Variety (September 1952)

'sn UKCnrilULATK See U.S. Symphs’ Future in SmaD Units Of 4045; LPs, Radio Hypo Audiences The future of symphony orches-- tras in America, it's claimed, lies in ensemhles of 40 to 45 men, not in the usual big 90 to 100 setups. Most critics, according to Thomas Scherman, can’t support a 90-piece orch (with exception of metropoli- tan centres like N.Y. and Boston), but can stand an ensemble o| .45. Scherman is founder-conductor of the Little Orchestra Society, which begins its sixth season in N.Y. next month. He sees the smaller symph growing, all around the country. Several cities which have fullsized symphs, now have new small orchestras too. “There’s so much wider an audience for the small orchestra the past 10 years, and more particularly in the last three years,’’ says Scherman, “thanks to radio and recordings, and especially to the growth of LPs.” Scherman, who is son of Hariy Scherman, Book-of-the-Month Club founder, organized his orchestra six years ago, in order to present seldom-heard classical music and new, modern works, Orch, com- posed mainly of young players, numbers 40. All are at full scale, same as the big symphs, with the men, however, hired on a single- engagement basis. Orch has made a definite dent in the N.Y. music scene already. It’s the only permanent small symph in N.Y, (There are a couple of other ensembles gotten together each season for one or two concerts, but these are pickup orchs.) The full- size N.Y. Philharmonic is thfe only other Gotham symph giving mdre performances. (The NBC;' Sym- phony plays very few public date^, other than its radio sked, and the al fresco Lewisohn Stadium Or- chestra consists mainly of N. Y. Philharmonic men.) 85-Concert Sked ! Orch wall give about 85 concerts this season. It will present 55 in N.Y. from October to March, and the balance on tour. It has;, a sub- scription series of eight concerts in Town Hall, eight public dress re- hearsals for pay at Hunter College, and children’s concerts in N. Y., ' Westchester, Stamford and New Jersey spots. In March it will begin its second annual tour, covering eight states (Pennsylvania and the south), doing six concerts a week for four weeks. In addition to the regular Town Hall series, orch will move into ■ Carnegie Hall this year for the first time, for three concerts. If success- ful, it will do six there next season. Orch is on Decca’s list for the second year, having been with Co- lumbia previously. Its Decca disks have been more or less film music, its albums including Aaron Cop- land’s “RedvPony*’ and “Our Town’’ and Virgil Thomson’s, “Louisiana Story’’ and- “Plough That Broke. The Plains” scores. Orch has re- corded its first opera for Decca, in Rachmaninoff’s “Miserly Night,” w'ith Cesare Siepl. Non-Profit Setup Orch is non-profit. Although its Town Hall series (its mainstay)- has been SRO since the start, it has had a steady deficit (despite tour and recordings), due to the hall’s small (1,500) seating capacity. Defi- cits, however, have decreased each year, and a promulgated TV series may put the orch in the black. Pri- vate contributions have helped it thus far. Group has specialized in operas in concert form, which hadn’t-been done in N. Y. since the early Leo- pold Stokowski-Philadelphia Or- chestra days, and which practice the N. Y. Philharmonic’s Dimitri Mitropoulos has since picked up from Scherman. Orch opens its ’52-'53 season at Town Hall Oct: 13, presenting the N. Y. premiere of Mozart’s opera. “La Clemenza di Tito,” in concert form. Several new works, some XT. S. premieres, and some N. Y. “firsts” are skedded this year. Name artists like Rudolf Serkin and Isaac Stern and many others fill a lengthy guest artist list. Longhair Shorts Leonard Warren, Met Opera baritone, established an annual scholarship for young singers . . . Roberto Turrini, Italian tenor, flew in from Brazil for first U. S. ap- pearance, debuting in tomorrow’s (TJmrs.) “Aida” at City Center, N. Y. Hartford^s Buslinell Aud. To Sked Legit Musicals Hartford, Sept, 23. Extensive musical program has been' set up for the Bushnell Me- morial this season. As last year, the house will he void of straight egit attractions because of the com- petition of the New Parsons here. Latter house opened its second sea- son Thursday (18) with “Mr. Rob- erts.” In past year Bushnell pre- sented six to oight plays a season. . First offering of the 3,000-seater Bushnell will be “Gentlemen Pre- fer Blondes,” pencilled in for three shows Oct. 10-11. Other musicals may be booked during the season. New Parsons, which is handicapped for musical productions, may show; i one or two this semester. It has enlarged its pit and made back- stage enlargements to accoimno- date musicals. Other offerings of the Bushnell include the Bushnell Symphony Series, Aaron Richmond Celebrity Series, and operas by the Con- necticut Opera Assn. ‘Macbeth’ Stage Reading Seen Lacking as Drama; •Action, Costume Missed Presented by the White Barn Theatre at Westport, Conn., Sept., 14, the concert reading of “Mac- beth,” devised and arranged by Staats Cotsworth, who also played the title role, lacked two basic re- quirements for successful dramatic readings: the right play and top- notch voices to carry it. While Shaw’s “Don Juan” Is conversation and needs little physical movement, “Macbeth” is packed with action. “Reading” a duei doesn’t seem to jell with audi- ence, nor do grimaces of evening- gowned mtcheS, or Lady Macbeth clutching « bound script for a candle in the sleep-walking scene. With an announcer, background music, reading stands and fancy dress, seeing this presentation comes close to .watching a radio broadcast, and since the latter is free, it is hard to see any com- mercial value in such a reading. Pace seemed slow, and misread- ings and mispronunciations did not help for clarity. Staats Cotsworth interpreted Macbeth as a cruel, snarling tjrrant his “tomorrow” soliloquy brought a welcome re- straint. Muriel Kirkland was a strident, one-noted Lady Macbeth, Horace Braham’s Macduff soft and | frequently inaudible. In contrast to these, Paul McGrath’s warmly human Banquo was quietly effec- tive. Abby Lewis as a witch and Robert Dryden as the porter were better to hear than to-see. Other contributions by the large cast ranged from adequate to annoy- ing. General effect was not helped much by offstage tomtoms, and lighting of Macbeth alternately in yellow and red. Vene. Raloff to Direct For Skulnik ‘Business’ Bow Gregory Ratoff has signed to di- rect “Business Is Business,” George Kondolf’s production of a comedy by Sylvia Regan, with Yiddish star Menasha Skulnik making his debut on the English speaking stage. Samuel Leve will design the scen- ery and lighting. With another male star due to be signed this week or next, the play is slated to go into rehearsal end of October. Philharmonic Members In Carnegie Top’ Concerts Members of the N. Y. Philhar- monic will give a series of “pop” concerts at Carnegie Hall, N. Y., Oct. 1-3-4; under baton of Charles Paul, Violinist Ruggerio Ricci will be soloi.st for the Oct. 3-4 con- certs, and contralto Margaret Roy for the Oct. 1 event. Ricci will preem Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concert D’Ete” at his appearances. Various charities are slated to share in some of the proceeds. Daniel Rybb, Philharmonic double- bass member, is helping set up the concerts. WedlncBday, SeptctnJxsi* 24, 1952 A ^ »■ I ^ Inside Stuff—Li^ STEPHEN DOUGLASS As Billy Blgolow in "Carousel” Paper Mill Playhouse, Mllburn, N. J. Personal Representative Jane Doacy 1st Drama ()uartet Sock Again in ‘Juan’ Disking Of Col Long-Play Set Bernard Shaw’s “Don Juan in Hell,” which was the surprise hit of last year’s legit season in the First Drama Quartet (Charles Laughton, Charles Boyer, Cedric Hardwicke, Agnes Moorehead) presentation, is just as brilliant a our-de-force in Columbia Records’ waxing of the event. The two LP- disk album is a novelty, if only be- cause it’s the first recording of a Shaw work. It’s also an exciting recording, with a good deal of the drama, passion and interest of the legit presentation. Shaw’s warm, witty, if overlong dissertation on war, women, piety, morals and human nature in gen- eral comes off rather well on disks, even if some of the theatri- cal quality from the quartet’s live readings is absent. Miss Moore- head's enunciation and delivery are finest, in a clear, luminous reading. Boyer is a little indistinct occa- sionally because of accent; Hard- wicke’s voice is a little thin, and Laughton’s too soft. But in the main, the experience and artistry of this yet stage quartet comes through for sock impact, and a high-grade novelty recording. Bron. Backers of “In Any Language,” the Jule Styne-George Abbott pro- L Suctions of a comedy by Edmund Beloin and Henry Garson, with Ula Hagen as star, include Burwell M. Abbott, brother of the co-producer, $2 400; Abbott himself, $1,200; co-author Beloin $600; his son, John Hayden Beloin, $1,200; his wife, Lynn, $600; Abbott’s daugh- ter and casting director, Judith Ann Clark, $6,000; attorney Edward E. Colton, $600; theatre owner Howard S. Cullman, $6 000; actress Olga Druefe, $600; yfroducer-theatre owner Anthony B. Farrell, $2,400; Carl Fisher, company manager of the show, $2,400; Liza Garson, wife of the co-author, $600; Mrs. Michael Goldreyer, wife of the company manager of “Pal Joey,” $600; souvenir program agent Al Greenstone, $1,200; Abbott’s sister, Mrs. Isabel Juergens, $2,400; Abbott’s secretary, Celia Linder, representing the producer, $2,400; Mrs. Howard Relnheimer, wife of the attorney, representing her sons, Kurt and Peter, $500 each; composer-producer Richard Rodgers, $1,200, and producer Elaine Perry, $600. The show capitalized at $60,000, with provision for 20% - overcall. Although he’s a prolific investor in the theatre, Meyer Davis seldom reads a script. Instead, he believes in stringing along .with top pro- ducers and authors. “The public verdict may disagree entirely with one’s own opinion,” he explains, “and it is impossible to forecast ac- curately the success or failure of a theatrical venture. Several scripts I read last season and didn’t like, and refused to invest in, turned out to be big successes. ‘Moon Is Blue’ is one; ‘The Shrike’ another. I do not mean that an Investo'r should gamble his money willy-nilly. But if he sticks pretty generally to competent and reputable producers and good authors bis chances are better than average.” The orchestra leader’s record—over the last four years, excluding .he coming season—comprises investment in 48 productions of wihch li were money-makers, five just about broke even, 16 partially paid off and 16 were total losses. Davis invests on his own and as head of a syn- dicate of friends. He has produced, several show's, though none in the ast few seasons. The new season plays in which Davis has thus far invested include “Climate of Eden,” “Deep Blue Sea,” “Two’s Com- pany,” “Time of the Cuckoo,” “I’ve Got Sixpence,” “Those Familiar Spirits” and “Be Your Age.' Evans, Ex-Columbia Mgt. Prez, Signs With NCAC In one of the major switches of the concert business, Lawrence Evans, former prez of Columbia Artists Mgt. and one of the or- ganization’s founders, has joined its chief, rival, National Concert & Artists Corp. Evans, who was with Columbia for 22 years, left it about a year ago, due to illness as well as dis- agreement with other top Colum- bia brass. He’s largely been resting in Florida since. At Columbia, he personally handled James Melton, Yehudi Menuhin, Lawrence Tib- bett and many other artists. At NCAC, Evans won’t assume charge of any talent already with the bureau, but plans to bring in his own artists in his capacity as personal concert manager. Music Tent Prepped For Hub’s North Shore in ’53 Boston, Sept. 23. Although the local strawhat sea- son is now in mothballs, Lee Falk operator of the Boston Summer Theatre and County Playhouse Framingham, is already planning for next season. He announced in- tentions of building an elaborate nii'sic tent in Beverly next spring Spot will be tabbed the North Shore Music Tent, with a seating capacity of 1,200 and parking space for 900 cars. Falk has earmarked $75,000 for the project. Despite the fact that the music centre will be in neighborhood of Marblehead, where- strawhat pro- ductions have been presented for 13 years, Falk figures that like the South Shore, where both the Cape Playhouse and Music Circus in Hy- artnis flourish, the North Shore can also support two organizations. Margaret Hartlgan, forjmerly wdth RCA Victor, N. Y., hapdllng longhair disk promotion, now with Murial Francis publicity office. Elihu Glass, managing director of the Court Square Theatre, Spring- field, Mass., though admitting that a large number of pencilled book- ings haven’t materialized, says his house isn’t being sluffed off. The United Booking Office, he writes, has done everything it could to get him shows. The real problem, says Glass, is lack of enough first-class shows to fill the needs of road theatres like the Court Square. “And this is a pity,” he wrltds, “because people break down doors and pay $3.60 or $4.20 to see fine actors on the stage. They wouldn’t pay 50c to see them in films. Everybody knows this.” Legit Bits Leland Hayward, who returned in Boston. Her husband, Guthrie last week from a European vaca- tion, is now sporting a mustache and a crew haircut, the latter re- placing the Yul Brynner-type semi- shave job he had last summer . . . George Rochford, whose reported differences with J. J. Shubert created a situation last week in which the ticket sale was sty- mied for “Fourposter” at the Blackstone, Chicago, is local head of the treasurers union, besides being boxoffice man at the theatre and co-owner (with the Shuberts) of the house . . . The Long Island R. R. will inaugurate a special ex- cursion rate Oct. 6 for patrons of early-curtain Broadway shows on Monday nights. Murray Hamilton, who was co- starred in the second touring com- pany of “Moon Is Blue” last sea- son and subbed in the Broadway troupe during Barry Nelson’s re- cent vacation, has taken over the same part in the Coast edition, succeeding . Scott Brady . . . Shaw’s “In Good King Charles’ Golden Days,” never produced in New York, may be done this season with Brian Aherne and Cedric Hardwicke as- leads . . . Herbert Kenwlth, who spends Jliis symmers as operator of the Princeton Sum- mer Theatre, left for the Coast last week with Mae West to cast sev- eral male parts in “Sextette,” the Frances Hope play which the star has revised and Alexander Ince will bring to Broadway in January. Elaine Perry confirmed last week the Variety report of several weeks ago that she will debut as a Broadway producer with the pres- entation of William McDowell Stucky’s “Preacher Boy” . . . Frank Loesser has agreed to supply the songs for the musical version of “Ninotchka,” for which George S. Kaufman and Leueen MacGrath (Mrs. Kaufman) are adapting the book, for production by Ernest II. Martin and Cy Feuer . . . Anna- mary Dickey is now standing by for Constance Carpenter as femme lead of “King and I,” which pre- sumably means Miss Carpenter is now set to continue indefinitely in the part (and that Yul Brynner will presently be upped to star billing as male lead>. Roger L. Stevens, William Fields and Hume Cronyn have dropped their option on “Jezebel’s Husband,” the Robert Nathan play they tried out on the citronella cir- cuit last summer with Claude Rains as star , . . Gordon Pollack and Don Hersliey plan to bring “Season with Ginger,” by Ronald Alexander, to Broadway in mid- winter. Shepard Traubc will direct and Mclvyn Douglas, who starred in the play’s haymow tryout tour, will be in It . . . Katharine Cornell ended her summer vacation at Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vine- yard, to attend the tryout preem Monday night (22) of ‘^Bernardlnc” McClintic, is director-producer of the Mary Chase play. Miss Cornell started rehearsals yesterday (Tues.) for her tour in “Constant Wife.” Bruce Becker, production assis- tant to Joshua Logan, vacationing in Canada with his actress-wife, Honey Waldman . . . Legit actress Patricia Jenkins playing the in- genue lead next week in the WOR- TV full-length video edition of Somerset Maugham’s “Theatre,” starring Kay Francis . . . Sam Stratton is manager, Nathaniel Shilkret is musical director and LeS Appleby pressagent for Cor- nelia Otis Skinner’s tour in “Paris ’90” . . . Morris K. Bauer will be partnered with Alexander H. Cohen and Joseph Kipness In the presentation of "Be Your Age,” for whieh Phil 'Adler will be general manager . . . Samuel Liff will be stage manager for “My Darlin' Aida.” Loring Smith leaving N. Y. for Hollywood this weekend for four weeks of film-making in Metro’s “The Clown.” Then he returns for the legiter, “Be Your Age.” . . . Pressagent Bob Hector back' in N. Y. la.st Friday (19) from a six- week trip to Sweden. Robert Joseph’s production of My Darlin’ Aida” is capitalized at $225,000. plus $34,000 in bonds, thq latter supplied by the producer and theatrical textile executive Joseph Maharam. The venture will have 40 backers who will invest amounts of from $20,000 to $500 ... Depending on whether the Act- ors Equity council would okay an extra week of rehearsal, “Buttrio Square” is now slated to open cold on Broadway either Oct. 2 or a week later. After various financial complications the tryout tour was cancelled . .Because Robert Mor* ley has finally nixed a trip to the U.S. this season, John C. Wilson’s proposed Broadway presentation of the London hit, “Little Hut.” is indefinitely postponed. Jill Kraft back in New York yes- terday (Tues.) from three months in Europe. In Rome she dubbed the new. Rossellini-Bergman film, and two Bernard Vorhaus productions. She’ll resume as Audrey Hepburn’s understudy in “Gigi” next month. Julia Victor is stage manager of “The Gambler”.. .Playwright Wn* liani Berncy is publicity rep fojj duPont’s “Cavalcade Of America tele series on DuMont. He has a new legit script in mind, but has put is aside for the present... Film producer David O. Sclznlckj who made “Gone with the Wind, has optioned the legit-filin-t®!® rights to the Margaret Mitcn^i novel and plans to do it as stage musical two years hence,.-Helen Jacobson, rather than WhitfieW Cook, will be associated, xvith ucl Ayers In the production of Richard Nash’s “See the Jaguar I (Continued on page 60)