Variety (March 1950)

Wcdntttfey* Marctf 29, 1950 LEGITIMATE A request to* Actors Equity ask-4 i ntf “union to reconsider its recent' ruling extending the rehearsal pe- riod for strawhat productions has hPGrt made hy the Summer Stock Managers Assn. SSMA’s board of directors, following a special meet in New York Monday (27), sent a wire to Equity noting that It felt the Equity council had acted under a misapprehension as to the feel- ings of the barn operators. Wire also expressed association's atti- tude that Equity’s action, was a serious threat to summer theatre operations. A request for the case to be reopened was made. ’ Strongest beefs against the new ruling have* been registered by op- erators using the star system, their claim being that the five-day re- hearsal period called for in the Equity decision will cut the 'play- ing time available to stars in half and in a number of cases make it unprofitable for them to appear. According to one New York agent, a star who has found strawhat en- gagements a worthwhile venture in the past has announced his inten- tion not to make any barn appear- ances under the new ruling. In contrast* however* one femme star has expressed satisfaction over the extended rehearsal period. Her contention is that she plans to try out a iiew play this summer and added practice time will en- able her to make necessary; script changes while traveling, Another fear of the strawhat op- erators is that stars who do take to the barns this summer will ask for a pay hike to make up for the coin being lost in haying to spend practically two weeks at one spot. Operators have also expressed the feeling that the new ruling may result in an increase in package productions, which would add con- siderably to their expenses, since they’re still compelled to pay sal- aries to the resident actors. Pack- age shows would obviate the five- day rehearsal necessity. SSMA is holding its first spring meeting today (Wed.) at the The- atre Guild rehearsal room, N. Y. Aldrich to Operate Musical Tent Show As 3d Summer Stock Richard Aldrich, who already operates two strawhats on Cape Cod, Will have a third this summer. The new Venture, to be located at Hyannis, will be called the Cape Cod Musical Circus, and will be a tent-playhouse offering arena-style operetta revivals. It will open about July 3 and continue* through Labor Day. Undertaking will be financed at around $25,000-$30,000. Decision to present an operetta- under*Canvas strawhat was reached by Aldrich after his actress-wife, Gertrude Lawrence, planed to Miami last week to look over a similar setup operated there by Laurence Schwab and St. John Terrell. She was met there by Julius Fleischmann, who made the trip, from his winter home at Na- ples .Fla. Fleischmann, who is associated with Aldrich and Rich- ard Myers in the Broadway re- vivals of '‘Caesar and Cleopatra” and "Devil's Disciple,” will prob- ably have a financial interest in the Cape Cod Musical Circus. ' With the new project in prepara- tion, as well as summer schedules to bet set for his Cape playhouse, at Dennis, anrfi Falmouth playhouse, at Copnamessett, Aldrich will prob- ably spend most weekends on the Qape between now and June. After that, he expects to be in New York only a couple of days a week, at most*. Myers, vacationing in Paris, 18 not duo back until late summer or early fall. "Caesar” will close June 3 at the National, N. Y., and go oh the road in tha fall. "Disciple” is slated to; continue at the Royale, N. Y., at least through the balance of the season, and may tour after its Broadway run, Aldrich & Myers Si?/ 1 t° produce a new comedy, ,The Little Glass -Clock,” by Hugh '■•lki' ’’ on Broadway next fall* pos- sibly with Miss Lawrence starred. Of Pittsburgh; March 28. Thomas Mitchell, starring in na- tional company of ’‘Death of a Salesman,” told drama editors here he’s seriously considering doing Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman ;Cometh” on the West Coast and then touring the country with it after he finishes with the Arthur Miller drama. Mitchell has .already talked to both the author and Theatre Guild officials about "Iceman.” 9 • in London, March 28. Warm audience reception greet- ed Sidney Kingsley’s “Detective Story,” which opetied at the Prince’s theatre here Saturday (25). Press notices weye. general- ly noncommittal, but show, looks promising, Play, featuring a mixed cast of Americans and Canadians- headed by .Douglass Montgomery, . was staged by David Gray. Second company of "Kiss Me, Kate” may remain at the Shubert, Chicago,, through the summer, resuming its tour early in the fall. However,, if business doesn’t hold Up as expected, producers Saul Subber and Lemuel Ayers will probably move the Cole Porter-, Sam and Bella Spewack musical* to Boston for a summer run. , Although the show’s grosses in Chicago have slipped in recent weeks, it has made a profit all but one week. It’s hoped that attendance will spurt after Holy Week and, if receipts maintain! a profitable level through the bal- ance of April, the pace may con- tinue through the summer. A decision will probably be reached within the next three weeks. Anne Jeffreys, star of the Chi- cago troupe, shifts to the Broadway company June 1, succeding Patri- cia Morison, who is leaving to return to Hollywood. Frances Mc- Cann is taking over the lead in the Chicago edition. Replacement for Alfred Drake as co-star of the original production isn’t set. Keith Andes, Who has the part in the No. 2 company, will get the New York assignment if he is available, but he has a film .Commitment, to be adjusted* Drake’s successor, in case Andes isn’t available* ; and a new male lead for the Chicago troupe, aren’t set. Origirial production of t h e show is continuing indefinitely at the Century, N. Y., where it is piling up additional profits. The management has been trying to arrange to move the show to a theatre in either 44th or 45th street, but hasn’t been able to work out a deal with the Shuberts. GENERAL MGRS. HUDDLE ■ ON LEGIT ECONOMIES Apparently the tremendous ad- vanced excitement in the "South Pacific’’ engagement in Cleveland has affected the business of tour- ! ing shows ;playing there -in the meantime. That was predicted by the managements: of the other shows involved, at the time the "South Pacific”; mail order ad was published in the Cleveland dailies. It was claimed then that the ad, running so far in advance of the "South Pacific” engagement, might divert interest from the interim bookings. . Supporting this view, the three weeks’ advance sale, since the "South Pacific’’. ad appeared have averaged a trifle over $19,100 Weekly, compared to an average Weekly gross 6f almost $26,600 for four weeks of more or less com- parable bookings prior to the ad. However, the lower average of the more recent shows may be in- creased by this week’s gross of "Death of a Salesman,” which is expected to top last week’s opener for the same play. The three shows that have played Cleveland since the "South Pacific” announcement and the Unpreced- ented flood of mail orders it brought (totaling $738,000, of which $603,000 was oversubscrip- tion for the scheduled two-week stand ) are the Tallulah B an khead- starring "Private Lives,” which grossed $16,000 in a repeat date; Mae West, who failed to equal her other road takings with only $18,- 000 in "Diamond Lil,” ’ and last week's- moderate (considering the rave notices and big advance repu- tation) $23,400 for "Death of a Salesman.” Prior to the ‘‘South Pacific” an- nouncement, "Mister Roberts” drew' respective grosses of $29,100 and, $31,500 in two weeks, ■ Katharine i Cornell got $24,100 in "That Lady”, and Katharine Hepburn pulled! $21,600 in "As You Like It.” The , touring musicals, "Oklahoma!” and ( "Brigadoon,” took in $56,400 and i • $26,600, respectively* before the 1 ; "South Pacific” ad appeared. Webster to Stage Met Rudolf Bing* new general man- ager of the N.Y. Metropolitan Op- era, has engaged Margaret Webr, ster to direct Verdi's "Don Carlos” next season. It’s the first opera she has ever staged. Verdi work has been absent from the Met’a; reper- toire since the I922-’23 season. Rolf Gerard, who did the set- tings for the legiters, "That Lady” arid "Caesar & Cleopatra,” has; also been inked to do the scenery and costumes for "Carlos.” In past sea- sons Miss Webster has been prin- cipally active in producing and di- recting her own Shakespearian repertory group. A Broadway legit company, to present a repertory of four Amer- ican plays in Lausanne, Switzer- land, is being sought by the Swiss government through the Swiss Tourist bureau. The prbposition has been offered to Robert White- head and Harold Clurmah, who are associated as prospective co- producer and director of "Member of the Wedding;” Pair sail today (Wed.) for Paris, and will then gb to Switzerland to confer with government officials. If an agreement for such a tour is worked out for this Summer, Whitehead will return immediate- ly to New York to rnake arrange- ments. However, it’s expected that ■4 A central , producing unit, ta of- fer package editions bf their mu- sicals, is being mulled by Richard Rodgers arid Oscar Hammerstein, II. The Idea would-be to set a production standard for the shows and thus protect their value as properties. It’s figured such a unit. might operate along the general lines of the Howard Johnson res- taurant chain, which offers the name and maintains a uniform quality for concessionaires. Although the exact formula for such a project hasn’t been worked out, the general idea would be to. have unit productions Of the mu- sicals, which ^vould be licensed to local theatres on . a guarantee- against-perceritage basis. . Primar- ily, the package shows* would he intended for areria-styie presenta- tion in tent theatres, which Rodg- ers “and Hairimersteiri believe will be a major development in the U. S. in the next few seasons. How- ever, : large-scale productions might be prepared for outdoor pre- sentation, spot: bookings in road stands, or possibly even for regu- lar tour. ; The main consideration would be quality of productioii. The com- poser-lyricist partners believe that with the expected mushrooming of under-canvas playhouses, particu- larly; ■ in communities too sriiall to afford regular theatres in the Prist, there may be a danger of inferior productions of their works. They fear such a; development would not only decrease the. subsequent box- office appeal of the properties, but would drive away possible new audiences for legit as a whole. Their idea is to set up a central outfit to produce show packages, book them arid handle the entire operation. St. John Terrell, whose Musical Circus last Slimmer at Lambertville, N. J., was the first • such spot and who is currently partnered with a similar venture the project cannot be set up be-,. .■ fore next summer. Idea is that | i? Mmmi, might head the project, the U.S. players would receive only that ,°ther. details remain nominal salary, with a percentage' ar E, ai \®- TT . . of the gross over a certain figure,; . Jhe RodgersrHammerstein. col- but would be given full expenses, mcluding Okla- iricluding first-class passage over Carousel, - Allegra and anrl hark- i the eurrent-on-Broadway South ■ Pacific,” would not. be included, Only wrinkle in the situation is the desire of Swiss officials to have a major Hollywood star to head the troupe. Whitehead be- lieves that the proposed financial setup makes that a remote possi- bility. He also hopes to convince Swiss authorities that it would be difficult for a film star to arrange his commitments in order to con- tinue such an engagejment as long since they are not yet available for stock. But such Hammerstein works as "Show Boat,”. "Desert Song,” "Rose Marie;” "New Moon” and "Music in the Air” would be offered; Some of the Rodgers arid Hart hits, such as "I Married an Angel/’ "Connecticut Yankee,” "Pal Joey” and "Too Many Girls*” which have not been too popular for outdoor presentation- because Group of legit general managers has been holding a series of in- formal meetings to discuss mutual problems, primarily concerned with productioii and operating costs, Sessions, held at the office of the League of N. Y. Theatres, resulted from a suggestion by the Committee of Theatrical Produc- ers, that the general managers try to help in the producer organiza- tion’s efforts to work out theatri- cal economies. ,V Thus far, nothing definite has evolved from the confabs, Which have touched oh such subjects as road bookings* routing, railroad transportation conditions, talent contracts, etc.. First meeting was held March 20 and . another Mon- day (27), with additional ones in the next cOiipie of weeks. Those attending the huddles have in- cluded Herman Bernstein, Victor Samrock, Max Allentuck* Irving Schneider, Morris Jacobs, Harold Wise, Max Siegel, Ben Boyar, John Yorke and Charles Harris. K. C. Avalanche Kansas City, March 28. Announcement in the local dail- j ies Sunday (26) that the touring production. of "South Pacific” Will play here the week of May 8 j brought an avalanche of mail or- ders yesterday (Mon;). More than 3,000 envelopes were delivered in the first mail. Theatre attendants haven’t yet sorted the orders or attempted to figure the amount: of money involved. Rodgers-Hammerstein musical will play the recently-renovated Orpheum. Detective Story’ Replacement v Joan Copeland has withdrawn tr°m the ingenue lead in "Detec- tive Story,” at the Hudson, N. Y., Dejng succeeded by Elinor Randel. 8 ' latter’s first principal part on Broadway. C 1 Outdoor operetta season, similar to those at St Louis and Dallas, is planned for Toledo for the sum- mer of 1951. It will be produced by Charles R. Meeker, supervisor Of the Dallas outfit. He will re- port for the new job Nov. 1, The hew setup, known as the Toledo Light Opera Assn-, will be operated in association with the Toledo Zoological Society.' Harrity, Matthews In Strawhat Teaming Richard Harrity and Billy Mat- thews have purchased the Gothic bam and stables* of the Vander- bilt estate at Hyde Park, N. Y., for a summer theatre. Duo plans to start remodeling immediately. The- atre, to be called the Hyde Park Country Playhouse, will have 650 to 700 seats; Setup permits for one unit, this to include facilities for housing actors, as well as a scene dock for making sets. Harrity, who is author of "Hope Is a Thing With Feathers,” seen on Broadway two seasons ago, and Matthews, Who was Eddie Dow- ling’s production assistant and is now co-stage manager of "Devil’s Disciple” (Royale, N. Y.), will use the star system with a resident Equity company; Property was bought from Hyde Park ex-Mayor Elmer V. Wagner. Main body of the Vanderbilt estate became a national park in 1941* < I . • * i -Tfi- ; ; 1 ' : ; V > ’- Sets For ‘Cry of Peacock’; 36 Invested $65,000 Producers Don Medford and as three months. Further, he will ^“ in point out that if, as the Swiss have aualito ? said, they .would like to make the i effccuVe Ts^thehtrc-tn the .-Sfnd tour an annual event, with many offeiin4 theatre-in-the-iound of the same actors returning each ' * * year, it would be almost impossi- ble to get a top nam£ According to the tentative pro- posal, the four plays in the reper- tory would be rehearsed in New York, and the physical productions would be built-in Switzerland. Clurman would probably direct two of the plays, and Whitehead and j ^ actor^director Hume Cronyn one , J an l es Colligan of "Cry of the Pea- each. Cronyn’s wife, legit-film ae- | cock " a f*e understood to have tried tress Jessica Tandy, is interested , *° obtain the Jean Denis Malcles in makin^ the trip next summer I settings from the original Paris as a member of the Company. ] edition of the play. They were. able to reach an agreement with the designer himself, but coudn’t come to terms with Claude Sain- val, manager of the Comedie des Champs Elysees, where the show played: So they hired Cecil Bea- Offering of a condensed play in ! ton to do the scenery and costumes conjunction with the showing of a ’ t° r the U.S. version, now trying film is being considered by the Put- Skouras circuit for presentation in . A situation involving the financ- some of its Long Island and New lug of the production arose Jersey houses; Policy of dualing [ through the replacement of Leon- a film presentation with a tab legit i ora Corbett by Martin Ritt as TAB LEGITS PLUS FIX MULLED BY SKOURAS production was inaugurated a feW months ago at the Brandts’ Selwyn, stager. Miss Corbett obtained a sizeable poi-tiOn of the backing for subsequent-ruh picture house on • the project, rind she and the inves- West 42d street, N. Y. Idea was tors involved Were reportedly dis- receritly picked up by a number of satisfied over her removal, How- houses on the Loew’s circuit. , ever, the snarl has since been set- The Selwyn, incidentally, has tied; Reason for her replacement fallen back on a double-feature ' are in dispute, but apparently stem policy in’ the past few weeks. It’s from differences oyer the script, reported that house has beeri hav- Which the management claims she ing. trouble castirig "Native Son,” revised without authority, which has beeri cut down to tab size* Kaycee U.’s Theatre Degree Kansas City, March 23. Graduate work leading to Among the 36 listed backers of the $65,000 venture are Anthony Brady Farrell, $6,500; Ninon Tal- lon (Mrs. Oscar Karlweis), agent for original author Jean Anouilh, $2,400; A. M- Blumberg, of Brooks •irtSiw of^'degrerin'“theatre Costumes, $3,900; WeSsapht Sam- will be offered at the U. of Kan- « e L J, Friedman, $650; .WiUum P.: sas City beginning with the sum- Nolan, of the Nolan scenic studio, mer session in June, according to $5,200; actress Helen Menken and Dr. Robert Mortvedt, UKC • v.ps - ) Medford and, Colligan,- $1,300 .each. • .*; ti 'If Ti • ’,i ■ i l" i: I ‘. it f ! Vi.