My favorite television programs are not the ones with any violence. Give me romance, music, dance and I’m happy. However, as in all things, there are exceptions.So, guess what? I’m totally addicted to one of the most politically incorrect, volatile programs, “The Sopranos.” So much so, that during its two-year hiatus I watched reruns. I found myself just as intrigued and mesmerized as I was from the start.
Now in its sixth season, I continue to be fascinated by Tony Soprano and his unsavory cast of characters and dysfunctional family affairs. The mob boss’ cronies remain calculating, crass and violent even as they witness Tony near death. Though Tony himself is certainly no angel, I remain, in a weird way, sympathetic toward him and his deeply conflicted psyche.
How can I keep tuning in to a series that depicts so much violence, nudity and profanity? Perhaps it’s because the writing is great, the acting is great, and it addresses adult issues. It is funnier (a morbid humor), far deeper and more complex than anything else on television. It is often insightful.
Tony and the gang are a fun-and-gun-loving brigade of sociopaths. I find myself wondering who is going to get “whacked” next. (Before “The Sopranos” I’d never heard that expression.) Each compelling episode is funny and yet dead, and I do mean “dead,” serious.
I read that the series creator David Chase’s original family name was De Cesari. Both he and its star, James Gandolfini, are from an Italian, New Jersey background. At the beginning, Mr. Gandolfini thought, “All right, maybe a few people in Jersey will watch this.” Ha!
Now I’m going to focus my gushing on three others.
The first is called “At Arm’s Length: The Art of African Puppetry.” A fabulous exhibit, it features animated puppets and puppet sculptures that are used in traditional and contemporary African theatrical performances.
When Lisa Sturz was very young she actually made puppets, unusual because they were life-sized. She always said that puppets were not just for the kiddies – that they were suitable to be used by adults to tell a story. How right and how advanced in her thinking!
I kept remembering Lisa’s theories as I walked through the fantastic exhibition. “The Art of African Puppetry” is dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of African art culture and the rich artistic traditions of the African continent.
In 1985, the Handspring Puppet Theater of South Africa and the Sogolow Troupe from Mali began to use puppets in theatrical performances for adult audiences. Lisa was way ahead of her time!
The exhibit at the Winter Garden bridges African and Western theater, sculpture, music and dance, and storytelling. It’s lively and dynamic. You can take the kiddies since an event like this appeals to audiences of all ages. The exhibit is on through April 15.
And my gushing now continues with “From the Art of New York.” The idea was to hold an art benefit for the Gulf Coast. There was a Mardi Gras Gala (no, I didn’t get to that one!). I was told that many pieces were sold. I recognized some of the artists’ names including Leroy Neiman (his colorful painting was entitled “Mardi Gras Parade”), Yoko Ono and Tony Bennett (unfortunately, no singing accompanied his art).
On with the gushing – and this time it’s a delicious gush: “Winter’s Palate: A Tasting Festival.” It happens each season. From pasta primavera (love it!) to sushi (not for my palate!), all the many fine restaurants and cafés (including my four favorites: Au Mandarin, Southwest N.Y., The Grill Room and The Columbus Bakery) exhibit their excellent food. My taste buds were highly stimulated – frankly, I never need too such stimulation when it comes to eating. I happily walked around sampling some of the menu items. The prices – from $1 to $4 – made it easy to be a gourmand. I prefer tastings rather than large portions.
The Healthy Bones class, which meets every Monday at 10 a.m. in the Bayonne Library – an unabashed plug – asked for the following info. The World Financial Center Winter Garden, where all of the above and many more events take place, is at West Street between Vesey and Liberty streets in Lower Manhattan. From Bayonne just take the No. 10 bus or the light rail and then the PATH train. It’s worth the trip. You can go anytime since “Arts and Events” constantly features new things.
For specific info, try www.worldfinancialcenter.com or phone (212) 945-0505. Remember, admission to all this wonderment is free.
Currently, MOMA is presenting a comprehensive Munch retrospective, “Edvard Munch – The Modern Life of the Soul.” It is only the second in the United States in the past 50 years – and it was a revelation. His family history was one prone to poverty, disease, mental disorder and death. Gasp! Munch himself was sickly from birth, although he lived from 1863 to 1944 (you do the math!) He said later that he grew up feeling “like a boat built of hopeless material, of old rotten wood.”
He did discover joy in art making – never mind the direness of the subject in spite of a pretty thoroughly awful life. Munch painted just to paint. He avoided representing unreality. His principal themes were love, anxiety and death. One painting I kept looking at, “The Dance of Life,” is documented by Munch as “the awakening of love, love at its peak, the fading of love and finally death.”
As Munch matured, his talent was regularly noted in Norway – even as his art was loathed and his character deplored. In the end, painting became a kind of religious endeavor for Munch, a means through which he hoped to “understand the meaning of life and help others gain an understanding of their lives.” He never abandoned his interest in the human psyche.
“Edvard Munch – The Modern Life of the Soul” is on view through May 8.
June Sturz can be reached at intunejune@optonline.net