisoners, for example, would melt listening to his music, becoming more gentle— perhaps kinder. The clichés of classical music being timeless or transformative were suddenly no longer taken-for-granted phrases for him. “It brought me back to again realizing how intense music is, what it’s all about, and that it doesn’t only belong in concert halls,” he said in a followup interview. Lambertz wants people today to feel personally connected to musical traditions and their meanings; otherwise they lose their relevance.
Music of any good composer touches him deeply. “A good piece never stops, you can listen to it 500 times and you will find something new in it,” he said. By contrast, he said, “That is rare in the pop world.” Lambertz perceives this wide gap between the established classical music enthusiast, who listens to music in concert halls, and people who don’t. He dedicates a lot of his energies to bridging that gap. Planting Seeds His current project is the “Little Ant Got Hurt— From Class to Stage,” an interactive music program for children. Collaborating with the composer Gregory Mertl, the project is based on a Czech children’s story about an injured ant. The ant doesn’t recover after being given medicine by a doctor; it only gets better after the other ants in the colony comfort it. The story is set to music, similar to Serge Prokofiev’s “Peter and The Wolf.” Lambertz goes with his ensemble into elementary school classrooms. They explain to the children what the story is about, the role or the composer and the musicians, and they introduce the instruments and their qualities. Then they play excerpts of the piece, without telling the children what part of the story the excerpts corresponds to, and the children have a discussion about it and try to guess. When they finally play the entire 15-minute piece, the children make drawings of the story. Then they organize a child-friendly concert at a theater. The drawings are put together in a slide show that is projected on the stage during a concert attended by all the children and their parents. “It has such a big impact. … It’s kind of an ‘Aha’ experience for the kids,” Lambertz said about the program. Before he started he assumed the children would be unruly, but he was surprised to see they were very focused and enthralled. He’s received a lot of positive feedback from teachers, who’ve told him that inattentive children become more focused. One 3-year-old girl who cried her first two weeks in school finally stopped when she participated in the program. If all of the children who participate attend the concert with their parents, that’s at least 360 budding audience members, Lambertz calculates. Lambertz has translated the whole program into nine languages. He’s run it in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and will take it to Taiwan in January 2016. Lambertz is certainly enjoying New York and the opportunities it affords to build experience and collaborate with other musicians, video and other visual artists, dancers, DJs, and others. He is also working on projects to engage and attract young adults to classical music. He’s collaborating with another classically trained clarinet player who studied at Juilliard, composes music, and is also a DJ. They want to create classical music that is suitable for clubs and dancing. “Maybe at some point they will realize classical musicians are fun, normal people who are coming to us, why shouldn’t we go to them someday,” Lambertz said smiling. “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.
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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December 25–31, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES
“Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden” from the Ming Dynasty. Handscroll; ink and color on silk.
COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
"The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Song Inspection Tour, Scene from Scroll Six: Entering Suzhou along the Grand Canal." Handscroll; ink and color on silk.
"Night-Shining White," from the Tang Dynasty, by Han Gan.
"The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll Three: Ji'nan to Mount Tai."
The Oldest and Most Important Chinese Painting Masterpieces at the MET By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff
When Chinese artists learned painting, their masters would teach them how to be a good person in society first, before actually learning the technique. Tony Da, Chinese fine art dealer & collector
‘Night-Shining White’ is over 1,300 years old.
It is not often that a Chinese painting on rice paper survives over 1,000 years so that we can view it intact, in all its splendor. One such masterpiece is “Night-Shining White” the painting of the imperial horse by the same name painted by Han Gan (742–756) during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). Dated circa 750, the work is part of the grand exhibition titled Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the MET’s Department of Asian Art, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The exhibition encompassing 110 works of the brush arts of China, dating from the Tang Dynasty to the present has undoubtedly drawn the attention of collectors and Chinese art connoisseurs. Among them is New York based Chinese fine art dealer and collector Tony Dai who spoke to the Epoch Times about some of the most memorable works in the exhibition and their historical significance. 1,300-Year-Old Original The show presents a rare opportunity. “‘Night-Shining White’ one of the most important paintings in Chinese history and one of the most precious paintings in the world, I believe,” said Dai. Dai mentioned that many of the paintings haven’t been shown to the public for a long time, and the exhibition allows people to get a better understanding of classical Chinese painting from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). “Night-Shining White,” for instance, is over 1,300 years old. Painted on rice paper, it is a vivid depiction of the favorite steed of Emperor Xuanzong (who reigned 712–756) by Han Gan, who was renowned for his paintings of horses. According to Dai, when it comes to many works that are purported to be from the Tang Dynasty, experts believe that they are copies of Tang paintings done during the Song Dynasty. But in this instance, the experts agree that “Night-Shining White” is from the Tang Dynasty, painted by Han Gan himself. The multitude of red stamps on the painting are an indication of the number of collectors who owned it—one of the seals being that of Emperor Qianlong (who reigned 17351796) during the Qing Dynasty. Qianlong has been documented as having owned the painting and treating it as a very important piece in his collection. Other seals, according to Dai, are from art connoisseurs who added their stamps during the Ming (1368–1644) or Qing dynasties thus authenticating the work. The horse is also the subject in three other well-known paintings that are part of the exhibition. The three works are known as “Grooms and Horses” painted during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) by artists from the same family, one of the artists being the legendary Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322). A selection of works from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) includes “Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden,” a rare masterpiece and celebrated 15th century work depicting in sumptuous detail the life of Ming nobles and literati. All in ‘Narcissus’ A much emulated and reproduced Chinese painting is “Narcissus”—a handscroll filled
with swaying and overlapping flowers that is charged with historical meaning. Painted by Zhao Mengjian (1199–1264), a member of the Song imperial family, not long before the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), it has come to be associated with loyalty to the fallen dynasty. Dai also pointed out that for Chinese scholars, the narcissus represents high morality as well as immortality because in Mandarin the pronunciation of the flower name is the same as the word for immortality. The final gallery is devoted to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). Two massive handscrolls from the Qing imperial court that document inspection tours of the southern part of the empire taken by two emperors, Kangxi (reigned 1662–1722) and Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795) fill the entire wall more than 50 feet long, providing a rare opportunity to view them side by side. The scroll is dated 1698 and painted by Wang Hui (1632–1717) and his assistants depicting Emperor Kangxi’s tour from Ji’nan to Mount Tai. It is significant not just for its artistic merits, but also because it was commissioned by one of China’s most revered emperors. The Visual Legacy of Emperor Kangxi As the second emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi is known as China’s most learned and cultured emperor. Historical texts document that he was able to read by the age of 5, and when he ascended the throne at the age of 8, he became even more dedicated to his studies. Emperor Kangxi’s 60-year-long rule brought stability to the country, Chinese literature, and art flourished, and he was meticulous about keeping historical records. This extended to compiling what is regarded as the greatest Chinese dictionary to date—the Kangxi Dictionary. Kangxi also undertook many tours throughout the empire, which served to stabilize Manchu rule throughout the country, but also to map much of China. The scroll that is on display provides a glimpse of the emperor’s journey from Ji’nan to Mount Tai. It is part of a set of 12 scrolls called “Picture of the Southern Tour.” Most of the scroll is rolled up, but what there is to see of it is a rich, visual record showing a well-ordered and harmonious society. Walking alongside it and viewing its scenes in sequence is an almost cinematic and touching experience. Imbued with a sense serenity and divine order, it invites the viewer into a world that is vividly captured in minute and colorful detail. There is a crispness and contrast to the colors that is quite different to the works from the previous centuries. Overall, the exhibition is an irresistible invitation to get to know traditional Chinese culture because, according to Dai, “to try to understand Chinese painting you must understand Chinese culture.” He went on to explain, “When Chinese artists learned painting, their masters would teach them how to be a good person in society first, how to be a scholar, before actually learning the technique. So when you look at a Chinese paining it’s not that only the technique that moves you; it’s the history, the traditional Chinese culture, and the morality behind these paintings that move you.” Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the Metropolitan Collection will be on show until October 2016.
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December 25–31, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY DAVID JAMES/LUCASFILM LTD./WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES
(Front L–R) Rey (Daisy Ridley) rescues the droid BB-8 from being scavenged for parts, in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
The Millennium Falcon, piloted by Rey (Daisy Ridley), is pursued by First Order TIE-fighters.
The evil Kylo Ren is played by Adam Driver.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) riding her repulsorlift speeder.
Gwendoline Christie as Stormtrooper Captain Phasma.
The Force Explained By Mark Jackson | Epoch Times Staff “May the Force be with you!” That catch phrase has dominated American pop culture since the dawn of Star Wars, in 1977. It’s the real reason this franchise commands such a legion of fans; why the latest Star Wars just broke the all-time box office record ($517 million global). We’ll return to the Force. The good news is, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” gives fans what they want: the first episode of a brand new trilogy that follows in the wake of “Return Of The Jedi.” Director J.J. Abrams keeps the old, updates it for the newbies, and the Millennium Falcon remains, hands-down, the coolest spaceship ever. Too Many Soups Cook the Spoilers A synopsis is very dangerous here; it’s like jungle warfare—plot spoilers in a new Star Wars joint abound like tripwires and tiger pits, because there are vast amounts of potentially irate die-hard fans, with tremendous amounts at stake out there. Star Wars fanatics, like “Rocky Horror,” “Harry Potter,” and “LOTR” fans (they are often one and the same) are fans who live to wear costumes to the local cineplex. At the screening, I saw four stormtroopers, three Leias, two Obi-Wans, and a partridge in a pear tree. You don’t mess with these people. But let’s see if I can walk point on synopsis without hitting a spoiler tripwire. First off, in this telling the fascist “First Order” is in charge of everything in the known universe. There’s a resistance army led by princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), now a general. Thus far, the Resistance hasn’t been able to do anything effective against First Order Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis, looking like a giant CGI Gollum). Do-Re-Mi—Poe, Rey, Finn Poe Dameron, a resistance X-wing starfighterpilot (Oscar Isaac) longs to locate lost, last-Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and has a holographic map of Skywalker’s whereabouts. When First Order stormtroopers, with their white elephant-faces-sans-trunks helmets come for Poe, he hides the map in his BB-like spherical droid (model BB-8) sort of like they did with tripod-droid R2D2, in a galaxy 38 years ago. Poe is apprehended, but Finn, a moral-conscience-growing, defecting stormtrooper (John Boyega), helps him escape torture by one Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who, like Darth Vader before him, also wears a mask/helmet with a Nazi-flair, replete with a bottom-of-the-oceansounding altered voice, and who, in times of trouble, prays to the smashed, unholy relic of Vader’s actual helmet. Poe and Finn steal a spaceship, get shot down, and crash-land on planet Jakku—very desert-y. Finn leaves Poe for dead, and runs into Rey, a fierce, beautiful “scavenger” (Daisy Ridley, looking and sounding like—with very similar mouth-movements to—Keira Knightly). They end up in the Millennium Falcon, which, like the old hot-rod it is, is up on blocks and needs a tune-up. Rey’s a class-A mechanic
A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. Yoda
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Director J.J. Abrams Starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Peter Mayhew Running Time 2 hours, 15 minutes Rated PG-13 Release Date Dec. 18
and pilot, and thus ensues some spectacular Falcon versus First Order TIE-fighter, dogfight footage. Eventually, who should happen along but— take a wild guess—original Falcon owner Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his auburn-hairy galactic big-foot copilot, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). What else? Kylo Ren’s got a wicked, Western broadsword-version of a light-saber and is clearly a Kendo black belt, but the Force is strong with the fetching young Rey. So what’ve we got so far? Secret droid map, masked bad guy, and the humungous Starkiller Base, which is a giant Death Star that siphons energy from a neighboring sun, all the better to fry neighboring planets with. Sound familiar? Were you around in ‘77? Plot Delivers, Acting Less So “Force Awakens” is easily better than the 2000s Star Wars prequel episodes one through three combined; then again, that might not be saying much. But J.J. Abrams has definitely found a way to satisfyingly copy the original. What’s not so fun is that, like Chris Rock says, Harrison Ford looks, “tired-tired-tired!” Hard to compete with one’s much younger, incorrigible, strapping, snarky, sneering, ladykiller self. Carrie Fisher fares a bit better since she doesn’t try to compete with her youth, but embraces Leia in all her matronly, villageelder-matriarch status. For a big guy, Adam Driver might be a tad too lightweight for such an extreme baddie. The performance lacks heft. Then again, it may just be that my imagination will forever be shut down to his future endeavors, forever inundated by that goofball idiot he plays on “Girls.” I found I was not an instant fan of the constantly running, wheezing, sweating, slightlygirly-hysterical, (but often quite funny) chipmunk-cheeked John Boyega. He almost got into Jar Jar Binks territory there for a minute—almost. It’s the character, not the actor, that irritated a bit. The Force: The Movie Version “The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power. It is also the object of the Jedi and Sith monastic orders.” George Lucas: “Similar phrases have been used extensively by many different people for the last 13,000 years to describe the ‘life force.’” Obi-Wan Kenobi: “It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” Darth Vader: “The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet.” Yoda: “A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force.”
At one time, Harrison Ford had roles in the top five box office hits of all time.
The Force: The Real Deal What is high-level Jedi-ism? What is the Force? In Star Wars, it refers to the ability of a highlevel martial-artist-knight, a Jedi—to use supernormal abilities. Oh, what—you don’t think supernormal abilities actually exist? Not even the ones in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?” Bunch of New Age nuttiness? Hardly. There are six scientifically documented supernormal abilities. Science is slowly catching up, and it’s got a
long way to go: Eastern martial arts philosophies speak of 10,000 latent human supernormal abilities. And what begets a supernormal ability? An impeccably high moral character, and the transformation of karmic energy into virtue. Whaaat? Yes. Supernormal abilities exist like seeds. You scoff? Why? Because if you split open a California pine cone, you can’t find a 2.7 million pound, 275-foot-tall, 100-foot-wide sequoia in there? So why, you counter, can Vader before him and now the evil Kylo Ren command the Force? Why are they able to tap supernormal abilities with such low morality/vibrational frequencies? Severely compacted karma can also exert a force on supernormal abilities. Maybe I just made all that up. But just maybe, Star Wars fans, instead of putting on an ObiWan robe, and tinkering up an actual lightsaber like that guy on Facebook, maybe someday you’ll get down on the mat, take up a serious meditation practice, and study Gong Fu at high levels. Here’s the thing though—supernormal abilities can’t be shown off or demonstrated. That’s why you don’t know about them. Yet. Maybe someday you too, can tap into … the Force. This is, of course, only one minor aspect. The Force is boundless. Smiley emoticon.
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December 25–31, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
Italian Clothier
EREDI PISANÒ
Celebrates 14 Years of Style in New York
Dr. Lucio Caputo from the Italian Wine and Food Institute.
By Benjamin Chasteen | Epoch Times Staff
Theater Review
The Eredi Pisanò boutique on Madison Avenue was packed with brand ambassadors celebrating 14 years in New York on Dec. 8. The “Made in Italy” heritage is a favorite among celebrities such as Rashad Jennings of the New York Giants and actor Cas Anvar who stars in the upcoming SyFy TV series “The Expanse.” The boutique was abuzz with local fashionistas and dapper gents like Prakash Sadhwani of Satnam Inc., Dr. Lucio Caputo from the Italian Wine and Food Institute, and Juliet Morrison of Nest Fragrances.
The 14th anniversary celebration of Eredi Pisanò boutique on Madison Avenue in New York on Dec. 8.
A representative from International Winemasters, pours wine for guests.
Actor Cas Anvar (L) with Eredi Pisanò manager Albert Ng.
(L-R) Author June Archer, Corey Pace from Panda Industries, and DJ Diamond “The Artist.”
Adam Ainsworth from the Epoch Media Group and Juliet Morrison of Nest Fragrances.
(L-R) Prakash Sadhwani, president at Satnam Inc; Rashad Jennings of the New York Giants; and actor Cas Anvar.
Fashion enthusiast at Eredi Pisanò boutique.
Anny Breton at the 14th anniversary celebration.
A man tries on a scarf in the Eredi Pisanò boutique on Madison Avenue in New York on Dec. 8.
CAROL ROSEGG
Thorton Wilder and Our Small Place in the Universe By Judd Hollander NEW YORK—The fragility and fleetingness of life is examined by the Peccadillo Theater Company in its excellent presentation of “A Wilder Christmas,” the umbrella title for two rarely performed one-act works by Thornton Wilder. Both “The Long Christmas Dinner” and “Pullman Car Hiawatha” quietly and powerfully examine just how short our time on this planet actually is. ‘The Long Christmas Dinner’ Spanning the years 1840–1930, “The Long Christmas Dinner” offers snapshots of an extended family as it changes over the generations, seen via the December 25th holiday meal. While the characters each stand out on their own, it’s the strength of the story that makes one want to see how things turn out. Certain habits and expressions of the characters are passed down through the years. One expression, “only the passage of time will help,” responds to family deaths—be they the sudden passing of a child or the loss of a grown son in war. By the end of the play, a sort of circular progression has taken place. The first scene connects with the last, albeit in a different location and with different characters, as one tradition ends and another begins. ‘Pullman Car Hiawatha’ The second story takes place on the Pullman railroad car Hiawatha as it travels between New York and Chicago on the night of Dec. 21, 1930. With the helpful guidance of Stage Manager (Michael Sean McGuinness), the audience is allowed insights into the lives of the passengers. The passengers include an out-of-work engineer (Brad Fryman), wondering if his old firm will take him back; a young man (Jeremy Russial), going to see the woman he loves; a maiden lady (Barbra Wengerd), planning to spend Christmas with relatives; and an insane woman (Giselle Wolf), being transported to a hospital. No sooner are these situations established then things turn existential, and the play takes the audience to an entirely new plane of reference. We see the Earth’s place in the solar system and, indeed, the entire universe—a place where those judged insane
The actions of the characters, while sometimes seeming small, often reveal something much bigger when one looks at the entire picture.
The ‘Hiawatha’ passes Grover’s Corners, a town that reappears in ‘Our Town.’
‘A Wilder Christmas’ Theatre at St. Clements 423 W. 46th St. Tickets 866-811-4111 or ThePeccadillo.com Running Time 1 hour, 45 minutes (one intermission) Closes Jan. 10, 2016
(L–R) Giselle Wolf, Brad Fryman, Barbra Wengerd, and John Pasha in the rarely produced “The Long Christmas Dinner” by Thornton Wilder. in our world may in fact be the sanest of all. The Effect Ironically, neither play has much to do with Christmas. The first could easily take place at any family meal, while the second has only a few lines about the holiday. Wilder uses these settings to show not only how little time we all actually spend in this world, but also how little we learn while we’re here. In “The Long Christmas Dinner” it’s continually mentioned how the family history is written down in a book somewhere—though quite likely it isn’t. Rather, various chronicles are passed down through memories of those who’ve actually lived them to those who hear about it firsthand, to those who question it, and finally, to those for whom they have ceased to have meaning. In “Hiawatha,” a character dies and is immediately filled with regret. The regret is not for what the character did while alive, but for what she didn’t do—both in terms of accomplishments and for not letting the ones she loved know how important they were to her. Whereas “Christmas Dinner” looks inward toward family, “Hiawatha” looks outward. The train passes though many small towns of which the passengers are unaware, as well as past the body of a German workman (Jamil Chokachi) who died while building the railroad line. This death recalls the idea that there is always something bigger than ourselves— be it just over the horizon or just beyond our frame of reference. The acting is enjoyable throughout. The
actions of the characters, while sometimes seeming small, often reveal something much bigger when one looks at the entire picture. A new wife (Anna Marie Sell) takes the seat at the head of the table from an aging matriarch (Wolf) in “The Long Christmas Dinner,” thus indicating the inevitable changing of the guard. There’s also a husband and wife (John Pasha, Sell) quarreling before they go to bed, in separate compartments, on the train in “Hiawatha.” The two have terrible regrets later on, but by then it may be too late to make things right. Standouts among the cast in “Hiawatha” include Wolf as the Insane Woman, Sell as Harriet, McGuinness as the genial yet allknowing Stage Manager, and LaMar Giles, who switches effortlessly between comic relief as a Pullman Porter and a more dramatic turn as an Archangel. Far more than a simple holiday treat, “A Wilder Christmas” shows the importance of appreciating both your life and the lives of those around you before they and you become little more than a mention in a long-neglected book that’s been tossed in a corner gathering dust—if even that. It’s a sobering fact, which we would all do well to remember. Also in the cast are James Beaman, Victoria Blankenship, Kristin Parker, Barbara Salant, Gael Schaefer, Rafe Terrizzi, Merissa Czyz, and LaWanda Hopkins. Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London newspaper The Stage.
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Twelfth Night Festival Dec. 26–Jan. 6 St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway & Fulton Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street Music of the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods rubs shoulders with music by living composers, including premieres by Daniel Felsenfeld, David Lang, Tarik O’Regan, and Gerald Busby. Free. TrinityWallstreet.org
Julian Wachner conducts the Choir of Trinity Wall Street's first performance of “Bach At One," at St. Paul’s Chapel in Manhattan in 2012.
THINGS TO DO VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger’s Drawings from the Collection of Ricky Jay Jan. 8–April 11 Metropolitan Museum of Art This installation of drawings, prints, and related ephemera by the German artist and performer Matthias Buchinger (1674–1739) explores for the first time the oeuvre of the so-called “Little Man of Nuremberg.” $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Vintage Masters: Iconic Photographs 1835–1996 Through Jan. 9 Throckmorton Fine Art 145 East 57th St., 3rd Fl. Eugène Atget was born in Libourne, near Bordeaux, in 1857, and worked as a sailor during his youth; from the sea he turned to the stage, with no more than minor success; at forty he quit acting, and after a tentative experiment with painting Atget became a photographer, and began his true life’s work. throckmorton-nyc.com Fashion and Virtue: Textile Patterns and the Print Revolution, 1520–1620 Through Jan. 10 Metropolitan Museum of Art Printed sources related to the design of textile patterns first appeared during the Renaissance. Six intricate interlaced designs, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and later copied by Albrecht Dürer, stood at the beginning of a fruitful international exchange of pattern designs through print. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Marvin E. Newman: Sequentially Sought Through Jan. 30 Howard Greenberg Gallery, 41 E. 57th St., Suite 1406 An exhibition of photographs by Marvin E. Newman made in New York and Chicago in the 1950s. Free. HowardGreenberg.com
ENDING IN MANHATTAN Celebrating Sax: Instruments and Innovation Through Jan. 3 Metropolitan Museum of Art This special display of instruments made by three generations of the Sax family marks the bicentenary of the birth of Adolphe Sax. Rare saxophones, brass instruments, and an exquisite ivory clarinet are among the twenty-six instruments selected to showcase the inventions and innovations of
this important family. $12– $25 suggested. METMuseum.org
PERFORMING ARTS
Pattern, Color, Light: Architectural Ornament in the Near East (500–1000) Through Jan. 3 Metropolitan Museum of Art This exhibition features examples of architectural ornament from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey that were found at sites ranging in date from approximately 500 to 1000. Few buildings from this period survive fully intact, but the pieces of walls, ceilings, and floors that remain shed light on the ingenious ways that artisans created sumptuous interiors and stately facades. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
NEW IN MANHATTAN
Arms and Armor Through Jan. 3 Metropolitan Museum of Art The permanent collection of the Department of Arms and Armor is one of the most encyclopedic in the world. To highlight the ongoing development of the collection’s multicultural and interdisciplinary nature, this exhibition focuses on approximately forty works from Europe, the United States, Japan, India, and Tibet acquired between 2003 and 2014. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Die Fledermaus Through Jan. 7 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
Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche Through Jan. 6 Metropolitan Museum of Art The Museum continues a longstanding holiday tradition with the presentation of its Christmas tree, a favorite of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Drawings and Prints Through Jan. 7 Metropolitan Museum of Art The Robert Wood Johnson, Jr. Gallery displays highlights of European and American prints, drawings, and illustrated books from the Museum’s vast holdings of works on paper. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
ONGOING ELSEWHERE Greater New York Through March 7 MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, Queens MoMA PS1 presents the fourth iteration of its landmark exhibition series, begun as a collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art in 2000. Recurring every five years, the exhibition has traditionally showcased the work of emerging artists living and working in the New York metropolitan area. Suggested $10. MoMAPS1.org
Les Pêcheurs de Perles Dec. 31–Feb. 4, 2016 Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza Bizet’s gorgeous opera of lust and longing set in the Far East returns to the Met stage for the first time in 100 years. Soprano Diana Damrau stars as Leïla, the beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. From $27. MetOpera.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
The Flick Through Jan. 10 Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow St. In a run-down movie theater in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the floors and attend to one of the last 35-millimeter film projectors in the state. $59–$99.50. BarrowStreetTheatre.com Fiddler on the Roof Starts Dec. 20 Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific and The King and I bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. $39–$227. FiddlerMusical.com
ENDING IN MANHATTAN La Donna del Lago Through Dec. 26 Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza Joyce DiDonato reprises her stunning portrayal of the “lady of the lake” in Rossini’s dazzling bel canto showcase set in the medieval Scottish highlands. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee is the king who pursues her. Rossini master Michele Mariotti conducts the operatic adaptation of Sir Walter Scott’s classic. From $25. MetOpera.org The Barber of Seville Through Jan. 2 Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza
High spirits return for the holidays in the Met’s familyfriendly, English-language, two-hour adaptation of one of opera’s most winning comedies. From $25. MetOpera.org George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker Through Jan. 3 Metropolitan Opera Tchaikovsky’s iconic score transports you to a world of wonder where mischievous mice are foiled by toy soldiers come to life, and a blizzard of ballerinas reveals the enchanting Land of Sweets. $20–$265. MetOpera.org Radio City Christmas Spectacular Through Jan. 3 Radio City Music Hall 1260 6th Ave The Rockettes bring all of the joy of the holiday season to you and yours at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. $49–$250. radiocity.com The Count Meets the Duke: The Andersons Play Basie
and Ellington Nightly Through Jan. 3 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th St. Coming off their 2013 Drama Desk nominated show Le Jazz Hot, jazz virtuoso saxophonists and clarinetists Peter and Will Anderson perform the hits of big band legends Count Basie and Duke Ellington. $25. 59E59.org
MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN Katya Grineva, A Classical Holiday Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall Russian pianist Katya Grineva returns for her 15th appearance at Carnegie Hall. $35–$95. CarnegieHall.org New York String Orchestra Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall The New York String
Orchestra bids farewell to the old year with Barber’s heartfelt Adagio for Strings and an orchestral arrangement of Schubert’s dramatic “Death and the Maiden” String Quartet. $15– $65. CarnegieHall.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Twelfth Night Festival Dec. 26–Jan. 6 St. Paul’s Chapel, Broadway & Fulton Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street Music of the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods rubs shoulders with music by living composers, including premieres by Daniel Felsenfeld, David Lang, Tarik O’Regan, and Gerald Busby. Free. TrinityWallstreet.org
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Epoch Times, December 25–31, 2015
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