Variety (Jul 1946)

50 LEGITIMATE Wednesday, July 17, 1946 Cincy Summer Stock Bid Melts in Heat After Brief Try; Other Strawhats Big Cincinnati, July 16. J. J. Leventhal's bid with travelr Jng summer stock at the 1,300-seat Cox is.sweating it out. at quite a loss in the Eauity minimum two-week period. ■ The try started last week with Jane Cowl in a "Candida" re- vival, which didn't draw rent money for the house, and folds Saturday, July 20, after six nights and two matinees of Mary' Boland in "Meet the Wife." Scale is 60c to $2.40. To those in the know here the venture was a surprise, but the-out- come not unexpected. Even Lee Shu? bert, during a visit the middle of the- past regular season, pointed.out that Cincy was a poor town lor. legit. Summer heat makes it worse. What's ■more, Cincy's summer opera; now in its 25th season, has-to struggle to let guarantors down lightly while pre- sented in a pavilion at the Zoo for six weeks. The Cox isn't air conditioned. The Shuberts expended $10,000 on re- decorations for it since last season's end, and large electric fans make the theatre reasonably' comfortable. Added to the management's "nut" is $600 weekly cost for a pit orches- tra, through a local working agree- ment between stagehands and mii-. sicians. dies" to Town Hall Monday (15) In- stead of Freddie Bartholomew in Pursuit of Happiness." This will be the third and last week of Toledo's summer season of legit theatre at pop prices. Joe E. Brown's company of "Har- vey" is slated to open July 29, but isn't part of the summer bookings. * Hayes' 10 For Bucks Record , New Hope,. Pa., July 16. Sidney Blackrher in "Chicken Every Sunday" rang, the gong last week to the tune of $6,000 to set new record for Bucks County Play house. Helen Hayes, with daughter Mary MacArthur, in J. M. Barrie's "Alice SftTBy-The-Fire," will top it as ten SRO performances this frame al ready clean. Thereon Bamberger scheduled extra mats. Thursday and Friday to bolster regular eight show- ings. Unprecedented advance for subsequent weeks indicates banner season. Kitty Carlisle in "Tonight- Or Never" follows week of July 22 Other bills set include Diana Barry- more in "Rebecca," July 29; Freddie Bartholomew in "The Pursuit of Happiness," Aug. 5, and Haila Stod- dard in Tom Robertson's "Caste," Aug. 12. Pitt Operettas Solid Indications are that summer op- eretta in the open air will be pre- sented annually in Pittsburgh on the basis of this year's season at the Pitt stadium. For future seasons Coun- cilman A. L. Work plans a theatre in one of the city parks as a war memorial. Pitt schedule has one more week to go, completing an eight-week season. Last week's quoted gross of "New Moon" was $42,000 despite Thursday (11) night's performance being cancelled because of rain. "Roberta" is the current musical and if weather does not interfere; takings should approach $50,000. Finale show starting Monday (22) will be "The Vagabond King," with virtual capacity attendance antici* pated. Civic Light Opera Assn. was sponsored by Kaufman's dept. store in conneotion with the 75th anniver- sary of that enterprise. Toledo to Toast Old Gang Member Joe L Brown Toledo*; July 16. Joe E. Brown will be honored by his Toledo friends on July 30, fol- lowing opening of "Harvey," in which he is starred, at Town Hall theatre , the previous evening. Ac- quaintances of Brown from his base- ball, bowling, and vaude days here, organized as the "Old Qang of To- ledo," plan a celebration beginning with a stage luncheon in the Com- modore Perry hotel. ' Brock Pemberton, producer of >l 'fiarvey," will appear* at the lunch- eon and be.'initiated into the "Old Gang." Activities will be concluded with presentation of. gifts to the actor. Group will attend the per- formance, that evening. • Yardley Inches Ahead Yardley, Pa., July 16, Local strawhatter. puller up a bit last week with "Of Mice and Men" to register $1,800 in seven showings. This week, with cool weather; looks better with Avery Hopwopd farce, "Fair and Warmer;" Wendell. Corey, co-producer at Yardley, to star next week (22) in "Goodbye Again," with Elizabeth. Eustis featured. Corey's radio spot, "McGarry and His Mouse," Wednesday nigKts via NBC, will cause house to darken that night and play extra Sat, mat. in- stead. "Berkeley Square" slated July 29. Record Four Tryouts New.. Haven, July 16. Record for tryouts this summer apparently will be held by Mont- owese Playhouse; in nearby Bran- ford, which will alternate its revivals by presenting four new plays, all looked on as likely Broadway ma- terial.. One is lyricist John La Touche's first full length play, "Fig- aro," a costume comedy freely adapted from the Beaumarchais original play on. which Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" and Rossini's "Barber of Seville" are based. Play- will be preemed July 30. , 'The Personal Touch," comedy by Wayne Arnold, is being tried out tonight (16). William Whiting's "Spring's So Short," with Eleanora von Mendelssohn, will preem mid' August, and Anita Grannl's "Full Hduse." end of that month. Miss Grannis, stage director, and Whiting, set designer, are co-managers with Al Tamarin, Broadway p.a., Of Montowese, which reopened this season after being shut down since the war. WhUefleld** 'Village Green* Whltefleld, N.H., July 16. "Village Green," a play about WhUefleld, written by Carl Aliens worth, original founder and man ager of the "Forty-Niners," will be the third production of that com- pany at Chase Barn Playhouse, Whitefleld, opening July 23. Plot revolve around the incident of the, painting of murals in the Town ,Hall, with a romance . and political campaign for added in- terest. Lenox Group's Bow Lenox, Mass., July 16. . Lenox theatre will' open its first strawhat season ' here, on July 19 with a new American version of Gerhart Hauptmann's "The Assump- tion of Hannele." Titled "Hannele on Journey,", the version will run through July 27. Second • production will be "The Dream," comedy adapted from Shakespeare, with music by Henry Purcell. "Dream" will play Aug. 9-17. "Berkeley Square" revival, will follow Sept. 2-7. Plays will be staged by Dr. John Reich, formerly of the Salzburg Festival and CBS television. Ingeborg Torrup will stage the dances and Nicholas Gold- schmidt, former director of Colum- bia Univ.'s opera dept., will con- duct. Travelers Society To Aid on Rooms Considerable progress in easing the problem of hotel accommoda- tions for road show players next season is reported, the Travelers Aid Society having agreed to use its complement in obtaining reser- vations for actors. Society's board okayed a request for co-operation made some weeks ago and local house managers will also participate. It's expected that hotel quarters for colored profes- sionals may not be available in some stands and the Society will aim to-place them in private homes of colored local citizens. Method of procedure was out- lined when showmen conferred with Bertha McCall, field secretary for the Society. She will furnish show- men with the names of local secre- taries who are scattered in 33 cities outside N. Y. Advance men will advise those representatives as to the room requirements and the rates expected to.be paid. Last year there were many com- plaints of difficulties in obtaining sleeping quarters, especially by colored professionals. The Urban League, a Negro organization, is also expected to aid them. Inside Stuff-Legit Pravda, Russia's Communist Party official newspaper, struck back at Brooks Atkinson for his recent £1. Y. Times articles, bluntly critical of the Soviet. Former" drama critic was called names, such as "unlalented calumniator" and "gangster of the pen," which seemed strange to those who know the scholarly scribe, reticent by nature. He has been resting - in Connecticut before starting on another- Times -assignment which den- nltely won't be Moscow. Atkinson's articles attracted the attention of President Truman and the writer was invited to a chat in the White House late last week. Nature of the session was not disclosed, . Saturday (13) Izvestla, Russia.'s government paper, printed a letter from A. D. Popov, art director of the Red Army theatre, answering statements made by Atkinson, principally: "The general level of the theatre, art and music is low. .. .reactionary and moribund and lacking .vitality." Russian director then quoted the Times man as writing about "She Stoops to Con- quer" earlier, in Moscow: "It is a fresh, merry spectacle, full of imagina- tion and internal dynamic's. It gave us great pleasure." Popov opined that Atkinson was "two-faced," especially after the latter rated the play the best presentation of it he had ever seen. Atkinson conceded his praise of "Conquer," it "being an exception to the general mediocrity of the Soviet theatre" but later in the article he said: "The Moscow theatre generally seems to be living in the past. It is conservative in style and taste which is surprising, in a country that is constantly bcatiVig its chest over its progressiyeness; and it lacks artistic vitality.. . .in'New York I Used to think the theatre needed the. discipline, of the classics:...but now I know that too much discipline of the classics puts the theatre in bond to the past and peoples .the stage with a high proportion of dead souls." A distinct error of omission appears to have attended the ceremonies early last week, marking the folding of the N; Y. Civilian Defense Recrea- tion Committee. No one from show business was invited to speak on: the broadcast of the exercises, although along. Broadway it was felt that had not millions of free tickets been given the committee for distribution among soldiers and sailors, the 99 Park ave. center might not have done so well during the war. . Only Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt spoke of the generosity of showmen In making ducats available and she was thanked by Mrs. Louise Beck of the American Theatre Wing, who was present along with others from Broad- way. Wing's ticket service at boxoffice prices at the Commodore hotel is available to officers and to the complement of the United Nations, Shirley Booth In Try oat "Lady By Name," play by Harry Shale adapted for summer experi- mental showhg by Arthur J. Beck- hard, will be tried out at latter's strawhatter, at Martha's Vineyard, Mass., week of Aug. 5, with Shirley Booth as the lead. Play, bought for fall N. Y. produc- tion by William. Rolland, was tried put last year as "Kitten" by the Vagabond Players. Strawhat Tryouts Due Boothbay. (Me.) Playhouse will try out two new shows this sum- mer, Margaret' Melcher's "Private Practice," Aug. 7-10, and Richard Barry's "Out Of The Woods,"'Aug. 21-24. Sunna Cooper's "Just Another Day" will be tested at Clinton Hol- low, N. Y., Aug. 1, and David Lat- ner's "Welcome Home" at Mllford (Pa.) Playhouse, July 22. . 'Ladles' Vamps Toledo Toledo, July 16. Sudden switch in bookings brought Benny Baker in "Good Night, La- Cooper-MacArtbnr Offspring Debate Dennis, Mass., July 16. Coincidental with the opening of Helen Hayes and daughter Mary MacArthur in "Alice-Slt-By-the- Fire" at the Bucks County Play- house, New Hope," Pa., Monday (15), Gladys Copper and her daughter, Sally, will open in the same show at the Cape Playhouse here one week later. Appearances will be legit de- buts for both offspring. Cape Playhouse's most successful season in years was highlighted last week by a $9,505 gross for "Playboy of the Western World," starring Gregory Peck. It broke the previous house record, set two weeks ago by Gertrude Lawrence In "Pygmalion," by $74. Capacity was upped as re- sult of added folding chairs. 'God's Island' Preem Westborj,; Mass., 1 July 16, As first new play production of the season, Rod Barn Theatre here will open "God's Island" Monday (22) for one week's run. Some Broadway nibbles, are reported. Drama was written by Otis Bigelow, ex-Navy officer, and Broadway actor. MUSICAL'UNCLE TOM' SLATED FOR FRISCO San Francisco, July 16. The Sah Francisco Theatre Group, under direction of Harry Breeden,, will present a new musical version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," under the name of "Topsy, Eva and Tom," .'at the Bush St. Music Hall, July 18. Show will tour tank towns as far east as Denver, after Frisco opening. Breeden, whose tourlng^companies of 'The Drunkard" have set records in the northwest, one of which was an eight months' run in Denver, is manager-producer of the Theatre Group. As an added attraction Breeden will offer a "Showboat Olio." Direction is by Ross Von Nibroc, with musical arrangements under direction of Dr. Robert Heger-Goetzl. Paramount Takes Oyer Coast House for Hayloft Hollywood, July 16. Phoenix theatre In nearby West- wood has been taken oyer by. Para- mount for a summer stock company, opening in mid-August with Shaw's "Aims and the Man." Project is designed to- develop talent, with Paramount directors tutoring young players. radio actor David Marshall. Cast will include author; Vega Keane, niece of Doris Keane, and Lof Edward S. Stephenson, formerly Nips Finally See /Mikado' Tokyo, July 16. ■ For the first time in the history of Japan, Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" will be presented for public consumption. Previously banned be cause of its lampoon on the Emperor, the comic opera will appear, under Army sponsorship July 22 at. the Ernie Pyle theatre in the largest production ever attempted there. Because of the ban, there were no scores or recordings of "The Mikado" to be found in the Islands, so. that music had' to be sent from the U. S. Cast for the show will be augmented by a Japanese girls' ensemble. Entire production will be' under direction of the Pasadena Playhouse. Scenic designer Jo Mlelziner in a Sunday (14) N. Y. Times article said that property owners have finally realized that building new legitimate theatres, if intelligently designed, can pay off as handsomely os'any.other form of realty. He contends that short-sightedness in the failure to pro- vide necessary space and equipment have limited the uses of present houses and thereby cut off sources of increased revenue. Miclziner says that present skimpy backstage space permits but one show to be operated but that stages of greater depth would properly ac- commodate repertory and permit rentals to other attractions at different hours during the; day, mentioning morning performances for children,, with experimental shows or revivals in the afternoon, among other po- tential usage. ■ ' Only a few summer stocks are using union press agents and managers, although there are no scale pay requirements except in- a few instances and then modified rates apply. Houses booking rpad attractions during the regular season then switching to summer stock may engage agents at $105 weekly and $125 for managers but are not compelled to use either. Ticket sellers' union indicates no .interest in placing members in such boxoffices. Treasurers and assistants not in theatre are working at the tracks, ball parks and, other outdoor places of admission. ' John Golden promptly accepted chairmanship of a committee suggested by Jacob Wilk to devise a memorial for the late Antoinette Perry, who gave her untiring efforts to handling the American Theatre Wing..Com- mittee is open for suggestions as to form of-the memorial, preferably a visible, permanent reminder which would be placed in Times Square, rather than a proposed scholarship. ' * Financing of the memorial is hardly a factor and the cost may be as- sumed by the Wing, said, to have around $400,000 in its treasury. Fred Irving Lewis of the original "Harvey" company takes a bow July 27 and so does his wife, it being their 25th wedding anniversary. Actor says his marriage (to a non-professional) refutes the idea that marriages in show business don't stick. Since they were wed in Rochester where Lewis appeared in "Up In Mabel's Room," the couple has never been sep- arated whether actor was on tour'or on Broadway. . Lewis claims to have appeared in 22 successes. There are two children. Plan to give "King Lear" at the Adelphi, N. Y., on off-matinee after- noons of "Around the World" has been dropped because of tough Equity requirements. In addition to rehearsal allowances, full salaries would be payable weekly whether one or more "Lear" matinees were given. Same conditions did' not apparently apply when "Candida" was revived last season to supplement "Antigone," but players in the latter play who did not appear in the revival received full pay. Jack Yorke thinks it more dignified to use his baptismal name of John as general manager of the American Repertory Co., headed by Margaret Webster, Eva Le GalUenne and Cheryl Crawford. He was manager with the film "Henry V" at the City. Center, but resigned and James (Jim) Miller replaced. Yorke will also be house manager of the Columbus Circle, which hai been rented for a year by the rep outfit Ann Corio, former stripper, is enhancing her rep as an actress in "Sailor Beware" and is listed. fpr six weeks with summer stocks. Playing the part originated by Audrey Christie she was referred to by a Boston re- viewer as "the Bernhardt of the old Howard," latter being the name of the Hub burlesque house. The Howard is operating this summer for the first time in years. Tick Up Girl'Finally On London's West End London, July 16. Legit production of "Pick-up Girl," ■„ authored by Elsa Shelley, opens July 23 in the West End at the Prince of Wales theatre, dis- placing the Jack Buchanan -show, "Fine Feathers." Manager Tom Arn- old is presenting the show in asso- ciation with Cotes fit Piffard, orig- inal producers of the play at the New Lindsey theatre. Reports that Mike Todd had a share in the deal believed unfounded. Play initially caused a flurry ln the censor's office but some anti- bluenose . pressure enabled - the script to pass Into the West End without a single line changed or deleted. A.C/s Chelsea Shutters As 'Ozarks Maid' Scrams Atlantic City, July 16. "Maid of the Ozarks" bowed out of the Chelsea Sunday (14) after a two week run. Theatre, with BOO seating capacity, will be closed, ac- cording to present announcement. Closing leaves Sam H. Grisman - summer musical comedjes only, live show ln town, excepting the Harris Ice-Capades and the up'-town Globe burlesque, both of which have sur- vived summer competition here, be- fore the war years. Grisman brought in the "Merry Widow" with Michael Bartlett last week, and opens to- night (16) with "Blossom Time starring Everett Marshall.