'Ocean's Kingdom' Springs From Unexpected Pedigree

New York City Ballet principal dancer Amar Ramasar and Company in "Ocean's Kingdom." Photos by Paul Kolnik.

BY TAMARA BECK

THERE’S bound to be a certain amount of buzz when a member of The Beatles (Sir Paul McCartney) is commissioned to write a score for a major ballet company (New York City Ballet) by its savvy choreographer-director (Peter Martins).

Add to the excitement the commissioning of a fashion-forward designer, also the composer’s daughter (Stella McCartney), to create the costumes. Then the new ballet (“Ocean’s Kingdom”) becomes an event!

“Ocean’s Kingdom” premiered in September and is on the program for 19 Jan., 21 Jan., 24 Jan., 27 Jan and 29 Jan. Afterward, it goes into the repertory at the David H. Koch Theater. It is PMcC’s first ballet and PM’s 80th or so. The libretto is in four movements, and PMcC’s book has a plot since this is a story ballet. (See rehearsal video at http://www.nycballet.com/company/viewing.html)

Amar Ramasar, Sara Mearns, Robert Fairchild and Georgina Pazcoguin in "Ocean's Kingdom."

In Oceans’s Kingdom, Honorata (Sara Mearns), a princess of the briny deep cavorts with her handmaidens, led by Scala (Georgina Pazcoguin). Meanwhile, King Terra (Amar Ramasar) enters with his thugs known as “Terra Punks.” This invasion is also the occasion for some very nice and vigorous male-partnered movement. Prince Stone (Robert Fairchild), King Terra’s younger brother, is a lover not a warrior; he falls in love with Honorata.

Prince Stone (Robert Fairchild) and Honorata (Sara Mearns) share a tender moment in "Ocean's Kingdom."

The costumes, as designed by SMcC combine standard balletic garb – leotards, short skirts – with modern flourishes. For instance, Honorata and her crew are draped in flowing fabrics, some nicely suggestive of fish, while the Terra Punks have tattooed fabric for their costuming. King Terra wears a mohawk crown.

RF is a debonair leading man. His duets with SM are fluid (pardon the pun), but it seems as if there is always something on the stage to distract: King Terra with one of his henchmen at the back, the rising earth projected from a screen; in the second movement the colorfully zoot-suited “Drunken Lords” (Anthony Huxley, Allen Pfeiffer and David Prottas.) As for AR, a dynamic and intelligent dancer who can be very funny as he was in Susan Stroman’s “For The Love Of Duke” (See http://www.bit.ly/x3ubui), he is misused and under utilized as King Terra.

If the music in the first movement is big and portentous, with strains that sound as if they came from the movie “Exodus," the opening of the second movement is poppy and full of pep. The lightheartedness offers a chance for some comic relief as embodied by the “Drunken Lords” and the energetic sea creatures, including the “Exotic Couple” (Megan LeCrone and Craig Hall) whose dancing and costumes are lively with plenty of zing.

New York City Ballet choreographer Peter Martins, composer Paul McCartney and principal dancer Sara Mearns greet the audience after a performance of "Ocean's Kingdom."

Honorata and Prince Stone no sooner seal their love with a duet than King Terra sweeps in to capture her. She is thrown into a dungeon where she writhes. GP’s melodramatic remorse over Scala’s part in betraying her mistress to King Terra undermines the excellence of her dancing.

There is a happy ending though, when Prince Stone with Scala’s help, frees Honorata from King Terra’s fortress at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth movement. The lovers return to the ocean amid a grand processional.

“Ocean’s Kingdom” is a pleasant ballet, easy on the eyes and ears. However, this fine cast deserves more challenging material.

Visit http://http://www.nycballet.com/ to learn more about “Ocean’s Kingdom” and the New York City Ballet season.

In 'Stick Fly,' a Family That Has It All – Except

Tracie Thoms as Taylor and Dulé Hill as Kent “Spoon” LeVay, left photo, and Mekhi Phifer as “Flip” LeVay and Rosie Benton as Kimber in “Stick Fly.” Photos by Richard Termine.

BY TAMARA BECK

MONEY and privilege rarely insulate a family from its dystopias.

In Lydia R. Diamond’s “Stick Fly,” in an open run at The Cort Theatre, both money and privilege play a big part in the LeVay family dynamics.

“Stick Fly” takes place over a weekend in the LeVay’s mansion on Martha’s Vineyard. Harold, the elder son, known to all as “Flip” (Mekhi Phifer) wants to introduce his girlfriend, Kimber (Rosie Benton) to his family, including his dad, Joe (Ruben Santiago-Hudson). His brother Kent (Dulé Hill) has brought his fiancee, Taylor (Tracie Thoms), to meet the folks, too.

The LeVays are extraordinary and extremely accomplished. Joe is a neurosurgeon. Flip has followed the patriarchal business, except he is a plastic surgeon. Kent has a series of degrees. To the chagrin of his father, however, he has chosen to be a writer. Despite his father’s disappointment, even Kevin has succeeded since he is about to become a published novelist.

“Stick Fly” makes for an interesting metaphor for LRD’s examination of the LeVay clan. The play’s title comes from Taylor’s field of expertise. The neglected daughter of a prominent scholar and sociologist, Taylor is an entomologist. As she explains, since flies move so fast that it is hard for scientists to study them, they Krazy Glue them to popsicle sticks and photograph the movements of their wings.

Playwright LRD asks weighty questions about class, fealty, pride and race in “Stick Fly” – the LeVays are black – while punctuating the discussion with genuinely funny dialogue.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Dulé Hill as a father and son who ae sometimes at odds in “Stick Fly.”

Everyone in “Stick Fly” is excellent, but Condola Rashad is extremely moving as the LeVays’ maid who is forced to deal with difficult issues of family and connection. The scenes between TT and RB, which morph from fire to friendly competitiveness, also stand out.

Alicia Keys, a producer of “Stick Fly,” has written transitional music to move the action from scene to scene. These entr’actes have the potential to annoy. Or do they? In one scene, as the young folks come into the kitchen one by one, the music draws out the tension. It’s unnerving but it underscores what is going on – not allowing the “hurry-up” moment be rushed.

There is no curtain so the gorgeously architectural swoops of David Gallo’s complex and opulent set are on display throughout the evening. The majestic grandeur of the house is an eye-catching backdrop for the play.

To learn more about “Stick Fly” visit http://http://www.stickflybroadway.com/.

A Very, Merry, Happy, Joyous Day for All

South African Nativity set made from hand-carved ebony. Photo from Magellan Traders Web site.

JOY to the world!
The Lord is come:
let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room
and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth!
the Saviour reigns:
let men their songs employ
while fields and floods rocks hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground:
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousnes
and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love,
and wonders and wonders of his love.

Pageturners for the Individual With Discerning Tastes

A Tiffany Amber design featured in "New African Fashion." Photo by Justin Polkey.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s), THE FINALE:

FASHION lovers, gardeners, green thumbs, gourmets and those with a jones for gems – your attention please. We’ve come across a few books that you’ll want to add to your library. Do make room on the bookshelf or coffeetable for “New African Fashion,” “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living" and “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set.”

New African Fashion
As Africa continues to move out of what Yours Truly describes as its approximate 500-year-old Dark Ages, one signpost along the way will likely be New African Fashion (at this writing as low as $21.98 at Amazon), by "Arise Magazine" editor Helen Jennings.

The book’s introduction, with a foreward by the redoubtable Ike Ude, serves as a competent overview of how the fashion world has been influenced by the Continent and how Western designers through ignorance or education have exploited or gotten it right as it regards African fashion. The introduction winds down on how things are being set to rights and the challenges that African fashion faces if it is to reclaim its rightful place in the fashion universe.

The picture book that is New African Fashion is set apart in its focus on the creations of a new crop of fledging, establishing and established African designers who are making their mark on the world stage. Seemingly tacked on, a few pages are dedicated to “Faces” or “It” models, and “Art,” focusing on “It” photographers.

The bulk of New African Fashion is thankfully dedicated to the designers. Suggesting how far Africa must come to be taken seriously as a fashion hub, virtually all of the designers were trained in part or wholly in the West. Some still reside in the West; a good deal reside in the Motherland. Just about all, like so many of their ilk, grew up observing stylish folk in their living rooms or in fashion glossies. A leitmotif is that the culture and textiles of the rich, vast lands of their birth or that of their parents is a strong reference point in their designs and aesthetic.

Some names/lables are familiar such as Brit Ozwald Boateng (pp. 58-63), born in London of Ghanaian parents and who brought color – in more ways than one – to Savile Row. A prints of a man is New York-based Duro Olowu (20-25). The Nigerian is also one of the few designers who can claim the current First Lady as a client. He made his first big splash a few years back when Vogue saw fit to spotlight his plunging and flowing dress based on the Yoruba boubou. The feminine, flirty flock would become famously known as the “Duro Dress.”

Through Xuly Bet (pp. 26-29), Malian Lamine Badian Kouyate embodies the truth that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Many of his unique street-style creations are born of Western castoffs that find their way into any number of African countries. LBK gets bonus points, too, for sustainability in a world that needs it in reams.

Lesser known names in New African Fashion include Tanzania’s Anisa Mpungwe, who designs the new label Loin Cloth & Ashes (pp. 90-93). AM, the daughter of a diplomat, had a vivid imagination along the lines of “Alice in Wonderland” and Salvador Dali, which is evident in some of the designs shown in the book. More recent influences such as the “Transformers” seem to inform a beige-zippered tunic w/puckered shoulders and long sleeves.

Getting a lot of buzz now is the Tiffany Amber (pp.96-101) line designed by Nigerian Folake Folarin-Coker. The designer made a splash during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Spring 2010 during the Arise: Africa Promise Collection (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2009/09/day-2.html) show. In New African Fashion, it is noted that on Sundays the favorite after-church activity in Nigeria is a cruise on a yacht. To that end, Tiffany Amber “offers resortwear and soft, floatly dresses for ladies who lunch, work and sail." Exhibit A is the photo (p. 97) of a model wearing an empire-waist floral belted skirt and print bra. She is standing on a rock that seems melded to her getup. Is she waiting ashore for … a yacht?

A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living
Cook, landscape designer and third-generation Georgia gardener James Farmer III (yes, Farmer is his surname) has delivered in “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living” ideas and tips for cooking and decorating with what grows in the garden. Bringing his ideas to life are the scenic backdrops that are the homes of family and friends.

The garden living that JF promotes in “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living” (at this writing as low as $19.93 at Amazon) is environmentally-friendly because it is local and little goes to waste. For instance, the blooms and stems from cutting beds can be used to decorate the home (p. 106). A autumn centerpiece (p.143) includes Mexican sage, aster, pomegranates, blood oranges, colored leaves other than green – think fall foliage – as well as pheasant and quail feathers.

Included are recipes for in-season fruits and vegetables. In fact, there are full menus for every season of the year. Blackberries and peaches, can combine in a Blackberry and Peach Crisp, p.104. The squash taking over the garden can be pressed into service as Squash Spoonbread, p. 108. At Thanksgiving, sweet potatoes can be used for Sweet Potato Souffle, (p. 138). During the heat of summer is Farmer’s Skillet Corn, p. 131.

Taking a page from Ecclesiastes, JF reminds readers that there is a season and a time for everything. That sage advice informs every section in the book. As JF notes in the book’s introduction: “Timing is everything in the garden.”

To that end, “A time to …
Make a Plan”: before starting a garden, create renderings of the garden; label and graph out cutting beds; map out a spot for vegetables.
Cut and Arrange: Take hydrangeas, JF’s favorite flower. Cut them early in the morning or at night so the blossoms don’t wilt during the hottest part of the day, especially in high-humidity climes such as Georgia. Submerging the stems in deep water also prevents premature wilting.
To Plant: Foxgloves like fall, while Mums, (aka Chrysanthemums) Asters and Daisies like spring.
For Tea: JF declares that, “Tea is the house wine of the South.” Rather than Lipton, he recommends Chamomile, Lavender, Mint and Rosemary.
Harvest and Eat: “A major aspect of the garden living lifestyle is the understanding of each season’s produce,” JF says. That is, knowing when fruits and vegetables are in season. Late spring and summer in Georgia bring blackberries, then the famous peaches and pecans in the last quarter of the year.

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set
So, you don’t own have any of the baubles from the Bvlgari Emerald Suite that was given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton. The suite was famously auctioned a little more than a week ago at Christies’s auction of “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor." (http://www.vevlynspen.com/2011/12/at-christies-collection-of-elizabeth.html)

Neither do you own Le Peregrina or the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond or the Taj Mahal or the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, for that matter. You can, however, own the Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set ($600.00).

Christie’s grossly – perhaps intentionally – low-balled the haul that would be generated by the jewels in “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor.” It included not only the actor’s famous jewels, but also film memorabilia, decorative arts and fashion. Christie’s estimated that the jewelry would take in “well in excess of” $30 million. Sure, it did. But $60 million would qualify as "well in excess of." It was the greatest take ever for jewelry at auction, coming in at about $116 million. The entire Collection, including the nonjewelry items, netted more than $150 million.

The box set includes ET’s out-of-print book “My Love Affair with Jewelry” and Christie's auction catalog for “The Legendary Jewels, Evening Sale.” Alas, the “The Complete Set,” which includes all of the auction catalogs and “The Gallery Guide” is sold out. At this writing the individual catalogs are still available.

Visit http://http://www.amazon.com/ to purchase both “New African Fashion” and “A Time to Plant: Southern-Style Garden Living. Visit
http://www.christies.com/elizabethtaylor/catalogues.aspx to purchase “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Deluxe Limited Edition Boxed Set.”

Chance to Do a Star Turn on the Great White Way

Be a Broadway Star is designed to be played by two to six competitors. Photos from Be a Broadway Star Web site.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s) Pt. 6:

BY TAMAR BECK

IF you can’t yet make it on Broadway – maybe, just maybe – you make it on Be a Broadway Star, the board game.

The new game ($39.95) joins Charades, Monopoly, Clue, Chutes and Ladders as a fun and entertaining way to spend time with family and friends. Unlike in Charades&Co., though, players can find an agent, go to an audition, get the part, win a Tony, sign lots of autographs ... Perhaps even be inducted into the Broadway Hall of Fame.

Players of Be a Broadway Star can win auditions, roles, Tonys and more.

Show business is tough, so no one expects to be an overnight success. Perseverance and luck go hand in hand with talent in hoisting a name up on the marquee. For some aspiring stars, dedication to honing their craft is almost like a calling. For Be a Broadway Star players, it’s just plain fun.

Be a Broadway Star is designed to be played by two to six competitors as young as 8 and as old as they feel.

Visit http://www.beabroadwaystar.com/ to learn more about Be a Broadway Star, the board game.

'Girl with a Dragon Tattoo' Sets and Keeps a Pace

Lisbeth and Mikael have a meeting of the minds in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.

"THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO" takes its time in the telling. It’s not at all the type of film that the mainstream of U.S. audiences is accustomed to sitting through.

At 158 minutes (actually around 10 of those are credits), it will not be rushed. The first in a trilogy by the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” tells the story of both disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and dysfunctional, psychologically troubled, tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salande (Rooney Mara).

The duo is retained to investigate the long-ago murder of a member of the eccentric, prominent Vanger family. The film opened Wednesday and is expected to do good business at the box office. (See trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrFgnizJ7qY)

A colleague strenuously suggested that Yours Truly should see director Niels Arden Oplev version of “The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo,” which has the distinction of being the highest grossing European film of 2009. But would that be fair to the American “Girl?”

Indeed, it is a U.S. production, judging by the product placements: 7-Eleven, Purell Hand Sanitizer, Coco-Cola and Marlboro. Apparently, the Swedes have/had a love jones for the cancer sticks. That would explain their presence in a film set in Sweden. But 7-Eleven? Purell Hand Sanitzer!?!?

In any case, I digress. I will not be seeing the Swedish production (“Män som hatar kvinnor”), so my comments must be confined to the version I screened. “The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo” opens on Mikael’s big indiscretion. In essence, he "libeled" a corrupt industrialist when he could not prove the facts behind the story that he published in the “Millennium,” the investigative rag that he runs with his lover/married colleague (Robin Wright). The publication is sued within an inch of its life.

It is also around this time that Mikael is being considered to investigate the murder of Harriet Vanger by an uncle (Christopher Plummer). Pressed into service on the downlow to look into Mikael's background is none other than Lisbeth. She gathers much of her intelligence by hacking into his computer. For all of her brilliance, the State thinks the young woman is incompetent to conduct her own affairs. Without doubt, she lacks basic social skills. Possibly, she is a menace to society, which is why she is an adult ward of the state with a kindly guardian, lecherous social worker (Yorick van Wageningen) and money that is out of her control.

Mikael (Daniel Craig) agrees to investigate the murder of Henrik's (Christopher Plummer) niece in “The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo.”

“The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo” might have been better left on the page rather than being adapted to the big screen. The film takes its own sweet time in the telling, overlapping what’s going on with Mikael and what’s going on with Lisbeth, giving insights into their background to explain why they have arrived at this common place. Or why they will arrive at this common place – working together to solve a long-ago murder.

Too much time is devoted to their respective investigations. It is extremely difficult to produce engaging material out of the act of looking into a computer screen, typing furiously on its keyboard, poring over documents and considering a list of photos on a storyboard. The result is that a good chunk of the film is plodding – and frankly – boring

The action and interest do pick up immensely when the protagonists finally meet about half way through the film. Mikeal and Lisbeth are opposite that are compatible in more ways than one. It is almost possible to see the electrical currents when they are in a room together. DG comports himself competently, credibly portraying an experienced, investigative journalist instead of James Bond in the guise of a journalist.

“The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo,” however, is RM’s film. Not only because she is the character of the title. Her Lisbeth approaches everything she does with extreme gravitas. She rides that motorcycle like a bat out of hell regardless of the importance of the destination. She appears to be angry at the world and will unleash her wrath at the least provocation. Lisbeth brooks no false sincerity, she’s above it all. Just the facts, please, let’s not pretend that we are friends or care for each other.

Lisbeth (Rooney Mara) tells her social worker, Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen), what she really thinks about him in “The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo.”

Whenever RM is on screen, even in the scenes amongst the archives, the eye is riveted to her. She is cool, calculated, armed and dangerous. The scenes with the tattoo paraphernalia and the blond wig are painful proof. It’s a taut, intense performance.

“The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo” ends on a surprising and satisfactory note. The second half of the film makes up a good deal for the slow pacing of the first.

“The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo” is rated R for brutal violent content, including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language.

Get Your Swagger on in a ... Swacket? Yes!

The Harputs Own wool swacket ($425.00) for women and lightweight wool swacket ($500) for women and men are designed with strategically placed fasteners that tranform them into different shapes. Photos from Harputs of San Francisco Web site.

HEAD’S UP: Here it is past mid-December and holiday shopping isn't yet an item on the to-do list. What’s a body to do? One option is to give money. Everybody needs money, right. Well … almost everybody does. Yet the idea of gifting money seems a bit slapdash and last-minute, which it is, of course. Never fear. The elves at VEVLYN’S PEN are here to help in what has become a tradition. Continuing through 24 Dec., we will introduce one or a series of products, items and brands that we believe is worthy of consideration as a holiday gift(s). And … we’re off !!!!

Gift Idea(s) Pt. 5:

SOME days a body just wants to mix it up.

That’s what convertible clothing is all about – one frock worn several ways. Of course it’s also about more space in the closet and more dollars in the wallet. And with the airlines charging for everything from soup to nuts, the lighter the suitcase the better.

Hence, convertible clothing. Once barely a cottage industry, it has transformed into a full-blown niche category. Leading the way, of course, are the various wrap dresses. Popular ones bear names such as American Apparel, Donna Karan, Target and Etsy. In the category, too, are pants, tops, shirts and accessories such as jewelry, cowls and scarves.

The market, though, is lacking anything approaching a glut of stylish outerwear jackets. This is good news for the West Coast label, Harputs Own. The line also includes coats, dresses, tops, pants, rompers, vests and so on.

The American Apparel cotton spandex jersey bandeau pencil dress ($41) can be worn at least a dozen different ways. Photo from American Apparel Web site.

Made from cashmere, wool, nylon and cotton, Harputs Own jackets ($375-$800), or swackets, are small wonders. Put one on and wear it open and it is an ordinary, yet stylish shawl-collared affair. One of the secrets is the placement of snap fasteners.

Grab the hem of the jacket and wrap it over the shoulders and snap. The result is a jacket with an asymmetrical cowl-neck and lapels. Put it on upside down to create a cowlneck-peekaboo/crisscross-at-the-waist effect. Yours Truly, who sports the Black Wool Swacket ($425.00, pictured above at left) can not do it proper justice in mere words. See the You Tube demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QURfFDO4Gq8.

The swackets are designed to be worn in more ways than are shown in the video. Each individual owner is encouraged to unlock the secrets to his/her jacket. The brains behind the outfits is Gus Harput, who sells his creations out of his shop, Harputs of San Francisco, located in the city by the bay.

What inspired Gus to create the line? … More shortly.

Visit http://www.harputsown.com/index.html to learn more about Harput’s Own.