Prince Charming
On NJN's State of the Arts
Friday, November 11; and Wednesday, November 16 at 11:30 pm 

STATEWIDE – State of the Arts takes a tongue-in-cheek look at “Prince Charming,” from a lavish new production of the musical Cinderella, to a feminist filmmaker who has her own take on the guy on the white horse, to an exhibit that explores whether clothes really do make the man. Discover the lure and lore of Prince Charming on this edition of State of the Arts. Prince Charming airs on Friday, November 11 at 8:30 pm, with a rebroadcast on Wednesday, November 16 at 11:30 pm.

• Cinderella
The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey presents an updated version of the classic fairy tale. In this production, Cinderella isn't just passively waiting for Prince Charming, and the Prince himself wants to escape from his own isolated perfection. State of the Arts producer Amber Edwards goes behind the scenes of this adaptation of the 1957 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, to see how the magic works. Maplewood resident Suzzanne Douglas plays the fairy godmother, and Rutgers graduate Paolo Montalban plays the prince. Cinderella plays through December 4, 2005.

• Power Dressing
State of the Arts producer Amber Edwards visits the Newark Museum's new show "Power Dressing: Men's Fashion and Prestige in Africa" to find out what an African “Prince Charming” might wear. In the first exhibition of its kind in America, the Museum brings together 50 spectacular examples of male attire from across the continent — from Morocco to South Africa — representing more than a century of fashion. Viewers will see how an African ruler identifies himself by the sheer size and visual splendor of his ceremonial ensemble, which includes not only clothes but also jewelry, headgear, footwear, and other accessories. The exhibit runs through January 22, 2006.

• So Where’s My Prince Already?
State of the Arts producer Christopher Benincasa presents a profile of alternative filmmaker Ardele Lister, whose 1976 film So Where’s My Prince Already? is a look at fairy-tale romance after the happily-ever-after wedding. As an aspiring filmmaker in Vancouver in the 1970s, Lister confronted two major problems: few women role models and virtually no Canadian film industry. So it's not surprising that culture and identity are major themes in the films and videos she's directed, produced, and written over the past quarter century. Now an associate professor at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Lister continues to explore the politics of identity through her work in film and video projects. Her works have been shown internationally in festivals, galleries, museums, and on television, and are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and prominent galleries worldwide.

• Beauty and the Beast
State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz goes behind the scenes at the American Repertory Ballet’s (ARB) new production of the classic fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast.” Choreographer and ARB Artistic Director Graham Lustig has created a major new work for children and families, “Beauty and the Beast – A Gothic Romance.” Based on Madam Le Prince De Beaumont’s story, Lustig has set the ballet in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in the 1820s and the Jersey Devil is the beast. The ballet is set to the string music of Rossini, written in 1805 when Rossini was 12 years old. Lustig says that “Beauty and the Beast” is the classic fable exploring the contrast between inner and outer beauty.

State of the Arts, the award-winning, half-hour arts magazine airs every Friday at 8:30 pm, followed by an encore presentation each Wednesday at 11:30 pm.

The current episode of State of the Arts can be viewed online at www.njn.net. Individual stories will be available to view following their broadcast by visiting the program online at State of the Arts.

Funding for State of the Arts is provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The series producer is Susan Wallner and the executive producer is Nila Aronow.