SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
Shen Yun Returns to New Jersey Classical Chinese dance next chapter of Newark’s legacy of revival.
RICHARD TERMINE
‘Henry IV Part I’ at BAM Remember your allies and the promises you’ve made them in your climb to the top.
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Artist Brendan Johnston’s
Profound Search to Affirm Life
Brendan Johnston in his studio at Grand Central Atelier in Long Island City, Queens, on March 25.
A glimpse into the atelier art movement By Milene Fernandez | Epoch Times Staff
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EW YORK—Brendan Johnston likes to keep his artistic choices open and varied, yet steady. The young artist has calibrated his
internal compass to keep him on course in the artistic tradition of the old masters, and yet he’s perfectly at ease with not knowing yet exactly how he wants to distinguish himself. His confidence rests in the search, in little discoveries, in that stirring process of refinement toward mastery.
Art ought to reflect or deeply relate to life. There has to be some aspect of some moral quotient because you have to try, on some level, to be a good person, and that extends to fine art. Brendan Johnston
“How do you treat contours? Do you create a sense of more movement in the figure by having multiple undecided contours, or do you decide on a finished one?” he asked rhetorically. “In one portrait I might want to do a very tightly rendered profile with a precise line. Maybe it’s the model who inspires that. Or I might want to do one that is more structurally based with a little bit more of a Russian influence, and then I might try to do something in the middle,” Johnston said. He spread a portfolio full of drawings on the floor of his studio space at Grand Central Atelier, where he teaches and works as an artist in residence. Each drawing revealed his exquisite skill. He had drawn Michelangelo sculptures that he luckily had permission to spend time with for weeks in the Medici Chapel in Florence.
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April 22–28, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Artist Brendan Johnston’s
Profound Search to Affirm Life A glimpse into the atelier art movement Profound Search continued from C1 “I love trying to access these cultural objects from as many angles as possible. To understand Michelangelo’s works you have to do it through drawing, sculpting, and art history. My goal was trying to understand what went into making those sculptures and the mind behind them. That experience was just absolutely incredible,” Johnston said. “My big thing with Michelangelo was trying to access his mind,” he added. A Life Immersed in Art Johnston has been immersed in fine art ever since he can remember. He grew up living just five blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has visited so often that he almost considers The MET an extension of his own living room. As a child he had a deep desire to become a fine artist, but it took some time for him to find the place where he could fully dedicate himself. After earning his degree in art history at McGill University in Montreal, he tried several fine art schools for short stints—with differing degrees of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. “I had a clear idea of how I wanted to go about doing it. Through enough looking [at art and schools], I knew the right type of education that would be needed to create the kinds of paintings I was interested in,” he said. Through a friend of his father’s, he met an alumnus of the Florence Academy of Art, Andrea J. Smith. She taught him cast drawing and introduced him to the atelier art world, when she was running The Harlem Studio of Art. “She helped me to train my eye very well. She was really rigorous in getting you to see differences, to replicate values,” Johnston said about Smith. Smith eventually founded another atelier in Rome where she currently teaches. Shortly before her move abroad, Johnston started studying in full force at Grand Central Academy in Midtown Manhattan—the precursor of Grand Central Atelier (GCA), now in Long Island City. Recalling his first impression of GCA Johnston said, “It was packed full of young people who were very hungry to learn. The language the teachers were using to explain what is going on in the physical world was very precise. They were good at communicating; they were enthusiastic, and energetic—grappling with these very complicated difficult concepts and methods. The bar of expectation was extraordinarily high, and I realized it was something that I could throw my whole self into.” At GCA Johnston started learning more rigorously how to understand the real physicality of the three dimensional object, how it moves in space, and how to model form. Copying masterpieces was just one aspect of his training, requiring much awareness.
Painting is essentially educated seeing, because you consciously have to absorb the subject, make sense of it, and then make complex decisions about it. Brendan Johnston
“Laocoon Head” (academic painting of a cast), 2010, by Brendan Johnston. Oil on linen.
On average people may look at a painting for just over a minute. When Johnston studies one of his favorite works he may look at it for about 15 minutes, but if he would copy that same painting, he would spend at least 300 hours looking at it. “Painting is essentially educated seeing because you consciously have to absorb the subject, make sense of it, and then make complex decisions about it,” he said. Connecting With Life Johnston may start the day drawing or painting and end the day sculpting. He and Jacob Collins, the artist and founder of GCA, sculpted side by side during a model’s first sitting for the sculpture they had started that day. Both expressed how much they enjoyed the change of dynamic, going from sitting or standing still while painting to moving around while sculpting. They would add small balls of clay at a fast pace, occasionally pausing to make a quick measurement. The level of concentration and quiet energy in the studio was thick and invigorating. Johnston and Collins looked as if they were wrestling with each other in a friendly match, but instead they were wresting with creating their own sculptures of the model’s head, as fast, as accurately, and as artfully as possible. Johnston expressed how working in one mode or genre could unlock the hurdle of another. “Each one offers something different. Each one has a certain limitation and frustration for me, so working on the next one is a desire to find a different approach to grappling with the limitation of the previous one,” Johnston said. For example, once when he was sculpting a model with beautiful olive skin, he suddenly realized he would not be able to represent the skin tone in the sculpture. While he varies his subject matter or medium, all of his works are integrated by the same intention of deeply connecting with whatever he chooses to draw, paint, or sculpt. “The works that I really respond to are the ones that I see as profoundly connecting to life, and that can be varied. ... I am interested in looking for how to connect with nature, with people, whatever the subject may be,” he said. “Art ought to correlate to life, or somehow reflect or deeply relate to life. There has to be some aspect of some moral quotient because I think you have to try, on some level, to be a good person and therefore that extends to fine art,” he added. Atelier Movement of This Century Johnston summed up, to some extent, a common denominator of the atelier art movement. Although marginalized from the mainstream art scene and market, it continues to evolve while reaffirming a timeless tradition. The atelier art movement coexists in time but not in sensibility with contemporary art.
Following the old masters, the sensibility of atelier artists is rooted more in processing emotions in a measured way and in making more conscious decisions, than in giving feelings free rein to be spattered about without much thought. “It’s a complex variety of different things that an artist is going through and dealing with, but if you are sensitive to it, you can access that sort of intelligent mind struggling with certain pictorial and sculptural problems,” Johnston said about the old masters. Looking back at his art history studies, he remembered that the more he would study modern and post-modern contemporary art the more disillusioning it became. “The artist that I am let down by would be the ones who are interested in mocking or destroying the past, or those who use art as a marketing ploy. That’s when I check out,” he said. “Andy Warhol in some respects was really on to certain things that were occurring in the culture, so I enjoyed reading and thinking about that, but there was also a sneaking suspicion in my mind that his work is not all that profound, there is always some aspect of it being a little bit of a joke,” he added. Once Johnston started to make fine art, especially in connection with GCA, it was as if a veil of pretense had been lifted. It became much harder for him to go into contemporary art museums. “That sort of suspended disbelief— that a series of colored panels, for example, was chasing after something really important or deep—was gone. That doesn’t describe aspects of life that I think are worth expressing or thinking about or spending huge amounts of time on. The human mind is suited for something far more profound to contemplate,” he said. Johnston expressed his nostalgia for the past, but then pointed out that it’s consistent with the tradition. “I think Michelangelo went through the same thing. The majority of what he made was nostalgic for Antique Statuary. And in the 19th century Ingres was enormously nostalgic for Greek and Roman statues. He ran the French Academy in Rome for a while, and I think it’s a little bit the same with us, too—nostalgia for the old masters. But we are even further away in time, and now it’s even revelatory to be able to represent life. I love it,” he said as his eyes sparkled. Brendan Johnston’s work can be seen in a group show at Eleventh Street Arts in Long Island City, Queens, until June 3. Artist talks will be held on May 4 at 6 pm. EleventhStreetArts.com ”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.
(Top left to right) Brendan Johnston with his drawings of Michelangelo sculptures; Johnston’s drawings and sculptures, including his copy of the sculpture of Giuliano de Medici by Michelangelo, at Grand Central Atelier on March 25. (Bottom left to right) Brendan Johnston (R) and Jacob Collins, founder of Grand Central Atelier, sculpt at the atelier on March 7. Brendan Johnston’s drawings of Michelangelo sculptures and a terra-cotta sculpture in progress.
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April 22–28, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
Shen Yun Returns to Center That Enlivened Newark Classical Chinese dance next chapter of Gateway City’s legacy of revival By Larry Ong | Epoch Times Staff
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he New Jersey Performing Arts Center was built on the strong support and determination of local residents to have a world-class theater that could host worldclass shows and bring life back to a city that was in slow decline. In 1997, the industrialinspired, 3,352-seater performing arts center in downtown Newark was completed, and it helped revitalize the local arts scene and the Gateway City itself. From April 29 to May 1, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center will again host a nonprofit classical Chinese dance company that is having the same impact on traditional Chinese culture that the classy, red-brick theater had for the city of Newark—a revival of the arts. The company seeks to revive China’s nearly lost, 5,000-year-old divinely inspired civilization through forms like classical Chinese dance. “We are excited to again welcome Shen Yun back to Newark,” wrote Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka in a letter of support to Shen Yun Performing Arts. “The manner and power with which Shen Yun has revived an ancient art and empowered new audiences with them speaks to how our 350-year-old city has transformed and energized itself to become an international leader in so many areas, including the arts and culture.”
Ras J. Baraka, mayor, Newark
JIM HENDERSON/PD
During the 2016 season, Shen Yun will make stops in over 100 cities worldwide. For more information about Shen Yun, visit ShenYun.com
ALL PHOTOS BY RICHARD TERMINE
Theater Review
Tale for the Ages: Intolerance and Tolerance Among Faiths By Diana Barth NEW YORK—Set in Jerusalem in 1192, this morality tale written in the 18th century by German writer Gotthold Ephraim Lessing readily and painfully translates to events in our own time. The play (translation by Edward Kemp) deals with religious intolerance by spinning an intricate tale, presenting us with examples—and clashes—of the three major Western religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Presented by the Classic Stage Company and directed by Brian Kulick, it stars F. Murray Abraham in the title role. The play begins with Nathan, a Jewish merchant, just having returned from a buying trip to learn that his daughter, Rachel (Erin Neufer), has been saved from a disastrous fire by the intervention of a Christian knight, a Templar (Stark Sands). When Nathan finds the heroic Templar to thank him for his deed, the Templar initially is less than welcoming. His prejudice against Jews is so powerful that he wants no dealings of any kind with a Jew. In the course of events, however, his attitude will change. The Templar has his own story to tell. He was happily saved from execution by the powerful Muslim Saladin (Austin Durant) because of the Templar’s resemblance to Saladin’s beloved brother, who had been killed. Although prejudices basically run deep, there are specific relationships that appear to break the rules—written and unwritten. The Christian woman Daya (Caroline Lagerfelt) conscientiously takes care of Nathan’s daughter and
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A Local Tradition Audience members who saw Shen Yun at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in recent years found the experience educational, relaxing, and uplifting. “The costumes were incredible, the talent was amazing—the musicians, the opera singer, the soprano was incredible. … It was really, really wonderful,” said Mrs. Inya Chehade, an executive director at a mental health and housing solutions nonprofit who saw Shen Yun with her husband and son. “I was just blown away.
I loved the fact that we learned so much about the Chinese culture.” “There were these very profound spiritual messages that can relate to people from all different religious backgrounds, or just human backgrounds. … I am thrilled with this production and I am going to make sure next year I have many tickets for my friends,” said Theresa Napolitano, founder and general manager of the Law Office of Theresa M. Napolitano. “It made me feel relaxed,” said Leo McKenzie, a retired accountant. “The music for me was excellent … the orchestra was terrific.” Pat Comly, an adoption social worker who took her adopted Chinese daughter to see Shen Yun, said, “The meaning of the songs [encompass] ancient culture that is thousands and thousands of years old. It just moves the heart. It’s great to see the culture kept alive and shown across the world, but unfortunately not in China.” “It’s more amazing than I ever thought it could be,” said Greg Stiles, a former councilor of Mount Hope in Orange County, New York. “The colors, the stories, the action, the skill, the dance, and the music; it’s just all very spectacular.”
The play leaves one considering how alike rather than different we all are.
‘Nathan the Wise’ Classic Stage Company 136 E. 13th St. Tickets 212-352-3101, or ClassicStage.org Running Time 2 hours, 5 minutes (one intermission) Closes May 1
F. Murray Abraham plays The powerful Muslim Saladin (Austin Durant) and his sister, Sittah (Shiva Kalaiselvan), who had to convert to Christianity in order to marry a Christian. the title character in a timely look at religious intolerance. greatly respects Nathan, feeling that he is a good person in spite of his being a Jew. Nathan himself has a great friend in the Muslim Al-Hafi (George Abud). In one scene, Abud treats us to an excellent performance of the Muslim evening prayers. Saladin’s sister, Sittah (Shiva Kalaiselvan), who had to convert to Christianity in order to marry a Christian, nevertheless speaks against Christians in general. In sum, it appears that individuals can overcome their prejudices if they become personally involved in a favorable situation with someone of another faith. When Nathan is summoned to meet with Saladin, as a test, the latter asks the merchant to name God’s preferred faith. Nathan gives his answer by means of relating a tale. In the story, a father wished to hand down to his son a precious family heirloom, a valuable ring. Unfortunately, there were three sons but only one ring. So the father had two exact duplicates made of the ring and gave one to each son, each of whom thought that his was the original. Since there was no easy way to prove which was the original, it ended up that each ring was equally valuable. According to Nathan’s story, the rings stood for the three religions— each of equal value. There are complexities along the way. A romantic situation develops between Rachel and the Templar, resulting in an unexpected conclusion. With the reins held by artistic director Brian Kulick, the indomitable F. Murray Abraham readily takes stage with his complex charac-
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The red-brick New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) helped revitalized the downtown arts scene.
in classical Chinese dance, allowing its movements to be richly expressive, such that the personalities and feelings of characters can be portrayed with unparalleled clarity.” The colorfully costumed Shen Yun dancers leap, flip, and tumble gracefully to the harmonious melodies of a full orchestra that features both Eastern and Western instruments. Shen Yun Orchestra’s unique ensemble is capable of playing a wide range of highly expressive tunes to complement the stories that are being told on stage. According to interviews with the composers, this is because they take the approach of having the traditional Chinese instruments lead the melodies, and allow the grandeur of the Western orchestra to provide harmony. And the powerful vocals of opera singers trained in the authentic bel canto technique have raised thunderous applause from concertgoers everywhere. Singing about life, the human condition, and the divine, every performance by Shen Yun’s soprano and tenor vocalists aim to spark soothing moments of deep introspection.
EP O C
The History Based in upstate New York, Shen Yun has for a decade enthralled audiences around the world with scenes from the heavens, vignettes from Chinese myths and legends, and modern tales of compassion and steadfast perseverance through dance, song, and music. The authentic traditional Chinese culture that Shen Yun presents cannot be seen in mainland China today, because it has been all but wiped out under communist rule. With a history almost as long as the Chinese civilization, classical Chinese dance is the perfect art form to depict the majesty of an emperor’s court or relive the upbeat, playful folk traditions. According to the Shen Yun website, “China’s deep cultural traditions are contained
We are excited to again welcome Shen Yun back to Newark.
terization. Caroline Lagerfelt as Daya, doubling as the stern Patriarch, also makes a strong impression. Erin Neufer, though a skilled actress, projects a contemporary quality that is troubling. Perhaps the strongest impression the play leaves one with is how alike rather than different we all are, once we get to know one another. I am reminded of efforts at interfaith projects such as conductor Daniel Barenboim and the late academic Edward Said’s creation of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. The orchestra intermixes instrumentalists of different faiths in an effort to promote peace among those who differ in belief. Director Kulick made this production more in the manner of presentational theater, like a Brechtian presentation, rather than as a straightforward realistic play: All players remain seated in one row upstage until it’s their turn to enter. Costumes by Anita Yavich are witty and specific, with each player wearing a robe with the lettering of his or her specific language printed thereon: Hebrew letters for the Jews, Arabic (I believe) for the Muslims. Scenic design by Tony Straiges consists primarily of Middle-Eastern rugs moved or rolled and unrolled by the players themselves to indicate change of locale. I found it an interesting effort. The production is not only entertaining, it is educational and thought-provoking—an extremely worthwhile evening in the theater. Diana Barth writes for various publications, including New Millennium. She may be contacted at diabarth@juno.com
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April 22–28, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY RICHARD TERMINE
Theater Review
Power Demands Attention to Responsibility By Judd Hollander
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EW YORK—Remember your allies and the promises you’ve made them in your climb to the top, warns William Shakespeare in “Henry IV Part I.” Now at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Harvey Theater as part of the series “King and Country: Shakespeare’s Great Cycle of Kings,” the play is presented in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Ohio State University. King Henry IV (Jasper Britton), having ascended to the throne of England, learns all too quickly that winning a battle is not nearly as difficult as keeping the peace. Dissension comes from the Percy clan in Scotland and their relatives in Wales. These former supporters are angered that the new king treats them more as conquered subjects than people who have power in their own lands and with it a certain expectation of rights. The discontented include the impetuous Harry Percy (Matthew Needham), also known as Hotspur; his father, the Earl of Northumberland (Sean Chapman); and his uncle, the Earl of Worcester (Antony Byrne). While the king deals with these problems, he also bemoans that his son, Hal (Alex Hassell), is living as a wastrel in the Eastcheap taverns. Drinking and whoring, he acquires what money he needs through theft and guile. Among Hal’s companions is Sir John Falstaff (Antony Sher), an aging, rotund fellow who’s clearly seen better days. Falstaff is something of a coward, a teller of tall tales, and first and foremost, a survivor. Hal hasn’t forgotten his royal roots. Instead he’s trying to grab as much enjoyment out of life as he can before taking the role of prince of the realm. Hal’s turning point comes when he learns the Percy family has turned to open revolt. Hal races to his father’s side with several of his companions in tow, including a very unhappy Falstaff. Upon returning home, Hal finds he must not only help defeat his father’s enemies, but also the king’s lingering feelings of disapproval for his son’s recent actions. “Henry IV Part I” contains more exposition than most Shakespeare’s plays. Numerous scenes add depth although they are not technically essential to the plot. A scene with Hotspur shows his ravenous taste for battle, offset by the deep love/mock hate relationship with his wife (Jennifer Kirby). In another (one of the funniest scenes of the play), Hotspur explodes in rage when recounting how, for family’s sake, he has to keep silent while his father-in-law (Joshua Richards) recounts endless tales of past exploits.
Prince Hal, King Henry, and Hotspur all face up to the responsibilities their positions, conscience, and honor demand.
‘Henry IV Part I’ BAM, Harvey Theater 651 Fulton St., Brooklyn Tickets 718-636-4100, or BAM.org Running Time 3 hours, 5 minutes (one intermission) Closes April 30
Falstaff (Antony Sher) shows us the voice of the cynical realist.
(Front) Hot-headed Hotspur (Matthew Needham), (L) his uncle, the Earl of Worcester (Antony Byrne), and father, the Earl of Northumberland (Sean Chapman). They are not satisfied with the way Henry IV treats them; all three were his supporters in the past. The play also includes several lengthy episodes involving Falstaff, Hal, and their friends at the tavern. While many productions edit out some of these scenes for brevity, it’s refreshing to see them included for the added insights they contain. These include a musical interlude involving Hotspur’s brother-in-law, Lord Mortimer (Robert Gilbert), and his wife (Emma King), a married couple who share no common language. Throughout are several coming-of-age elements—all shown without regard to the chronological years of the participants involved. Prince Hal, King Henry, and Hotspur all face up to the responsibilities their positions, conscience, and honor demand. And in antithesis, Falstaff humorously personifies what happens when one fails in that regard, leading to the initial break between Falstaff and Hal. While the prince adapts to his role as heir apparent, Falstaff seems unwilling to move beyond the man we first see, despite his occasional proclamations to do so. The new relationship contains a bit of irony, as until recently Hal enabled Falstaff, including him in his schemes and making him the butt of endless jokes.
Book Review
‘The Devil’s Diary:
Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich’ By James Grundvig
‘The Devil’s Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich’ Authors Robert K. Wittman & David Kinney Publisher HarperCollins Pages 528 Price $27.99
Why do mass-murdering regimes, from Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge and today’s Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Party, become self-absorbed on documenting their brutality, tortures, and genocidal killings? It was the question that arose as I read “The Devil’s Diary” (HarperCollins), published on March 29, 2016. The book about the diary of one of the least known Nazi leaders covers a lot of ground, some of it familiar, much of it new. It includes how Nazi ideologue Alfred Rosenberg’s diary was recovered after it went missing more than 60 years ago at the Nuremberg Trials. What separates “The Devil’s Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich,” from other books on World War II is a combination of rare insight into the mind and into the ideology that formed the Final Solution of the Nazi leaders. Written by Robert K. Wittman and David Kinney, the co-authors use a broken linear timeline to tell the story. The first 60 pages begin at Nuremberg in 1949, with riveting details on the trial, and then it leaps to the 21st century. With
The book makes a convincing case that the Final Solution—the liquidation of European Jews—came from Alfred Rosenberg.
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At the same time, Falstaff becomes the voice of the cynical realist. While on the field of battle, he pauses to look down at a recently slain soldier and asks what good is honor when one is dead? He notes that the better part of valor is discretion. Tying together the strong acting by the entire cast is the equally strong direction by Gregory Doran. The storylines juxtapose nicely until finally coming together in a clash of steel, a strong bond of family, a sometimes grudging respect between enemies, and in at least Falstaff’s case, some loud complaints. Thanks to the entire creative team and cast, this production of “Henry IV Part I” offers a tale very well told: The audience cares about the characters and what becomes of them. Also in the cast are Martin Bassindale, Andrew Westfield, Simon Thorp, Jim Hooper, Keith Osborn, Nicholas Gerard-Martin, Simon Yadoo, Sam Marks, Sarah Parks, Daniel Abbott, Christopher Middleton, Obioma Ugoala, Evelyn Miller, Leigh Quinn, and Dale Mathurin. Judd Hollander is a member of the Drama Desk and a reviewer for StageBuzz.com
a long-shot clue that Rosenberg’s diary might be in the United States, Robert Wittman, an ex-FBI special agent, used his detective skills to recover the historical artifact on behalf of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. But it would be “patience” that broke an impasse with the keeper of the diary. The tactic, an old FBI lever to apply psychological pressure on the “mark,” worked, since the man holding the diary didn’t have insight into what the FBI knew and what crimes he might have committed. Thus, a detective’s patience paid off and forced the return of the diary. I won’t spoil how it unfolded. Why Rosenberg, Why Now “Rosenberg’s diary is one of only three written by a top Hitler aide—Goebbels and Hans Frank left behind the others—and much of it had never been studied before,” the authors wrote via email. They went on to explain that “Rosenberg was a true believer to the end” and that “he always believed in the righteousness of the cause.” So influential was Alfred Rosenberg in steering Adolf Hitler that their relationship threatened his more powerful Nazi rivals in Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels, and Heinrich Himmler. Over the years leading to the war, Rosenberg had stepped on their toes or was brushed aside as not a natural leader of their caliber. Perhaps more dangerous was his secret love affair with a Jewish woman that potentially threatened his life. Blind Loyalty to the End The book makes a convincing case that the
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April 22–28, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts S I BY L L E ’ S S T Y L E D I A RY COURTESY OF LAUREN MAKK
‘FABLife’s’ Lauren Makk
on Feeling Beautiful, Confident, and Sharing It By Sibylle Eschapasse This week’s style diary is about the very lively Lauren Makk. Makk is an interior designer and home décor and real estate expert, but she is mostly recognized as the host and home lifestylist on ABC’s hit talk show “FABLife.” Along with social media celebrity and foodie Chrissy Teigen (also John Legend’s lovely wife), fashion guru and stylist to the stars Joe Zee, and DIY YouTube sensation Leah Ashley, Makk discusses all things “fun and beautiful!” on air.
Style is empowering yourself with fabrics.
Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style? Lauren Makk: My style is bold, bright, and classic. I love mixing bright colors and bold patterns into classic silhouettes that flatter my curvaceous figure. Ms. Eschapasse: If a close friend were to describe your personality in three words, what would they be? Ms. Makk: Effervescent, charming, witty! Ms. Eschapasse: How did your style evolve since you were a teenager? Ms. Makk: I have lost over 140 pounds as an early adult, so my style evolved with my body. As I’ve learned to dress multiple sizes—often from the same wardrobe—I have found that a classic silhouette has been a constant with my evolving physique. I like a simple silhouette like pencil skirts, boot cut jeans, classic T-shirts, and often find myself loving a black and white combo with a pop of color to really mix it up. Ms. Eschapasse: What is the wildest thing you ever wore? Ms. Makk: I was obsessed with the TV show “Blossom” growing up, so when I look back and see all those vests and sunflower-inspired prints, I still cringe ... Ms. Eschapasse: How do you dress on workdays versus weekends? Ms. Makk: During workdays I love skirts, heels, button-up shirts, etcetera. On weekends, I still rock the same style, but with a more comfortable and casual approach. I keep the look, but opt for a pair of cropped jeans in lieu of a skirt, and a jean jacket with flats. Ms. Eschapasse: What are three accessories you can’t live without, and what’s one item that makes you instantly more confident? Ms. Makk: I cannot live without a good bra, the appropriate foundation garment (Spanx), and the right shoe insert. A good bra gets everyone up and at ‘em, and makes me feel confident. I am instantly most comfortable with a good undergarment, and I think it really enhances my posture, and makes me feel good knowing all my shimmy ain’t shakin’! And no one is hot if they can’t walk, so a good shoe insert can help me strut all my stuff!
Final Solution—the liquidation of European Jews—came from Rosenberg and that he was the one who convinced Hitler to act in that direction before and during the war. For his tireless loyalty to Hitler, the Führer rewarded his chief ideologue to become the director of German-controlled Russia. But as history tells it, the turning point at Stalingrad crushed that plan and sent Rosenberg and the defeated Nazi army in full retreat, back to Germany. The other main character in “The Devil’s Diary” was Nuremberg Trial prosecutor Robert Kempner. Not only did he put to death many leading Nazis, including Rosenberg (hanging), and convicted Göring (he committed suicide on the eve of his execution), but he also walked away from that landmark trial with Rosenberg’s diary. Why would the chief lawyer take evidence from such a trial? It was likely he intended to write a book that he would have exclusivity to. But for many reasons, the diary languished as the years turned into decades, not to be shared with the outside world. When I asked Wittman and Kinney why Robert Kempner never wrote the book on Rosenberg, the authors replied: “The correspondence file between Kempner and [E.P.] Dutton peter[ed] out. . . At the time he was pitching the book he was looking to the next stage of his career. He sought out teaching jobs and government posts in the United States. His dream was to work for the FBI. But in the end he found a legal niche in Germany in pursuing reparations for victims of the Nazis. Later he did write a number of
(L–R) Leah Ashley, Lauren Makk, Joe Zee, and Chrissy Teigen of “FABLife.”
Lauren Makk
other books about high-profile cases he had been involved with, from Nuremberg to Eichmann to Anne Frank.” “The Devil’s Diary” deftly writes a new chapter in the dark volume of books on Hitler and the Nazis. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect is how Rosenberg’s diary exposed the human frailties, weaknesses, and insecurities of the Nazi leaders. Why Keep a Diary? Robert Wittman is a New York Times best-selling author and, as half Japanese, he dealt with racism growing up in Baltimore. He has wondered about America’s darker side of the war with the forced internment of Japanese civilians living in the United States. On why genocidal regimes have been bent on documenting the atrocities they commit, he and his co-author concluded: “Much of what Rosenberg wrote was a pseudo-intellectual rationalization for what the Nazis did. Germans as a people had a tendency to put everything in writing. It’s also notable that they passed laws to give their actions a patina of legality and legitimacy.” Yes, a “patina” in Rosenberg’s ill mind. “The Devil’s Diary,” however, dives much deeper beneath the veneer to tell a robust and satisfying story, a study on the darker side of the human psyche. James Ottar Grundvig is CEO of Cloudnician LLC, a mobile-cloud startup with big data pull. Since 2005, James has written and published from New York City as a freelance journalist and columnist.
Ms. Eschapasse: Who have been your greatest fashion influences? Ms. Makk: Sophia Vergara, Michelle Obama, Ashley Graham. Ms. Eschapasse: Who is your style icon? Ms. Makk: Delta Burke as Ms. Suzanne Sugarbaker on “Designing Women!” Ms. Eschapasse: What does having style mean to you? In other words, please define style. Ms. Makk: To me, style is an outward expression of your innermost being. Style is empowering yourself with fabrics. Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of? What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for? Ms. Makk: My Louis Vuitton backpack for sure! It’s a classic piece that is functional and great for traveling. A classic leather jacket is something I would, and have, splurged on. I’ll wear it forever, unlike jeans. I would never spend too much money on jeans. The styles change from year to year, and my wallet can’t keep up! 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. Makk: I want to feel confident, on top of the world, and the most beautiful woman there! I had the pleasure of presenting at the Daytime Emmy Awards this past year, for which Andy South made me a custom
gown that made me feel everything I wanted! Glamorous, yet comfortable too! 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. Makk: I think that how others dress depends on how they feel. I say if you can rock it, DO IT!
Lauren’s Favorites Favorite color: Turquoise! Favorite perfume: Bond No. 9 Favorite restaurant: Meatball Shop Favorite drink: Jack Daniels and Diet Coke Favorite movie: “Gladiator” Favorite book: “A Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson Favorite quote: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” –Henry Ford Sibylle’s “Style Diary” is a column that explores style from the perspective of choices, and what that means for different people, with personal advice from some of the most stylish people in New York. Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and now lives in Manhattan. She is a journalist and a contributing writer to various publications. Sibylle is also the author of a children’s book, “Argy Boy!: A New York Dog Tale.” She may be reached at Sibylle.Eschapasse@gmail.com
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April 22–28, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts COURTESY OF GIADA VALENTI
FROM VENICE WITH LOVE April 30 at 8 p.m. The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St. Following her stunning and highly anticipated television special on PBS, singer Giada Valenti will take her audience on a magical, romantic journey, performing her own interpretations of hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s as well as recent contemporary songs. $35–$200. TheTownHall.org Giada Valenti at Madison Square Garden on March 19, 2015.
THINGS TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS ENDING IN MANHATTAN Tribeca Film Festival Through April 24 Various locations The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival includes conversations this year with successful filmmakers, artists, and executives including J.J. Abrams, Andrea Arnold, Anthony Bourdain, Francis Ford Coppola, Katie Couric, Alfonso Cuarón, Jodie Foster, Ricky Gervais, Catherine Hardwicke, Donna Karan, Baz Luhrmann, Patti Smith, Joss Whedon, Olivia Wilde, Samantha Bee, and more. $10–$40 for individual tickets. TribecaFilm.com The Somewhere Project Exhibit Through April 23
Hudson Guild, 441 W. 26th St. This exhibit showcases artwork and poetry inspired by and responding to the utopian vision of a city that’s a better place, as described in the classic lyrics of “Somewhere.” Works by participants of all ages from community centers that are part of United Neighborhood Houses—an umbrella organization of 38 New York City social service agencies—will be included. HudsonGuild.org
ENDING ELSEWHERE Neighborhood Concert: Matuto April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Queens The lively, joyous sound of Matuto entwines Brazilian folk music with the flatpicking guitars and fiery fiddling of American bluegrass. Matuto (Brazilian slang for “country
boy”) beautifully embraces Brazilian forró rhythms and the folk traditions of the American South, with instruments that include accordion, guitar, bass, triangle, and zabumba, a bass drum often used in Brazilian music. Free. www. FlushingTownHall.org
Branching Communities Together: 4th Annual Sustainable Living Empowerment Conference April 23 Saint Peter’s University, 2641 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, N.J. This intimate, communitydriven conference is meant to move people in a way to want to be the change that they would like to see in the world. It is also an opportunity for organizers and grassroots organizations to come together under one roof, share ideas, and move their respective mission(s) forward. Free,
registration required. SASGLocal.com
VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World Through July 17 Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Tisch Galleries, Second Floor The conquests of Alexander the Great transformed the ancient world, making trade and cultural exchange possible across great distances. Alexander’s retinue of court artists and extensive artistic patronage provided a model for his successors, the Hellenistic kings, who came to rule over much of his empire. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs April 27–July 24 Metropolitan Museum of Art Spectacular works of art created in the eleventh through thirteenth century from Turkmenistan to the Mediterranean. Approximately 270 objects—including ceramics, glass, stucco, works on paper, woodwork, textiles, and metalwork— from American, European, and Middle Eastern public and private collections will be shown. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
ENDING IN MANHATTAN Northern Dynasties, Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture Through April 23 Throckmorton Fine Art, 145 E. 57th St., Third Floor An exhibit of 30 early Chinese Buddhist sculptures with a focus on works from China’s Northern Dynasties, including Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi, dating from 386 to 577 A.D. ThrockMorton-NYC.com
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A New Look at a van Eyck Masterpiece Through April 24 Metropolitan Museum of Art This focus exhibition will present the findings of a recent study of Jan van Eyck’s “Crucifixion” and “Last Judgment” paintings (circa 1440–1441). These paintings and their frames have undergone technical investigations in an effort to solve long-standing mysteries about them. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org From Sèvres to Fifth Avenue: French Porcelain at The Frick Collection Through April 24 The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St. Between 1916 and 1918, Henry
Clay Frick purchased several important pieces of porcelain to decorate his New York mansion. From Sèvres to Fifth Avenue brings them together in the Portico Gallery, along with more recent acquisitions, to explore the role Sèvres porcelain played in eighteenthcentury France, as well as during America’s Gilded Age. Frick.org
PERFORMING ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Die Entführung aus dem Serail April 22–May 7 Metropolitan Opera Met Music Director James Levine returns to a work he has long cherished, Mozart’s delightful comic gem of wily captives in a harem. From $25. MetOpera.org Persée et Andromède and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges April 27 & 29, 7:30 p.m.; May 1, 2:30 p.m. MSM Opera Theater, 120 Claremont Ave. Jacques Ibert’s “Persée et Andromède” with four principals, a small chorus, and orchestra: a moving interpretation of the Greek Andromeda myth; a “Beauty and the Beast” story that this production sets in a French museum in the 1950s. Maurice Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” (The Child and the Spells), with libretto by French novelist Colette, is a playful and foreboding morality tale about a child’s remorse. $30. MSMNYC.edu
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Jewels April 23 at 8 p.m. David H. Koch Theater One of the most brilliant works in the Balanchine repertoire, Jewels manifests the multifaceted elegance of three coveted stones. $30–170. NYCBallet.com Elektra Through May 7 Metropolitan Opera The genius director Patrice Chéreau (“From the House of the Dead”) didn’t live to see his great Elektra production, previously presented in Aix and Milan, make it to the stage of the Met. But his overpowering vision lives on with soprano Nina Stemme—unmatched today in the heroic female roles of Strauss and Wagner—who portrays Elektra’s primal quest for vengeance for the murder of her father, Agamemnon. From $32. MetOpera.org
ONGOING ELSEWHERE Richard II Through April 29 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Richard II: ruler by divine right, undone through bumbling mortal wrongs. Director Gregory Doran leads the
Royal Shakespeare Company in this masterful take on Shakespeare’s incisive study of squandered sovereignty, the first chapter in the epic cycle “King and Country.” $30–$125. BAM.org Henry IV Part I Through April 30 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. War is imminent. Guilt weighs heavily on the newly crowned King Henry (Jasper Britton) after offing his rival King Richard. And Prince Hal (Alex Hassell) is carousing with ne’er-do-wells at the tavern. So begins “Henry IV Part I,” continuing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s sweeping cycle King and Country, directed by Gregory Doran. $30–$125. BAM.org Henry IV Part II Through April 30 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Henry IV’s army has suppressed the rebel uprising. But the king has fallen ill, Prince Hal (Alex Hassell) has fallen in again with the corrupting influences of Falstaff (Antony Sher), and a second uprising looms as “Henry IV Part II begins,” continuing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s sweeping cycle King and Country, directed by Gregory Doran. $30–$125. BAM.org Henry V Through May 1 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Reckless youth morphs into kingly ambition as the oncewayward Prince Hal takes full command of the crown. In the Royal Shakespeare Company’s culminating chapter of King and Country, Alex Hassell (“The Caretaker,” 2012 Winter/ Spring) reprises his role from “Henry IV,” bringing infinite nuance and humanity to the mettle-proving sovereign: wrenching self-scrutiny on the eve of battle, tongue-tied ineptitude in the face of love, lingering guilt in the wake of fatherly sin. $30–$125. BAM.org
MUSIC ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Spiral Music Wednesdays Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17th St. Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries. Free. RubinMuseum.org
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April 22–28, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY ROSALIE O’CONNOR/ BOSTON BALLET
Boston Ballet’s By Carla DeFord
B
OSTON—“Swan Lake,” the bestloved ballet in the repertoire, is set in both the everyday world and a mythological realm of spells and sorcerers. The music is familiar yet perennially fresh, and the choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, an amalgam of two sensibilities. In many ways “Swan Lake” is a symphony of opposites, its entire conception steeped in contrast. The Boston Ballet production, which debuted in 2014, underscores such antitheses. Artistic director Mikko Nissinen, who added a number of innovations to the production, said, “I planned it that way.” “Swan Lake” is the story of Prince Siegfried who falls in love with Odette, the swan queen, after meeting her on the shores of the lake that is her domain. The evil sorcerer Von Rothbart has put her under a spell that forces her to live as a swan by day and a woman by night. That spell can only be broken by a man who loves and promises to marry her. At a ball in honor of his birthday, Siegfried is duped by Von Rothbart and his accomplice Odile, who seduces him into swearing he will marry her. Realizing that he has betrayed the swan queen, he rushes back to the lakeside and apologizes. She forgives him, but although Von Rothbart’s plan is thwarted and he dies, Odette has no hope that the spell can be broken, so she and Siegfried end their lives together. That is the traditional tale, but Nissinen significantly changed it by adding a prologue, which shows events that precede Act I. In it, Von Rothbart is a handsome young man much like Siegfried (not a monster as in many productions), who kidnaps Odette and drags
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When Worlds Collide
Act 2 might be said to express the resolution of opposing forces as Odette moves from fear to trust.
‘Swan Lake’ Boston Opera House 539 Washington St., Boston Tickets 617-695-6955, or BostonBallet.org Running Time 2 hours, 30 minutes Opens/ Closes April 29–May 26
Visit www.goshowstopper.com @goshowstopper | #goshowstopper
(Top left) The Boston Ballet company in “Swan Lake.” (Top right) Lasha Khozashvili as Siegfried and Lia Cirio as Odette in “Swan Lake.” (Bottom) Anais Chalendard as the swan queen and Paulo Arrais as Siegfried in Mikko Nissinen’s production of “Swan Lake.”
wan Lake’
her into the lake. “Siegfried and Von Rothbart are similar,” noted Nissinen, “but one of them went wrong.” The contrast between the two men is highlighted when Act 1 opens with Siegfried and his friends happily celebrating his coming of age in a bucolic setting. Costume and set designer Robert Perdziola noted that the backdrop for this act was influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, and its colors are all pastels. The scene serves, in Perdziola’s words, “as a farewell to Siegfried’s childhood.” Of Act 2, Perdziola said we are plunged into the “deep, deep blue” of the lakeside, and Odette soon appears. Misa Kuranaga, who will be undertaking the role (in rotation with other ballerinas), observed that the choreography for the swan queen embodies two contrasting styles. “From the waist down, it’s classical,” said Kuranaga, “but from the waist up, it’s almost contemporary because the port de bras [positioning of the arms] has to look like a bird.” This is perhaps the most acclaimed aspect of the ballet: the illusion that Odette and her swan maidens are both human and animal, woman and bird. Lasha Khozashvili, one of the dancers playing Siegfried, noted that in Act 2 the focus is on the ballerina as she tells the prince, through movement, about her terrible fate. Khozashvili observed that the challenge for Siegfried is to maintain his connection with her while she relates her story. “At first he doesn’t understand why she’s so scared of him; he wants to help her and make her feel more comfortable,” said Khozashvili. In fact, the grand pas de deux of Act 2 might be said to express the resolution of opposing forces as Odette moves from fear to trust in Siegfried’s arms.
The happiness of that resolution does not last long, because in Act 3 Odile arrives on the scene. Since Odette wears a white tutu and Odile is dressed in black, they are profoundly contrasting figures. Both parts are played by the same ballerina, so it’s no wonder that Siegfried gets confused, but it’s also true that Odile, as Von Rothbart’s agent, does everything in her power to seduce the prince and make him betray his beloved. Boston Ballet principal dancer Paulo Arrais noted that Odile “awakens the sexual side of the prince.” Just as Von Rothbart puts Odette under a spell, Odile bewitches Siegfried in their “wild and explosive pas de deux,” said Arrais, and with her famous 32 fouetté spins. As Arrais put it, “Lust makes him lose his mind.” Siegfried returns to the lakeside in Act 4, which features Nissinen’s innovative use of fog onstage. First, the swan maidens arise out of the low-lying haze on the lake, and in the denouement the lovers run into clouds of vapor ascending from its surface. Odette chooses death rather than life as half-animal; neither she nor Siegfried can continue to exist in two worlds. Although many productions of “Swan Lake” end on a consoling note with a view of the swan queen and her prince reunited in heaven, in this one they simply vanish into a wall of mist. Based in a Boston suburb, Carla DeFord is a freelance writer with a special interest in the arts and education. Her work has appeared in such publications as CriticalDance.org, Ballet Review, The Boston Globe, School Band and Orchestra, JAZZed Magazine, Choral Director Magazine, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
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Epoch Times, April 22–28, 2016
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