Variety (Jan 1948)

'Fwrty'taSorid bdde Stuff-LegH Novel exploitation pamphlet is being used by Edwin Lestef, producer 'of "Song of Norway" to promote the-operetta on tour. It's a two-fold sheet listing the various recordings (including the Decca album made by the original cast, as well as various single disks under the Victor and Columbia labels) of music from.the show. It's distributed by record shops thu^Dughput the jioiintry. • . . BelB.ides the list of. ^Available recordmgs, the pamphlet carries a back- ground account of "Norway," with the history of the production, story of coWpser Edvard Grieg and, on a back panel, critical quoted and per- lormance da^es ih the area where the record'shop is Jocated. ■ Vdtile Mite Todd was being questioned by the referee in his recent '^auKruptdy itroceedings,' the attorney asked how it happened that he be- came -so heavily, involved in debt. The producer replied; '"Well, I'll tell .iiyou. 'I'always had partners in my successes but I was on my own with th« flops and had to take the full slap." Freedom From Fear sConUnuecl from page tVlf LonghairrLegit or that Moscow was resx>ons>ble'for a scene in a nostalgic picture about the '20s <"Margie":>','in which students w^re-shown debating a resolution 'that the_Madnes should be withdrawn from Nicaragua, . . .' 1^ hardly be impressed ;by the' idea that it was red propaganda 'licb jS%9W.^ ballot rti£usi|Ag:an. ex-Gtl. a loan ("The Best Years of Our liivcs'"),' Wti're''naive'enough to feei'there's nothing tittpatriotic about making a picture or producing a play in the middle of the greatest war ih history- showing our ally in that war -standing oft our mutual enemy at - Stalingrad; In fact, we are even glad that the Russians beat the Germans Vin that historic battle, despite witnesses at the Washington investigation -s Who .seejm to::think that we should have wanted thifc Nazis to conquer at the .Volga. • • ' ''V'Xn^lact,-It is niy contention that Congiressional examination of the "prdp^giknda in {hi Broadway drama would- reveal the disconcerting .fact -thit. th^ onljr current 'play containing' «Qti-An^rican sentijnents was .-'-"Itarvey," which goes so far as to say that the only likeable Americans are '-the' alcoholics. But .1 don't think we should bother to do anything about it.' Tfhe theatre, I believe^ has enough, gonfidepce in America and dislike for the police state' to feel that tli^ nation can defend itself against Com-- 'monism without destroying its own right of free speech. It is, I hope, not .^0 ttticettafn of Amerl«BQ demqcrtu^ '«s to doubt its ability to withstand tota)itarianl«kn without adopting totalitarian ideas. 1 don't think that it wants to pay the Kremlin- police , state the-vast com- piimertt ot adapting its methods. After all, there is ^excuse for the police state in Russia,: since it is not a creation of recent years but" hast come down' froin centuries of Russian history. There is certainly no- reason 'for us, with'-Aut'great tradition of democratic freedom, to desert it and sub- jitituteJegaliiEe^ intolerance.. Americanism is not conformity. It is, among Otherihings, the right'of free inquiry, and I believe the theatre recognizes that, even if Hollywood doeisn't dare. (Continued from-page 234)ss; win doing it successfully in ''Porgy and Bess" and Kurt 'Weill (artis- tically successful though finan- cially a flop)' With "Street Scene." Gian-Carlo >Menotti, who has had two operas staged at the Met, and skipped to Bro&dway ' last season with his "Medium" and "Telephone," will shift over to. the" N. 'V'.. City Opera Co, in the spring with "The Consul," to show that the longhair- legit fields do meet. Legit producer Michael Myerberg is dickering, to produce Benjamin Britten's - opera^ "The Rape of Lucretia," on Broadway^ Myerberg was leading figure- in .the move to bring Marc Blitzstein's folk-opera, "The Cradle Will Rock," Which the N. Y. City Symphony Orchestra performed-in November, to a Broad- way house. Blitzstein is now work- ing on an operatic version of Lillian Hellman's drama, "The Little Foxes." Kddie bowling' tried to get produc- 1;ioh rights' for Broadway for the Britten opera, "Peter Grimes,'-, which the Met -will- stage next spring. ' • BallerliiM Int* lieeU ANOTHER CAHOLB ON VARIETY'S BIRTHDAY CAKE—CONGnATULATIONS! BROOKS costume co. ■/..■" ■ ■' 1150 Avenue of the Americas New York Cify Ballerinas are gomg- into legit, into straight parts. Tilly Losch is in "Topaze" in N. Y. and Irina Baron- ova will be in "Park Eyes" in Lon- don.. Dancer'Joan McCracken played an important.-Serious role in the Experimental ■ Theatre's production of "Galileo." Vera Z6rina has played straight parts in legit,, and Tamara Tonmanova has'-donp serious roles in films. - • - , ■ Lawrence Winters, who got name in "Call M6: Mister," Todd Duncan, who scored in "Porgy and Bess," and Muriel Smith and Muriel Rahn, who both got their starts in "Carmen Jones," have all used these legit appearances 9s.: springboards into the concert fields, for niajor engagements..,PoJyna Stoska, of the N. Y. City Opera Co., made a striking impression- in last year's legiter, "Street Scene," and as re- sult was signed by' the' Met. The Met's Norman Cordon switched over to sing in "Street Scene" and feirtce then has been singing with the N. Y. City Opera :Co. Evelyn Keller, of "The Medium,"' Was. signed subse- quently by the N. Y. City Opera Co. Jose Iturbi, a great concert artist, became a greater concert draw as well as a pic star, through hi.s filnS appearances. Laurit? Melchior also now bestrides two media-^from Metopera to films, The N. Y. City Opera Co., under Laszlo Halasz, has established a unique reputation as a popular mass opera company,^ at a $2.40 top, in N. Y. It's the latest musical organi- zation to gain prominence in the field. And director Halasz admits he has borrowed ideas from Broadway —in dramatic ensemble staging modeled on legits—as well as taken its singing actors and director.<!. In return, his company has sent talent to Broadway. Halasz also proclaims that Broadway opera (as exemplified in "The Medium" and "Street Scene") did more good for his com- pany than almost anything else. Halasz took stage directors from Broadway in Jose Ruben, Eugene Bryden, Teodor Komisarjpvsky. For Singers, he took Wilma Spence from "The Merry Widow," Virginia Ras- kins from "Carousel," Evelyn Keller from "The Medium," and Virginia MacWatters, Dorothy Sarnoif and Ralph Hfrbett from "Rosalinda." , Joe Grump^And You Can Have Him , ; (Continued from page 238) stage which gives me a chance to talk my head off w;hile everybody has to'listen." "You're some help to the profession,-Joe/'I snarls. ' "I do my best," is Joe's topper. "Know what?" : . "What?" ; "I coulda had a piece of 'Oklahoma!' Saw it .in New Haven^ They-needed money bad but I wouldn't go in unless they made all the changes I suggest." 'And'they wouldn't—for you, Joe?" 1 say in surprise. 'No^not at the time .1 told 'em-^but believe you me, they had 'em in there by the time they got to Broadway, go whether the Theatre Guild like^ it 'or not^I'm one of the authors, but I ain't coUectin' no royalties.^ 'Hm," I hm'd, "this is. gonna be a great surprise to Rodgers and Ham<< merstein." • "Oh, you know authors," says Joe, "by this time they think every change I-thought of is theirs. I had the same experience with 'Harvey.' When I took a peek at it-in Boston they had a real rabbit on the stage. It sort of made it unreal, so I tipped-oH Brock Pembecton. to leave out the rabbit. Did I get any thanks? No, Six.' Wouldn't even let me buy two seats for the-opening.^ But if y-p'u seen 'HarveyMately you know' there isn't po bun-^ nies runnin* around the'stage in Eaves costumes.'*. ' > v "The papera oughta do a story on you; Joe.". I says. "You're a character." ' "You ain't kiddin', Bud. I was around when Morosco was. a man- and not the name of a theatre." \ Just-then the inteijmission. bell rang and Sam pulls my sleeve.- . "See-what I mean?" Sam says. ' ■ ,- . . "Yeah," I says, "I know what you mean.". ■ ' , "And by the way " blurts Sam, as we're being shoved down the wrong aisle, .''remind me to tell you next intermission about the farmer's daughter and t^e landlord. I'll try to think of the punch line all! through the second act!" ' • I didn't hear from Sam again until, the next mornings "Welt" welled Sam over the phone. "Joe Was right, wasnt lie?" "What" do you mean right?" I yells back. **Last night's show got raves from every critic in town." ■ . ». "Yeah, I know)" says Sam. "just as Joe ss^id!" Greetings from MICHAEL MYERBERG Mansfield Theatre New York HOUDAY GREeriNGS FROM BETTY BRUCE