Variety (October 1954)

M UBCITIMATB PGBHBft s ....... . Vednetdgjr, October IS, 1954 1 On Your Toes George Abbott revival of musical corn: •dy in two acts, with: music by Richard Rodgers,«lyrics, by Loran* Hart, book by Rodgers, Hart and Abbott. . Stars Vera Zorina, Bobby Van; features Elaine Strltch, Ren Astar, Kay Coulter, Joshua Shelley, Nicolas Orloff, Jack Williams, George Church- Directed .by Abbott; Oliver Smith; costumes, Irene Shftraff; lighting. Peggy 1 Clark; musical direction,. Salvatore Dell’1 sola; orchestrations, Dan Walker, At 46th St. Theatre,. N Y... Oct.. 11. '54; $803-$6.90 top ($0.20 opening). Phil Dolan H ........... ..- Jack Williams LilDolan . Eleanor'Williams Phil Dolan II ............. David Winters Stage Manager George Church Lola Dorene Kilmer Junior -..... i‘.\..,.........;.. Bobby Van. Frankie Frayne Kay Coulter Sidney Cohn ....., Joshua Shelley Vera Barnova- ............. Vera Zorina Anlishka .. .... . .. .. .. Patricia Wilkes Peggy Porterfield ........ Elaine Strltch Sergei, Alexandrovltch; -., - • ./.Ben Astar Konstantlrie Morroslne....; lcolas Orloff Snoopy Thug . Mishka Ivan , Vassilll Dmitri ................ Leo •... .. Ballet Stage Manager Cop .;. '. . Chorus; Phyllis .:John Robb .........,.. Nathaniel .Fry . v . Patrick Welch ............ . John.Nola Edward Pfeiffer Ted*' Adkins Robert Lirtdgren ..Bertram Wood . Arthur Grahl Lillian Campbell, D’Honau, Patricia Drylie, Katla Genez- nova, Carolyn George, Marilyn Hale? Dorene Kilmer, Helen Kramer,- Sonja LindgrOn. Paiila Lloyd, Sigyri. . Barbara, Michaels, Lois Platt, Nina Popova,. Ruth Sobotka, Mary Stanton, Carol Stevens, Wendy Winn; Ted Adklrts, Marvin Arnold, Johnny Bowen. Timmy Everett, Arthur Gyahl, Edward Kerrigan, Jack Leigh, ■ Robert Lindgren, John Nola, Edward Pfeiffer.- ._jr^' Songs: '.‘Two a Day for Keith." "The 3 B'b," "It's Got to Be Love," “Too Good for the Average Man,” “There’s a Sm?ll Hotel/' ‘-The Heart Is Quicker Than the Eye/ "Princess Zenobla Ballet/’ "Quiet Night,” “Glad to Be Unhappy/* “On Your Toes.” “You' Took Advantage, of. Me,” '■Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.” : - The passing years sometiines do cruel things, so it can be disillu- sioning to revive cherished mem- ories. It seems strange now that only 18 years ago '‘‘On "Your. Toes” could have been such a milestone of musical comedy. What was a great show in 1936 seems, tame in 1954, despite the surviving quality of the Richard Rodgers and. Lorenz Hart songs and the still-electrifying -‘Slaughter on Tenth Avenue’* ballet. As the first legit musical to use ballet as an important element, “On Your Toes’’ was a trail-blazer. But there’s no getting around the im- pression that it’s merely sort of quaint today. The book seems to be the worst handicap. The story, with a prolog about the hoofing Dolan family of vaudeville, telescoping. 15 years to the bashful music professor who gets involved with 9 Russian ballet troupe, may have seemed ingenious in its day. But it's transparently Contrived and' awkward now. George Abbott, who co-alithored the book with Rodgers and Hart, has staged the revival with his Original Cast Dwight Deere Wlman production, staged by Worthington Minor. (with an unbilled assist by George Abbott); chore- ography, George Balanchine; scenery, Jo Mielziner: costumes, Irene Skaram at Imperial, N.Y., April 11. '38; R3.M top (played 313 performances). 1 Phil Dolan II .. . ;.......... J. .Dave Joiips Lll Dolan Ethel Hampton Phil Dolan III .......... Tyrone Kearney Lola Betty.Jane Smith New Year .....,....... Betty Jane Smith Sergei Alexandrov Itch... .Monty Woolley Control Man Russ. Milton Announcer .. Henry Dick Footmen... .Beau Tilden, William Raker Peggy Porterfield. Luella Gear Junior .................... Ray Bolger Frankie Frayne .......... Doris Carson Sidney Cohen ....... David Morris' Vera Barinova . 1 ........... Tamara Geva Anushka ., Mae Noble . Constantine Morrosstne Demetrlojs Vilan Mischka Valery. Streshnev Vassilll-..,Robert Sidney Dlinitri Basil Galahoff Leon Harold Haskln Call Boy .. Harry Peterson In the "Princess Zenobla'MOIIet Princess Zenobla ...... Tamara Geva , Beggar .............. Demetrlos Vilan . Old Prince. ......... William Baker Young Prince ......... George Church -Singer Earle MacVefgh Walter .............. Jack Quinn Snoopy William Wadsworth Policeman ............ Robert Forsythe Nurse. .... ........ ... Frances Nevins Thugs * . Nick Dennis, Louis Walsh in ''ttauohtor On. Tenth Avenue” Hoofer .......... Ray Bolger Strip Tease Girl ....... Tamara Geva Big Boss ...... George Church characteristic econocy and pace. But though George Balanchine, who has done the dancing, as he did originally, has apparently supplied new choreography for most of the show, only his celebrated “Slaugh- ter on Tenth Avenue” ballet retains a modern quality. Some of the others have almost a variety house appearance. Vera Zorina is acceptable as. the predatory ballerina, which she did In the London production and which Tamara Geva originated on Broadway, Bobby Van is an emi- nently qualified performer as the hoofer originally played, by Ray Bolger. There are varyingly P assable performances by Elaine tritch as the ballet angel who gets to belt out several songs in her mannered style, Ben Astar as the bombastic impresario, Kay Coulter as the soubrette (which dates the show, all right) and Joshua Logan as the full-of-beans young com- poser. '. Oliver Smith has designed suit- ably garish scenery and Irene Sha- raff properly striking costumes: But, despite such welcome Bodgers- Hai’t tunes as “It's Got to Be Love,-' “Too Good for the Average Mari, “There’s a Small Hotel,” “Quiet Night” and “You Took Advantage of Me” (borrowed from their “Present Arms” and the hardy “Slaughter,” ’ this revival doesn’t come tb life. Incidentally, Rodgers is silently partnered with Abbott in .this pro- duct Kobe, Rfelinlrig Figure Martin Gabel & HenryM.Margolis (In association w4tb Peteif Cusick) production of comedy in three acts, by Harry Kur- nltz. Features. Percy Wararti, Mike Wal- lace. Georgians Johnson. Gabel, Berry Kroeger, Ralph Bunker, David Qpatoshu. Staged^ by. Abe Burrows; scenery and lighting. Frederick Fox: At Lyceum, N.Y., Oct. 7. '54; $5.75-$4.60 top ($(£90 opening), William v......... . Foster Davis Samuel Ellis , Mike Wallace | CassEdgerton ...... Georgiann Johnson Lutcas Edgerton "......-...-.. Percy Warani Agranronte , . ...,Ralph Hunker Paul Weldon ............. Berry Kroeger. Jonas AstOrg Martin Gabel Dcnesco ....... David Opatoshu Dr. Hickey ..../ Nehemiah Persotf Prof. Juinclle Alfred Hesse Screenwriter Harry Kurnitz’s first .play is a comedy, "Reclining Fig- ure;” about a cantankerous million- aire art collector who buys a coun- terfeit Renoir and thereby becomes a human being. After sputtering promisingly for a couple, of acts, it finally picks up pace and uncorks solid laughs for the finale. Since comedy is an especially staple commodity on Broadway, the show should have a moderate run: It’s a prospect for pictures Mid a cinch fot the stock and little thea- tre markets. As such, it should provide Kur itz with a modest meal ticket for years and years. The author, a former Philadel- phian, art patron in a small way and, according to his friends, some- thing of a character himself, has based “Reclining Figure” on a fair- ly celebrated hometowner, art col- lector and eccentric, the late Al- bert C. Barnes; The latter crammed his mansion at suburban Merion, Pa., with rare paintings and stub- bornly refused to allow anyone in to see them 1 (the rule is reportedly still enforced by the executors). Kurnitz presents this Irascible connoisseur as a genuine “charac- ter” but, fortunately for theatrical purposes, as essentially likeable. The play is also fictionalized in that after the old geezer realizes he’s made a fool of himself over the supposed. Renbir, he’s human- ized enough to allow his- entire art collection to be toured for public exhibition. This happy ending, plus the use of such tradltlbnal stage Ingredi- ents as the. ingenue and appropriate love interest, with an idealistic juvenile who defies the testy old money'bags, indicates that, beneath his surface of cynical humor, Kiir- nitz is a romantic. Anyway,, he has written. a lot of funny jokes and a generally pleasant play. -j There are particular laughs In “Reclining Figure” for anyone Slightly familiar with the art busi- ness, or for Texans or that special breed of anti-Texans, as well as people who collect jokes about Hungarians and people who collect just jokes. In fact, although it’s plainly no masterpiece, '‘Figure” is enjoyable enough to rate a fairly long showing in the Broadway gal- lery.: Abe Burrows, himself quite, a man with a quip, has .done a work- manlike staging job, with proper appreciation but not overemphasis of the comedy. Percy Waram is ex- cellent as. the gumpy, bullying, but basically .ingratiating: art col- lector. Mike Wallace is attractively relaxed a§ the young dealer with a vision, Geargiann Johnson is a nifty looker and competent actress as the tycoon’s enterprising daughter, and Martin Gabel is skillfully ur- bane as the devious art dealer with an appreciation of rich Texans. Effective supporting perform- ances are given by Berry Kroeger as the artist whose talent has been corrupted by easy-money forgery, Ralph Bunker as a fussy old art expert, David Opatoshu as a engag- ingly larcenous Hungarian dealer- blackmailer, Nehemiah Persoff and Alfred Hesse as a couple of bun- gling Renoir connoisseurs and Fos- ter Davis as the butler who fancies himself an undiscovered Grandma Moses. Frederick Fox has designed a properly hideous but effectly ar- ranged interior of various levels. Hobo. *» I ' 1 Bus & Truck ‘Oklahoma’ Tours East and Canada; ‘Young, Energetic’ Cast New- Bedford, Mass., Oct. 12. Nick Mayo and Philip Mathias, co-producers who head the newly- formed Broadway Lights, Inc. (under , the wing of Rodgers & Hammerstein), have assembled a young, energetic .and talented com- pany for a-40-week tour in “Okla- homa.” Traveling in two buses, the group of 60’ performers, musicians, stagehands and technicians will play in most of the major eastern Canadian cities. In its appearance thus far, the company has been a bonanza. At Morris Simms' Olympia Theatre in New Bedford, for example the company had an advance sale of over $7,000 and drew about 4,000 attendance for its two ^perform- ances. The troupe deserves its success. Striking . a nice balance between youthful players and older, experi- enced hands, the group presents the musical classic with plenty of zip, professional skill and con- tagious good spirits. Sets, Which are transported two special Oklahoma Broadway Lights. Inc., production of tnusical In two acts, with music by Rich- ard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammersteih 2d, based on Lynn Riggs' "Green Grow the Lilacs." Directed. by Rouben Mamouliari; settings, Lemuel Ayers;, costumes by Miles White; dances by Agnes DeMille; production reproduced by Charles Atkin; dances re-created by Betty Gour; musical director, Peter La u- rlni. At Olympia Theatre,.New Bedford, Mass., Oct. 4, '54. $3.30 top; Aunt Ellar .. ..-..;...-........ Edith. Gresham ; Curly ............, .. Robert: Austin Laurey ............... GenevieveOwens Cord Ela,m Burt Bier Fred ....................... Jack Irvin' Slim Raiy Daihore Will Parker ............ Harris Hawkins Jud Fry ..... ........... Jerry Cardoni Ado Annie Carnes ...... Jacqueline O’Dea All Hakim >. Jerry Mann' Gertie Cuinmi ....... Judy Rawlings Ellen Glenn Ryman Sllvie ............ .;... Phyllis French Arinina Sybil Scotford Aggie Paula Waring Andrew Carnei .......... Owen Martin Chalmers ....... ,.i.... George Lawrence Mike ..............; Bert VallencoUrt trucks, are first-rate, costuming is bright and appealing arid the choreography, which preserves the imagination and spirit of Agnes DeMille’s original dances, is socko, with brisk hoofing by lithe arid youthful performers. In the two romantic . leads, the company has personable warblers ; with the vocal equipment to match their good looks. Robert Austin makes a virile and convincing Curly, while * petite Genevieve Owens is wistful and pleasant to hear as Laurey. As the villainous Jud, Jerry Cardoni is appropriately menacing, and in good voice in “Pore Jud.” Comedy is ably supplied by Jerry Marin a!s the peddler, All Hakim; Jacqueline O’Dea does the. cheerfully promiscuous Ado Annie' with a zestful comedy flair, and Edith Gresham portrays Aunt Eller with amusingly raucous authority. There is a good bit, too, by Harris Hawkins as Will Parker and OWen Martin, from the origirial Broad- way production, is competent dra- matically, but short on vocal prowess as Ado Annie's shotgun- toting father. This Is, in summary, a competent group going about its business with professional, skill. The enterprise should provide a much-needed im- petus to thO cause , of profesisonal theatre in the hinterlands. Dias. For Show Biz Browsers Boston, Oct. 8, Editor, VarietX: Seems Alec Woollcott has played his final joke on his Old friends in shojy • blz^ for in the Edward Sheldon; Room of the The- atre Collection at Harvard,, im- posingly arranged in handsome boxes, behind glass, and lighted with artistic indirectness, are let- ters sent to" the Sage of Romoseen by such stage luminaries as Alfred Lunt, -Lynn Fontanne, Thorton Wilder, George S. Kaufman, Ruth Gordon and Harpo Marx. The Wilder letters. are erudite and genuinely valuable from point of View 1 of the scholarly Collector- arid Harpo’s letters are filled with enormous wit—but some of the gossipy passages in the corre- spondence of the. other persons represented can easily touch off feuds and supply columnists with hair-curling material for years to come, Dr. William van Lennep, curator of the Harvard Theatre Collection, reports a steady stream of “name” visitors who spend hours pouring over Woollcott’s treasure troVe. Bob Downing . The Rainmaker Wilmington, Oct, 7. Eth^l Llnder R«lncr (In aisbciatlon with Hop* AbeUoiV) production' drama In three acta, by N. Richard Nash. Star* Geraldine fa((. Directed by Joseph. Anthony; setting and lighting, Ralph Alewang; costumes: Bolasnl. At Play- house, Wilmington. Ofit. 7, *04; $3.89 top. BUI'Starbuck Darren McGavfn H. C. Curry ...... Cameron Prud’homme Noah Curry Joseph SuUlvan Jlni Curry Albert Salmi Lizzie . Curry .......,.. Geraldine Page File Richard Congan Sheriff Thomas. .. .Tom Flatley Reynolds * The chief virtue of this new N, [ Richard. Nash play is that it pro- vides a showcase for the talents of Geraldi Page.. As -a rancher’s daughter whose seriousness fright- ens away wpuld-be suitors, Miss Page has . a choice role arid right- fully dominates her. scenes,. The play itself is less successful. There are a few excellent' moments arid some fine comedy scenes* but the overall impression remains that it’s up to Miss Page to lure the customers. Some judicious cutting may improve the script. The story involves a ranch fam- ily facing a ruinous drought and> an adventurer and self-styled rain- maker who arrives with ah offer to produce a downpour for $100, The first drought he cures is the barrenness in the daughter’s life. That transforms her into a capti- vating femirie and the local deputy sheriff who once spurned her* de- cides she is marriageable after all. There is a rainstorm at the final curtai Miss Page demonstrates that her stardom is well irierited giving’ a top performance. Albert Salmi is effective as the heroine’s younger brother who has the play’s best comedy moments: Darren McGavin is dashing and convincing in the title role, being especially impressive in the ro- mantic .scenes. Richard Coogan, Cameron Prud’homme, and Tom Flatley Reynolds make up the re- mainder of the generally excellent cast. \ Ralph Alswang’s ranch setting arid colorful lighting effects are. outstanding, and Joseph Anthony’s direction keeps the play running Smoothly; “The Rainmaker” was originally a tv drama, expanded into a. full lengtlr play by the author. Klep. The Traveling Lady Princeton, Oct. 8. 'Playwrights Co. production of drama In three acts (four scenes), by Horton Foote. Features Kim Stanley, Jack Lord. Lenny Chapman, . Kathleen Comegyl, Katherine Squire, Doro Merande. Staged by Vincent J. Donehue; scenery, lighting and costumes, Ren Edwards. At McCar- ter. Princeton, Oct. 8, '54. Mrs. Mavis Doro.Merande, Slim Murray . Jack. Lord Judge Robedaux ........ Calvin Thomas -Georgette Thomas Kim Stanley. Margaret Rose Brook SeaweU Clara Breedlove ........ /-.. Helen Carew I Sitter Mavis. Katherine Squire Mrs. Tillman ........ Kathleen Comefyj Henry Thomas ......... Lonny Chapman Princeton’s McCarter Theatre has operied its new legit season with a two-day tryout of Horton Foote’s “The Traveling Lady.” From here, the show moves to Cin- cinnati and Cleveland for further seasoning, prior to opening Oct. 27 on Broadway. Despite its projected itinerary, however, “Traveling Lady” should not get very far. At Princeton, it went nowhere. . As a play “Traveling Lady” is a sorry effort, it’s quarter-hour or so of action is belabored through a long evening of homey reminiscence about things that aren’t very interesting in the first place. The story relates how a babk- country hash-sliriger works for six years to pay for a penitentiary par- don for her drinking, brawling hus- band who has stabbed a man. When she arrives in town to meet him after his release, she discovers he’s still a bum* and goes off with a local boy. The heroine is. supposed to be a sensitive, misused young mother cursed with a Sensitive, misled husband and saved by a sensitive, misunderstood hero. She also has a sensitive daughter who wants somebody to sing her a hillbilly ballad. The mother comes alive as fairly stupid, however, and the hus- band is a whining, self-pitying lout, while the young hero is merely confused. The author has apparently tried to write a fragile story of tender love which, blossoms out of . vio- lence in a richly human southeast Texas cotton town. He has suc- ceeded, unfortunately* in telling a maudlin tale of a dimwitted south- ern girl’s deliverance and salva- tion in a high-class “Tobacco Road” setting. He has a strong sense of locale arid has been truer with his secondary characters than with those required to carry the plot. A great fault of the show Is the dirge-like pace inflicted by direc- tor Vincent Donehue. However, Doro Merande gives a vivid per- formance as a senile biddy. Kim Stanley is fine as femme lead. Cut to an hour, “Traveling Lady” should make an acceptable mood piece , for television, a field Foote knows infinitely better. As a three- act stage play, it may be substan- tially improved, but hardly enough to matter. Heny. Saint Joan r Ottawa, Oct. 6. . Canadian Flayers. Ltd. platform produo* tion of drama in-six scenes and epilogue, by George Bernard Shaw. Features Ann Casson* Douglas Campbell. Directed by . Campbell. At Little Theatre, Ottawa, Oct. 5. '54; $2.25 top.. Joan <, ... De Baudricourt Peter Cauchoh English Soldier Dauphin Inquisitor ......... William Needles. Archbishop Warwick William Hutt Courcelles Steward LS Hire De Stogumber- - Bluebeard Brother : Marti Roland Hegwill Poulengey .Dunols, Bastard' of Orleans . D'Estivet .John Gardiner La Tremouille Executioner This lecture-style presentation is , nearer a conventional produc- tion than the Laughton-Moorehead readings. It’s a full-movement, scriptless version With no sets ex- cept a beige back curtain contain- ing an entrance. There are no furniture : or props beyond bare essentials. The mod- ern costumes are changed as little as possible, except for one comic semi-period hat and cloak. Except- ing Joan arid the executioner,, two or three roles are handled, by each actor, with no character 'makeup. It’s a„ superb production, which will please any whose imagination is not too sluggish to be stirred by a meaty, zesty play vividly and solidly performed. It is the pre- miere for this new , company, whose president is Trim Patterson, founder of the Stratford, Ont., Shakespeare Festival, from whose casts all but two of this company were drawn. .loan is piayed by Ann Casson, daughter of Lewis Casson and Sy- bil Thorndike, for whom Shaw wrote “Joan” arid’ who first per- formed it ini England, Douglas Campbell, Miss Casson’s husband, staged this production arid also plays a large and two smaller roles. The rest of the company is Canadian, although William Needles was born in the U. S. Its excellence is almost uniform, its Versatility astonishing. Miss Casson’s Joan increases i intensity to incandescence in the trial scene, then lapses into proper casualness in the epilogue, when she . makes a posthumous appear- ance after her name has been cleared, by a rewrite of history worthy of the Soviet historians. Even the incandescence is always earthy, however, without spurious romanticism. Her costume is > sweater and slacks, with ” a hooded over-sweater sometimes added, appropriate to the simple country girl. Perhaps the most extraordi- nary other performance is that of Needles as. the wretched Dauphin, whom Joan’s death makes a man by forcing responsi- bility on him. Needles also plays the Inquisitor, With a complete change of characterization. William Hutt’s Warwick. Is pol- ished, his Archbishop wholly ade- quate, and fils Courcelles, a sort of 15th-Century McCarthy with a list of 64 “heresy” charges agairist Joan. Bruno Gerussi’s de Stogumber is Vividly appalling, then pitiful* Roland Hewgill’s effetely humor- ous Bluebeard and warm, protest- ing Brother Martin are effectives and John Gardiner stands but especially as thiT Bastard. Jack Hutt, who also stage-manages,, is an impressive black-hooded execu- tioner. The burly red-headed Campbell contributes, besides his vigorous, brilliant direction, three, memor- able characterizations, especially the bishop presiding at Joan’s trial. arid the cockney soldier who hands her, in the flames, a cross of twigs. Perhaps the orily flaw of conse- quence is that the full-view shift* ing. of props by the actors, unob- trusive at all other times, destroys the mood at the end of the play proper, just before the epilogue. The production, in here for eight performances, tours 22 other On- tario cities and towns, then later heads for some U. S. -cities where it has been invited, starting with Detroit in February. Card.