Variety (October 1954)

74 LEGITIMATE * P&RIEff Wednesday, October 27, 1954 Moira on N.Y. Crix: ‘Really!’ Minneapolis, Oct. 26. Moira Shearer/ costar of the . Old Vic’s, touring ‘‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,'- sounded off here last week against New York critics who panned the revival, She said that "the public is ulti- mately the final judge and they’ve been most enthusiastic." In an interview with Minneapolis Tribune staff writer Daryie Feldmeir, the red-headed ballerina accused one of the dissenting New York critics of not even knowing that Mendelssohn actually wrote, the; music or the show.. "He thought we’d simply inserted the ‘Overture’,” she said. "Really!" ■ ' Miss Shearer declared the "Dream" production should be ap- proached as . a: spectaqle—which Broadway reviewers didn’t do. ‘‘Some of them," she said, “were’ disturbed, because they expected a bare stage and lectern business." "Really, the public wouldn’t sit through, it if it were bored," sorted Miss Shearer. "You've got to approach this without any prejudices. I suppose you always remember the bad reviews. They : stick in your craw."-, f The revival drew favorable reviews and tremendous business in three performances here. By ARTHUR BRONSON The Metropolitan Opera Assn, opens its 70th season in N.Y, Nov. 8 on a highly upbeat note—coin- wise, artisticwise and publicity wise, Subscriptions are running ahead of last year, which was a banner bn& Opening night, always a sellout 1ft upped tariffs for about a$60,000- $65,000 take, will have added value this season, revenue and promotion- wise, from being televised into 30 or more theatres .around'-the. coun- try. Artistically, the Met shapes as in Improved position over recent sea- sons. The hew artists roster looks good. The changes, are for the bet- ter, and casting looks stronger. Repertoire has also been buttressed' by some preems. There were no new works in the rep last season. This year will see the- U.S;. preem of Strauss’ "Arabella,” and the re- vival (in a new production) of Gior- dano’s ; "Andrea Chenier," which hasn’t been heard at the Met in almost 25 years. In Addition, there’ll be an innovation in an orig- inal ballet, "Vittorio," by the Met’s ballet master, Zachary ; Solov, which will have its World preem. There'll be 26 operas in all, in- cluding five of Verdi and foiir of Wagner.: For the first time in Met history, the 1 production opening night Will not be a complete opera, but .seg- ments from several—undoubtedly a sop in deference to the tv audiences. Artistically this may be a cheapening of standards, and the purists are grumbling strongly, but boxofficewise this- should bring in : some badly-needed extra coin. Of more, interest this year than even theatre-tv and premieres is the talent roster. General manager Rudolf Bing has scored a couple of 10-strikes with the signing of Marian Anderson and Dimitri Mitropoulos. Latter is the. electric. N.Y. Philharmonic-Symphony mae- stro, perhaps the most exciting theatrical conductor on longhair podiums. Most unusual event, of course, is the addition of Miss Anderson, first Negro singer to be asked to the Met. (A Negro dancer, Janet Col- lins, Was signed as premiere bal- lerina three seasons ago. She left this season), Breakdown of the .Met’s anti-Negro barrier is as im- portant to the music world as the recent Supreme Court anti-segre- gation ruling is to the world in general. Event should have hap- pened 10 years ago, however, when Miss Anderson was in her prime, but it is still history-making, pav- ing the way for several brilliant young Negro singers * (Mattiwilda Dobbs, Lawrence Winters and Wil- liam Warfield among them), who deserve already to be at the Met. Mitropoulos will also be making his U.S. operatic bow, conducting the aforesaid "Masked Ball," as well as Strauss’ “Salome" and the "Vittorio" ballet preem. Another new Met maestro will be the Ger- man conductor, Rudolf Kempe, while returning as guest batonist again will be the veteran Pierre Monteux. The ballet department has been strengthened with addi- tion of Mia Slavenska as lead bal- lerina.,* Some interesting names ait. among those dropped from the roster this year. Soprano Irmgard Seefried and Contralto Fedora Barr bieri are real losses, these being top artists. Another top departee, tenor Jussi Bjoerling, however, has, been sick off and on 'in recent seasons, and is past his prime. Basso Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, most highly touted of last, season’s addi- tions, is a personality lore' than singer and needed specially tai- lored roles (like Boito’s "Mefisto- fele”). that were not in the Met’s rep. But he’ll be missed. : Newcomers to the singing roster (in addition to Miss Anderson), however, do include a couple of volatile potentials, as in Sopranos Christ el Goltz and Renato Tebaldi, ’contralto Giulietta $imionato and baritone Otto Edolmann. Other new singers are Laurel Hurley (from N.Y. City Center), Shakeh Vartenissian, Bernd Aldenhoff, Giuseppe Campora, Ralph Herbert, Calvin Marsh, Kurt Boehme, Louis Sgarro and Gioi'gio Tozzi. Re- turnees from former seasons in- clude Della Rigal, Mario del Mo- naco, Hans Hopf, Giacinto Prari- delli, Waiter Cassel (now at City Center) and Paul Schoeffler. Return of the Native Edward Johnson.* .former general manager of the Metro- politan Opera, will make his first public appearance at the . house : since he ieft In 1950 when he acts as emcee for the intermission events : on the closed-circuit telecast opening night, Nov. . 8. Johnson, who was manager for 15 years prior to Rudolf Bing’s tenure and who was a leading Met'tenor for 13i years before that, emceed the tee- veed opening night of his last seas'on in 1949, Then he in- terviewed his artists backstage in their native tongues,, and made a very favorable impres- sion. Return'to the'house was made at Bing’s special invite. Revived Ballet Russe Rocking Them on Tour; Sock $51,300 for Seven Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo,■ revived this year by Columbia Artists Mgt. (Schang, Coppicus & Brovyn division) after two-year layoff, has been doing sock busi- ness since - start of its: tour Oct. 1. In three performances in Balti- more Get. 1-2, the troupe did $16,- 500, Week following, Washing- ton the terpers garnered $34,500 for ejght shows; Week of Oct. ll in Boston, they rang up a smash $53,500 for eight, in striking Con- trast to a $19,000 gross racked up in the Hub on their previous visit several years!ago. ■Last week, the company did a split-week, with a sock $51,300 for seven showings in three stands. Pittsburgh drew $11,800 for two performances;: Reading, Pa., a huge $7,000 in a single, and Philadelphia grossed $32,500 for four. Another .split-week, covering Worcester, Providence,- Springfield and Hartford, is current. Troupe’s biz this fall has been a general surprise to the trade. Columbia’s prez, Frederick Schang, attributes the draw to three, fac- tors. The troupe has been out of the field two years and audiences are curious f about the revived setup. Also,' Ballet Russia, was always a name that drew (like Sadler’s Wells). Finally, the pres- ence of Maria Talfchief as . lead balleri ’ figured a help, S.F. Summer Boom Ends; New Pickup This Week San Francisco, Oct. 26. San Francisco’s biggest legit summer in years has finally dwindled to a standstill, but ac- tivities have picked up again and indications are for a good fall and winter. Helen Hayes in "What Every Woman Knows" opened this Mpn- 'day-'(25) at the Curran for a four- week run. Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann and Stanley Holloway in the Old Vic production of "Mid- summer Night's Dream," are due Oct. 27,. at the War Memorial Opera House for 15 performances, under the sponsorship of the Civic Light Opera. Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn open Nov. 1 at the Geary in "Face to Face," a program of readings, and stay through Nov. 13, Melyyn Douglas opens Dec. 6 at the Cur- ran in "Time Out for Ginger" and Jean Arthur arrives Jan. 10 at the Curran in "Saint Joan.” The Dublin Players begin a two- week program Nov, 22 at the Geary, with a company of 20 pre- senting a repertory of. four plays. Greco 18G, Montreal/ Montreal, Oct. 26. - Jose Greco and his company of Spanish dancers drew almost $18,- 000 at Her Majesty’s last week, with the 1,704-seater scaled to | $3.38. Other than occasional one-hight- ers of a local nature, house is dark I till "Caine Mutiny Court Martial” i comes in Nov. 15. Ballet Theatre Repacts Levine; N 4 Scores Disked Joseph Levine, who joined Ballet Theatre in 1952, has been reen- gaged as musical director, Troupe opened its 15th season in Prince- ton last night (Tues.). To mark the troupe's 15th anni, Capitol Records has issued two new disks by Levine and the BT orch. One platter offers Antheil’s "Cap- ital of .the World" and Banfteld’s “Combat." Other has suites from Offenbach’s ‘‘Bluebeard’’ and "Helen of Troy." PGOperafest Yearly In P. Rico 1 + San Juan, P.R., Oct. 26, An annual grand opera project, under semi-official- sponsorship, in- volving a $100,000-plus, budget,, with personnel headed by Metro- politan Opera stars, is eyolviiig here. Meeting of strategy board last week resulted in a second Opera season beirigt set for next June;; paralleling last spring’s' suc- cessful test stanza. tinder auspices of. the U, of Puer- to Rico, eight to 10 performances of opera will be given June 10-19 at the University Theatre, in - Rip PiedraS; Repertory will probably be |Aida,". “Trovatore,” "Faust,"’ "Manon,” "Rigoletto,” "Barber of Seville;” ‘‘Traviata,” . "Pagliacci” and "Cavalleria Rusticana.” Casts and directors, will be set around Christmas. Original season last June was the brainchild of a N.Y. show biz attorney, Albert B. Gi . many of whose clients are concert people. Working with university authori- ties, he put together a week of eight performances June 11-19. it was the first opera festival the government - sponsored university had ever staged. Gins, as director- general, flew here (and back) a group of soloists, conductors and stage directors; 16 Choristers* eight ballet dancers, with costumes and. sets. University added more sing- ers and dancers. Orch of 50 men was mostly from the N.Y, Met. Gins had Met singers Eugene Conley, Nadine Conner, Robert Weede* Dolores Wilson, Brian Sul- livan, Tomika Kanazawa, John Brownlee, Thomas Hayward, Jean Madeira, Charles Kullman, Frank Valentino* Jan Peerce, Norman Scott, Herva Nelli, Maria d’Attili, and Lois Hunt. The. Met’s Wilfred Pelletier, City Center’s Joseph Rosenstock, and WOR’s (N.Y;) Emerson Buck- ley were the conductors, with the Met’s Desire. Defrere heading the stage directors. The 2,000-seat hall was scaled from $8. Attendance was SRO, with 400 standees each at three performances. The b'.o. was $99,000, with a nut around $97,000. As a result of this venture, Chan- cellor Dr. Jaime Behitez asked Gins back to do a repeat this spring. University group negotiating with Gins were Dr., Jose Gueits, dean of students, and the festival’s local sparkplug; Dr; Alfredo^Matilla, di- rector of social activities, and Dr. Ramon Mellando, vice-chancellor and dean of administration. After the huddles, Dr. Benitez left for N.Y., ( to be guest speaker at Co- lumbia U.’s : Bicentennial celebra- tion. FAYE-‘RUNN1NG MATE’ BUDGETED AT $65,000 "Running Mate," William Mc- Qleery comedy which will bring Faye Emerson back to Broadway this season, is being capitalized at $65*000, with provision for 20% overcall, by producers Kenneth Banghart and Warren P. Munsell. It goes into rehearsal Oct. 28 under the direction of Luther Kennett, will try out Nov. 25-27 at the Shubert, New Haven, and tWo weeks beginning Nov. 29 at the Plymouth, Boston, with: a Broad- way opening Dec. 15, Play, which tried out under the title "The Lady Chooses” at the Westport (Conn.) Country Play- house and the Newport. (R. L). Casino Theatre, is a one-setter re- quiring a cast of 13 (including four major roles), with a locale in a prosperous town about 100 miles from New York. Legit pressagent A1 Spink re- tired last week after 38 years in the business. He made his final calls last. Friday (22) in Columbus, O., as advance man for "King and I" . . . Robert G, Swan, New York and Baltimore ad exec, has written the book, music and lyrics of a musical comedy, "On Our Way," which he is dickering to have pro- duced on Broadway next spring, British film-legit actress Valerie Hobson, femme lead in the London production of "King and I,” will retire from show biz when she is married early in January to John Profumo, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Transport. Burgess Meredith; currently star- ring in the Broadway production of "Teahouse of the August Moon" as temporary replacement for David Wayne, will repeat the Sakini role in thd Howard Lindsay- Riissel .Crouse touring edition of the comedy skedded to get under- way in' mid-December; Signing of Meredith apparently indicates that plans for a touring version of last season's "Remarkable Mr. Periny- paker" have been shelved, since hie had been committed to duplicate his starring role in that production on the road. Arthur Gelb, of the Ni Y. Times city" staff, has been shifted to the paper’s dramatic department suc- ceeding Jack Shanley, who moved over this week to the tv-radio de- partment Emmet Lavery and his wife returning to- their Holly- wood home after a six-week Euro- pean trek ... A road company of the . Yiddish play, "Will They Re- member,” being presented at the Parkway Theatre, Brooklyn, will be sent out as a co-op venture by the Hebrew Actors Union. Mae West and Bobby Clark are being sought by J. J. Shubert, Billie Burke (widow of Floren? Ziegfeld) and Stanley Gilkey for a new edition of "Ziegfeld Follies" . . v Miriam Hopkins will star in "Time of the Cuckoo" next week at the , Fox Valley Playhouse, St. Charles, 111. "Sabrina Fair," with Louise King starred, is current at the theatre, which began a six- week experimental fall season Oct. 19 . . . Tempo Theatre, a new off- Broadway group is skedded to bow Nov. 27 at the Speyer Hall Play- house of the University Settlement Assn,, N. Y., with "The Maids" by Jean Genet, French playwright-' novelist. . "The Girl From Samos," by Ida Lublenski Ehrlich, will preem un- der the auspicies of Everyman’s Theatre at the Labor Temple* N.Y;, next Monday (1) . . . Having re- written the script, Michael Kalles- ser is planning pn a revival of his play, "One. Man’s Woman,” which rah during; the ’20s ... Irving. Cooper is general manager, Nicholas Saunders, stage manager and Richard Shull, assistant stage manager for Gordon W. Pollock’s "Black-Eyed Susan," due Dec. 16 on Broadway. Ann Corlo began a tour yester- day (Tues.) in "Separate Rooms" 1 at the Biltmore Theatre, Miami. .• . New Repertory Theatre . has op- tioned the. English rights to Edwin Justus Mayer’s "Children of .Dark- ness," originally produced in New York In 1930 . . ,. Helen Hayes will open and close the N. Y. City Cen- ter Drama season beginning Dec; 22 with a two-week stand in ‘‘What Every Woman Knows" and wind- ing Up with a fortnight’s run in "The Wisteria Trees," starting Feb. 22. Ballet Theatre Foundation elect- ed Harold Clurman, Broadway stage director and drama critic for the Nation: magazine, as a member; of its board of governing trustees. Playwrights Co/s Walter Alford going out as advance man for Katharine Cornell’s production of Christopher Fry’s "The Dark Is Light Enough." Toni Lander, formerly ballerina of the Royal Danish Ballet, arrived in N.Y. from Europe last Friday (22) to join the London Festival rBallet; British company began a week’s engagement at the Chicago Opera . House Monday (25). Legit Bits Abroad London, Oct. 26. Hyman Zahl leaves for Holland over the weekend to close a deal for Rene Sleeswijk’s revue, "Made in Holland." This is: Zahl’s second' trip and will finalize arrangements for a tour of London and the provinces. Zahl next planes to Wiesbaden to confer with the En- tertainment Chief of the U.S. Forces for setting up several top- ranking units to start their tour in mid-November and end in Janu-. ary, with each unit guaranteed a minimum of 12 weeks. "An Evening , with Beatrice Lillie," currently touring the pro- vinces, opens Nov. 24 at the Globe/, replacing Noel Coward’s musical, "After the Ball.” . . .Laurier Lis- ter’s revue, "Pay the Piper,” sto- ring Elsie and Doris Waters and "at present in the sticks, comes to the Saville theatre Nov. 24, replacing "Keep in a Cool Place,” the Roger. Livesey sturrer. Odhams is publishing Donald Wolfit’s autobiography under the title of "First Interval" early January . . .. Edition Ryan planes to New York on a two-week trip, taking with him a new play, "Tread Softly," by General Savory, for Broadway production. He will also dicker with Elmer Rice for a Continental filming of "Grand Tour" with Anglo-American, coin. Patricia Neal is likely to play the lead. Laurie Lister’s show, "Pay the Piper,’’ currently touring the prov- I inces with Elsie and Doris Waters as stars, opens Dee! 14 at the Globe, replacing 'Noel Coward’s "After the Ball” . . . Harry Foster and Bernard Delfont to Paris for four days last week to scout talent for the new "Folies" at the Prince of Wales in March, and the new Val Parhell and Delfont show at the Lbndon Palladium due in the fall, with Norman Wisdom agai starred. Glasgow Bits Glasgow, Oct. 26. Sketches by Nancy Hamilton, American revue writer whose work i is new to the United Kingdom, will be used in the new Laurier Lister revue, "Pay • the Piper," set for Theatre Royal here Nov, 1. Lyrics and music are mainly the work of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. Ballets Espapols 13G On Solo Week in Wash. Washington, Oct. 26. Ballets Espagnols grossed shade, under $13,000 for its one- week stand at the National Thea- tre. Audiences were enthusiastic but the terp troupe, opened cold here, completely unknown. Nation- al is dark this week, but the Shu- bert Theatre opened its season last night (Mon.) with a single weeks engagement of “Fifth Season.” Future D.C. bookings include Nov. 1, "Wedding Breakfast,” try- out, National (two weeks, subscrip* tion,. and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Shubert, one week; Nov. 15, "Bad; Seed," tryout, Shubert, one week* anjd "Tea and Sympa- thy," National; one week, Nov. 22, “Portrait pf a Lady," tryout, Na- tional, two weeks, subscription, and "Flowering Peach," tryout, Shubert, two weeks; Dec. 13, derfiil Town,”. National, weeks, subscription; Jan. 3, r ‘Re- markable Mr. Pennypacker,’ Na- tional,. two weeks, subscription; Jap. 24, "Dark is Light Enough, tryout. National, two weeks, sun* •scription.