Variety (March 1956)

PfiRIETY LEGITIMATE 69 Wednesday, March 28, 1956 Brill Bldg. Blushes Unheralded One of the principal locales and plot motivations Is the none- existent 1617 Broadway, which is also a song title in Jule Styne’s just-opened "Mr. Wonderful.” Because the setting is so patently that of New York’s Brill Bldg., 1619 Broadway, investigation re¬ veals that the vested interests of that citadel of Tin Pan Alley refused permission for such song glorification, which compelled songsmiths Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss and impresario Styne, himself no slouch as an ASCAPer, to give it the switch in street address and song title. Incidentally, unlike most European musicals, where legit musi- comedy and operetta "scores” are frequently a pot-pourri of the international Hit Parades, "Mr. Wonderful” is perhaps the first—certainly one of the rarest—occasions where non-original song material became interpolated as part of a $6.90-$7.50 top legit offering. This is because of Sammy Davis Jr.’s second-act medley which constitutes the largest segment of that stanza. Varying fees had to be negotiated by Styne with the respective copyright owners. Thus, “Sing You Sinners” (Sam Coslow and W. Franke Harling) carries with it a $100 weekly royalty which is split evenly between between Famous Music Corp. (Paramount Pictures-subsid) and the songsmiths. "Daddy, Uncle and Me,” by Sid Kuller, is cuffo, being part of the Will Mastin Trio’s original act. "Because of You” fetches a $75 weekly royalty to Arthur Hammerstein & Dudley Wilkinson, its authors, and their pub¬ lisher; "Old Black Magic” (Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer), $100; “Birth of the Blues” (DeSylvia, Brown & Henderson) is a $200 weekly item because of its original production source (George White’s "Scandals”); and two instrumental interludes, because they’re used lightly and politely, "Dearest” (Benny Davis-Harry Akst) and "Liza” (George and Ira Gershwin-Gus Kahn) are only $50 each per week. Cole Porter cuffoed "It’s All Right With Me,” out of "Can-Can,” but that song was eliminated directly after the premiere, because of the show’s length. Productionjiut of "Mr. Wonderful” is $240,000 (including Equity bonds.) Lester Osterman, who gets associate billing with Styne and George Gilbert—latter longtime aid to the songsmith-pro- ducer—is of the Wall St. brokerage firm of Osterman & Hutner. Everything apparently had a price tag except the modest Brill Bldg, which, while it may choose to blush unseen, has not illusions for anybody who has any concept of the Broadway map—1617 or 1619, it fools few as to the locale intended. However, the lobby interior is sufficiently dissimilar from the actual Brill Bldg. "The Wonderful” needs $35,000 a week to break. The Broad¬ way can gross $70*000. Davis Jr.’s deal is for $3,500 against 10% of the gross. No Twin Premieres For ’Marne’ in N.Y., London; Flop ‘Angel’ Tried It Proposal to have day-and-date premieres of the legit comedy, "Auntie Marne,” in New York and London next fall has been nixed by producers Robert Fryer and Lawrence Carr. The latter prefer to give the play a thorough road tuneup and see how it goes on Broadway before making any com¬ mitment for a West End version. In addition, although Beatrice Lil¬ lie has expressed interest in ap¬ pearing in a dramatization of the Patrick Dennis story in London, the producers figure on hblding such an assignment open for Rosa¬ lind Russell, who may want to do it after starring in the Broadway edi¬ tion of the show. In any ca'se, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee have not completed their adap 4 tation of the yarn, so the entire venture is not absolutely set. It’s pointed out that, contrary to a previous statement, a day- date opening of a legit show in New York and London would not be a first. Producer Gilbert Miller recalls that such a twin preem was used by the late Charles Frohman with "Michael and His Lost An¬ gel.” • The show opened Jan. 15, 1896, at the Empire, N. Y., and at the. Lyceum, London. The Broad¬ way edition of the Henry Arthur Jones play ran only 13 perform¬ ances and the West End version was a more or less similar flop. Miller, who was 11 at the time, remembers going backstage at the Empire to see his father, the late Henry Miller, who costarred in the play with Viola Allen. Just before the opening night curtain, Frohman j arrived for his customary words of encouragement to the company and, as always, appeared optimistic and jolly. While in the elder Miller’s dress¬ ing room, the producer was handed a cable, which he glanced at and quickly stuffed in his topcoat pock¬ et. With a few more cheery words to the worried star, he went out front for the performance. After the show, which went very badly, Frohman returned to Henry Miller’s dressing room to be greet¬ ed by the star’s statement that they’d better begin looking for a new play at once, as "Michael” was obviously a dire failure.' The pro¬ ducer quickly agreed, revealing that the cable he’d received just before the opening curtain was from London and had reported the show’s flop premiere there a few hours earlier. Milton Cassell, former musician, has joined his legit producer-wife, Rita Allen, as executive in charge of musical presentations and as¬ sociate in dramatic offerings. OUTDOORTUNER GROUP IN PACT WITH EQUITY . For the first time, an organiza¬ tion of summer theatre producers has successfully negotiated a con¬ tract with Actors Equity. A two- year agreement covering actor em¬ ployment in outdoor musicals has been worked out by the union and the Assn, of Civic Musical Thea¬ tres, representing al fresco groups. The minimum is the same as that recently set by the union for tent theatres. In that case, though, Equity had been negotiating with the Musical Arena Theatre Assn., but the confabs were broken off by a walkout of the MATA represen¬ tatives, following the union’s re¬ fusal to grant a demand for two hours extra rehearsal time, without additional pay. Equity refused the MATA de¬ mand on the grounds that a 48- hour work week had already been agreed on at prior meetings. The minimum work week for the out¬ door operations has been set at 54 hours, covering performances and rehearsals. The minimum sal¬ ary for rehearsals is $60 a week, while th tab of performances stan¬ zas is $70. The outdoor-theatres are being given more work hours per week than the tents because of the greater size of the al fresco pro¬ ductions. The weather problem is also a factor. The ' negotiations with M.4TA and ACMT also mark the first time that Equity has officially recog¬ nized a summer theatre producer organization. Set New Musical Stock for Nassau County, L.I. The strawhat circuit will get a $500,000 addition this coming sea¬ son. It’s the 1,250-seat Chaminade High School theatre in Mineola, L. I. The house has been taken on a longterm lease by Vicki Cran¬ dall and John Rust for summer musical presentations. It’ll be called the Nassau County Play¬ house. Miss Crandall is currently co¬ producer and musical director of the British Colonial Playhouse, Nassau, Bahamas, and for the past two summers has produced and packaged tuners for silo consump¬ tion. Rust, who heads his own New York tv production firm, is creator and co-producer of the video dramatic series, "Justice.” He previously presented a touring production of "Hasty Heart.” The Playhouse, which is air-con¬ ditioned, will operate from July 2 to Labor Day with a resident com¬ pany. A star policy will probably be employed. The producers plan pre-Broadway tryouts in addition l to the usual stock tuners. Back to This World' Cole Porter’s tune, "From This Moment On,” is back where it started, in the score of "Out of This World-” ft was originally written for that show, but was dropped prior to the Broadway preem in 1950. It later showed up in the film version of "Kiss Me, Kate,” as an addition to 'the original score penned * by Porter for the Broadway pro¬ duction. The song has now been rein- . serted in a revised version of "World,” which is being re¬ leased for stock production this summer. Off-Broadway Shows I Knock at the* Poor S. and A. production of concert read¬ ing in two acts of autobiography by Sean O’Casey. Staged by Stuart Vaughan; adapted by Paul Shyre. At Kaufman Con¬ cert Hall, N.Y., March 18. '56: $2 top. Cast Staats Cotsworth. George Brcnlin, Rae Allen, Paul Shyre, Robert Geiringer, Aline MacMahon, Legit & Concerts Fight B.O. Taxes Washington, March. 27. Legit and the concert stage have united to work for elimination of the remaining 10% admissions tax. That was announced here today (Tues.) by the National Association of Legitimate Theatres, Inc., and the National Association of Con¬ cert Managers. Leading the campaign, for which individual members of Congress have been showing considerable sympathy, are Patrick Hayes, chairman of the tax committee of NACM; Herman Levin, president of NALT; James F, Reilly, execu¬ tive director of the legit group; Lawrence Langner, tax committee chairman of the legit interests; Ro¬ land E. Chesley, president, and Ju¬ lius Bloom, secretary, of the con¬ cert outfit. D. C. counsel for the joint drive is Ralph E. Becker. In their combined statement to¬ day, the two butfifc^disclosed that letters have been written to all members of Congress urging con¬ sideration of admission tax repeal for the cultural arts. "These cul¬ tural groups,” said the statement, “stressed to Congress that fhe re¬ peal of the 10% admissions tax on the living theatre and cultural a ts —including ballet, concerts and lectures—would mean a loss to the Treasury of only approximately $7,000,000 a year. At the same time, such tax relief w r ould end the present discriminatory situation whereby tax exemptions are grant¬ ed on the basis of the charitable or noncharitable status of the spon¬ sor rather than the performance, itself. "The living theatre and classical music stage maintain that an eclipse of their media through con¬ tinuing taxation would deprive nearly all elements of the enter¬ tainment world of their most fin¬ ished and polished artists. It is in¬ congruous that the principal spawning ground for the artists of America is being taxed out of ex¬ istence and the future supply of artists being choked off at the fountainhead. "These two organizations repre¬ sent tax-paying, self-supporting, unsubsidized small businessmen who are merely seeking an equita¬ ble standing with commercially sponsored, tax-exempt and mass audience media in the competition for public approval. Unlike other countries, the An^erican arts are not asking for subsidization but- only for freedom from disabling and discriminatory taxation. "These groups stress the im¬ portance of maintaining -the high calibre of the American cultural product which has played such a predominant role in projecting American ideals into every corner of the world.” Six actors on six wire stools at six lecterns against a sky blue ! cyclorama are the framework for j this concert reading of "I Knock i at the Door,” excerpts from the | first of Sean O’Casey’s autobio- j graphical novels. As O’Casey 'cognoscenti know, this story of the early Dublin years in the life of . Johnny Cassidy is the author's I almost poetic reverie of his own j boyhood. They were grim years, and painful, and only rarely does laugher shine in. ** i The actors, two women, Aline MacMahon and Rae Allen, and four nun, Staats Cotsworth, George : Brenlin. Paul Shyre and Robert Gc-iringer, lavish affection and talent on the ^reading. Miss Mac- i Mahon and George Brenlin confine ; themselves to mother and lad, Siaats Cotsworth does* the narra¬ tion, while the others test their i versatilities on assorted Dubliners. To their mutual credit a vivid sen ;e of life is created, mostly sad. occa¬ sionally bright, always nostalgic. Johnny Cassidy has a rough time of it. He is within an aee of be¬ coming blind and his eyes require • constant and painful attention. His ; father dies while the lad is young, !• his clothes are threadbare, his . shoes thin, he is forced into educa¬ tion, secular and religious, at the : hands of sadistic zealots. That his ! sensitive soul is not crushed, that i indications can be seen of the talent to come, is the hopeful con- j elusion of this fragment of one ; life’s history. i Miss MacMahon’s reading is . illuminated by its troubled com- , passion, while George Brenlin is : wistfully groping as her son. Rae i AUen has charm or shrillness, as j necessary, for varying lassies, j Paul Shyre and Robert Geirin- i ger, as teachers, soldiers and relatives, shift characterization with ease, although Geiringer’s ministerial unction seems rather heavy. In providing the narration, Staats Cotsworth ties the Varying episodes together with emphasis. Stuart Vaughan’s direction re¬ sembles conducting with its orches* tration of spotlights and its lonely music from the wings as punctua¬ tion. The adaptation by Shyre shows careful selectivity, although more of the author’s twinkle would be welcome. The performance may be repeated April 8 and at its mode'st $2 top, why not? It’s a lilt¬ ing bit of theatre. Gcor. superbly recreates the steaming jungle (how do they do it on ELT’s $30.00 budget?), and when the birds start their raucous screech¬ ing via strategically placed loud¬ speakers, it’s enough to make an cx-Pacific G.I. squirm. Gcor. The Itesiuliful ih«ns;'es Theatre Libre Co. production or drama in three acts (six scenes), by Howard Liebling. Staged by the author: .'■etling and lighting, Kenneth Lloyd Mapes. At President Theatre, N.Y., March 28, ’56; $2.90 top. Cast (all featured): Marjorie Milliard, Daniel Gordon, George Peppard. Kevin Kerrigan, Paula Soans, Wilma Sparrow, Barbara Johnson, Rodney Williams, Merlyn Purdy, John ■ Macellari. "Beautiful Changes” preemed at | the President Theatre last Friday ; <23i night and closed after the '.following day’s matinee. It was an i unhappy experience for everyone, ; including the audience. ] For playwright Howard Liebling, j it’s a three-way miss. Besides ! scripting, he . also directed and produced (he’s the general partner of Theatre Libre Co.). There are a few effective moments, but not enough to offset the play’s overall poor quality. Little aid is offered via staging or acting, the former being thoroughly unimaginative. Of the 10 cast members’, only ! one turns in an authoritative per- I formance, Marjorie Milliard mak¬ ing a compassionate figure of £ frustrated school teacher lead. It’s the pivot role in the play, which follows the line that surface beauty fades and It’s inner qualities that count. Miss Milliard replaced Ruth Alt- shul in the key role after the latter was hit on the head by a falling pipe during a. preview perform¬ ance. Besides the quick fold and Miss Altshul’s accident, the pro¬ duction also involved a hefty coin loss 1 for the injured actress’ hus¬ band. Harold M. Altshul, who put up SB,! 00 of a $10,000 investment in the play. Jess. Skaoknv am! Inch Players Theatre Co. revival of dr? ma in three arts bv Paul Vincent Car- roll. S'aged by Ile’ena Carroll: ■rtting, Kenov p,rdic”<: lighting. Barbara R-ch’er. At Temple Theatre. N.Y.. March 13, '56. Admission bv contribution. Crcf; Helena Carrol). Tom Clancy. Shir¬ ley Rickards. Cordon Keyes. .Tar Ka.«*on, James Soarrave. Grainnc O’Malley. Dcr- mnt MrV’mara, Thomas Mulligan, Eileen O’Connell. Homo of ihe Brave Equity Library Theatre revival of drama in three acts by Arthur Laurents. Staged by Richard Casey; settings. Alice Hatchell; lighting, Alan Harpen^costumes, Rosemary Richards; incidental music, Vie Polent. At Lenox Hill Playhouse, N.Y., March 15, '56. Cast: John Anderson, Bill Berger, Ger¬ ald Richards, Hal England, Seth Riggs, James Pritchett. STRATFORD (ONT.) FUND REACHES $315,917 MARK Stratford, Ont., March 27. With The donation of $50,000 by the Atkinson Charitable Founda¬ tion, the building fund for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s proposed permanent theatre now totals $315,917. The total sought is $984,000. The fund drive started Jan. 23 with a $100,000 ante from the J. P. Bickell Foundation, set up by the late mining millionaire. The City of Stratford and various local individuals are putting up more than $100,000 additional. Tire At¬ kinson Foundation, which has made the latest donation, owns the ] Toronto Star. If -ELT^ers aren’t kicking them¬ selves foPnot sending "Home of the Brave,” instead of "The Curi¬ ous Savage” to the Bronx and Queens, they should be, for their re-creation of Arthur Laurents’ war play is their best work in sev¬ eral moons. If World War II plays tend to seem dated 11 years alter the fact, this revival proves that a good show is up-to-date any time. Just - as ’the Broadway original put scripter 'Arthur Laurents on the . map, this showcase revival might be expected to dp something for its company. Due credit should get to Richard Casey for hiS trenchant, painstaking direction, , If he has a weakness for 5-minute ! dramatic pauses, at least he has made the pauses say something. It’s hard to be selective among the well-balanced six-man cast. In order of appearance, as the army doctor who uses narco-synthesis on the lad who won’t walk, John An¬ derson gets much urgency into his essentially low-key performance. While Bill Berger seems occasion¬ ally uncomfortable as the young major who takes a party of engi¬ neers to a Jap-held island, he is careful to stay within his depth. Gerald Richards plays the thick- skinned corporal so believably that if he doesn’t watch out he'll be playing them for life. As the Jewish boy whose con¬ fused reactions are the subject of j Laurents’ play. Hal England has ! emotional drive and considerable 1 versatility. Seth Riggs is the ' buddy who gets tortured and killed, his alternate hesitancies (and enthusiasms being neatly han- ' died. James Pritchett’s ruefully brooding Mingo is marked by the actor’s well-disciplined honesty and range. Alice Hat'cheH’s setting, aug¬ mented by Alan Harper's lighting. ‘Shadow and Substance” al- readv seems to have a niche in classic repertoire. Scarcely old enough to have f’omp of age. Paul Vincent Carroll’s fable cf the austere canon and credulous Irish peasant girl gives a sense of “for all time.” even in the Irish Play¬ ers’ middling revival. Comnanies at the.. Temple The¬ atre labor under a handicap on the cramped, curtainless stage, and the play must be good to overcome the discomfort of hardwood pews. In the latter portions of Carroll’s opus, the Insh Players manage to rise above their surroundings. • Chief asset of the company is its earnestness. Coupled with Carroll’s tenderness and acuity, this makes moving theatre. The authors daughter. Helena, has di¬ rected, al^o plaving the servant, Brigid, whose visions, precipitate the tragedy. While her staging concent is standard to the play, Miss Carroll’s performance is in¬ teresting for its amiable mat.ter-of- factness. a contrast to the ethereal auality -usually associated with the part. As the rigid canon, Gordon Keyes is emotionally on the beam, having ..adequate reserves for the sceii.es .requiring..high C. but he doesn’t, eateji. .the asceticism . rer sponsible for.sp much of the play’s glinting' huropr, “ James Sea^rave does a thorough job as the swceT- playing curate, and Tom Clancy convinces as the rebellious village schoo^aster. Dermot McNamara is humor¬ ously doltish as candidate for schoolmastership and hard of the canon’s niece. As his busybody aunt, it seems too bad that Grainne O’Mallev misses the spirit of one of the author’s sharper por¬ traits. Gcor. Lome Greene-Liebling Plan B’way Production Ottawa, March 27. Lome Greene, Canadian actor who has appeared with Katherine Cornell and in Hollywood filfns and on U. S. tv. lias partnered with N. Y. talent agent William Liebling to present plays on Broadway. They reportedly have $100,000 in Canadian financing. • No specific productions have been set. The actor will play a leading role next fall in Billy Rose’s sched¬ uled Broadway production of Paul ■ Osborn’s "Maiden Voyage,” to be 1 cfncr#»fi hv Joseph L. Mankiewiz.