Variety (February 1957)

68 LEGITIMATE P^njEfr ^dnesclay, February 6, 1957 Show Out of Town l!;iogfHfl EoHi«?s , Mark Kroll & Charles Conoway produc¬ tion of revue In two acts (29 scenes). Stars Beati-ice Lillie: features Billy De Wolfe, Harold Lang. Jane Morcaji, Helen Wood, Mioki Mario Jphn Philip. Bob Larry Leslie. Carol Lawrence, Jay Mar¬ shall. Tony Franco. Danco.s and musical numbers staged b.v Richard Barstow, music and lyrics. Jack L^wrence^ Richard Myers. D.nvid Rogers, Cclin Ronioff. How¬ ard P'otz-Sammy Pain, riean FullerMarsh.iil Barer, Beniie Wayne, Ulnio Minucci-Tony Valone-Larry Spier, Carolyn Lcich-Philip Springer; sketches, Arnie Ro.sen and Coleman Jacoby. David Rog¬ ers. Cborles Scheuer. Jack Wilson, Allan Jeffreys pnd Maxwell Grant; sketch edi¬ tor. Arnold Auerbach: scenery arid cos¬ tumes. Raoul Pene Du Bois; Ughflng, Paul Moi’rison; musical director. Max Meth: <M-chestrations., Rus.sell Bennett, Bill Stegmeyer, -Toe Glover; dance com¬ position, Rene. Weigert; vocal arrange¬ ments. E-»vl Ro»»'ers; production stage manager, Milton Stern; entii*e production directed bv John Kennedy, At Shubert Theatre. Feb. 4, '57; Sfi.OO top. Cast also includes; Billie Reusing, Bette Graham, Faith Hilton, '^ranees Koll. Susan .'?houte, Paula Wayne, Chuck Green. Robert Feyti, Tonv Franco, Ed Powell. James Stevenson,. Gene Varrone. Vicki B-'vrett, Ruth Chamberlain, Dorothv D’Honau, Marv .Tone Doerr. Wisa D'Orso, Nanev Hackenbei'g. Marcia Hewitt, Ji'lle Marlowe, Sylv’a Shay, Gini Turner. Shirley Vincent. Bob Bernard, James Brooks. Ron Cecill, Alan Convov, Allan Craine, Hugh Lambert, -Tack Leiph. Ted Monson, Lou Richards. Rod Strong, Merritt Thompson, Roberta Brown, Denise Collette. P^'mela Curran, Ann Drake. Charlotte Folev, Pat Gaston, Gloria Kristy, Nancy Westbrook, , Barbara Hall. New Haven, Feb. 4. " A scheduled preview last Satur¬ day (2) of the new “Ziegfeld Fol¬ lies” was cancelled because the show couldn’t be ihade ready in time. As of its premiere tonight (4), it still isn’t ready. This latest version of the gals, gags and glamor type of stage en¬ tertainment that the late Florenz Ziegfeld lifted to prominence in days ^one by is a distant cry from the calibre of those earlier “Fol¬ lies.” Not that this one is a dud, by any means. It just lacks the lush splendor and consistent sock values of its predecessors. That it may approximate those values by the time it completes its roadwork is better than a remote possibility. There’s a wealth of material on hand which should show up to considerably better ad¬ vantage once the deadwood is cut. In the laugh segment, “Milady Dines Alone,” “Kabuki Lil,” (carry¬ overs from Beatrice Lillie’s strawhat tour), “Double Indemnity,” “High and Flighty” and “Hazards of the Profession” come through well. A “Bea and Sympathy” take¬ off doesn’t seem to realize its po¬ tential, A “Supermarket” chatterfest works hard, with only mediocre results. A “Song of India” musi¬ cal finale for the first act is good for considerable merriment, but what is meant to be a funny song, “Time Magazine,” turns out to be a chuckle vacuum. Also, a comedy song, “Intoxication,” lacks punch. Jay Marshall offers smooth laugh delivery in a" pair of single shots and Bob and Larry Leslie do an amusing turn. Machine-gun hoofing adds frequent bursts to the proceedings, with Harold Lang, Helen Wood and Carol Lawrence topping the dance list. Ensemble terping also is good. Among the vocal numbers that leave a favorable impression are “Don’t Tell a Soul,” “Salesman¬ ship,” “Hat from Paris,” “Make Me” and “If You Gcft Music.” Also, “Music for Mad^ime” provides nice backgi:ound for a ballet briefie. Miss. Lillie is hilarious when she has goo(i material, but her weaker stuff is expendable. Billy De Wolfe does a . workmanlike job on the major part of ^hi^; assignment but he, ‘too, runs afoul of lightweight scripting. Jane Morgan and Micki Mario uphold the femme singing honors in good shape, the former also scoring in the “Double Indemnity” sketph. John Philip makes an effi¬ cient straight man and Bill Finch adds a fast bit of flash with batontwirling. Ensemble singing, nota¬ bly by the Ziegfeldians, is an asset, and musical director Max Meth does yeoman service in keeping the hectid proceedings in line. Sets and costumes ofRaoul Pene DuBois run from the garish to the glamorous, providing colorful com¬ plement to overall visual assets and there’s a lineup of beautiful lasseg to show off the apparel finery. John Kennedy’s staging. With Richard Barstow’s direction of dances and musical numbers, hits a pace that augurs wall for the final results of this talent-strong but as yet unpolished musical. Bone. Stock Jleviews COHIH SUMMER OPERR musical arena MANAGERS Wail . . . AND LOSE OUT lUfey* • ♦ • COSTUMES BY EAVES The Tin Cup Dallas, Jan. 31. Ramse); Burch production; of drama' In two acts (four scenes), by Richard Reich. Stars Henry Daniell; features Ruth Amosr, Martha Bumpas, Ronnie Claire Edwards. Staged by Hall Shelton; technical direc¬ tion, James Pringle; original music. Jack Dressen. At Margo Jones Theatre '57, Dallas, Jan. 29, '57; $3 top. Ann Marr . Martha Bumpas Edgar Marr . Henry Daniell Estelle Mart . Ruth Amos Miss Oakes . Ailsa Dawson Elizabeth . Ronnie Claire Edwards Charles Shelley . Bob Mullen Arthur Marr . John O'Leary Grant . Harry Bergman Bits Hav* be«n med Mr n>«y ST. LOUIS OAKDALE LOUISVILLE WARWICK KANSAS CITY ALLENTOWN WESTBURY MILWAUKEE, Etc. make youii oui NOW SSiSm or ANDREW GEOIY COSTUWES BY EAVES ore not only the best, but that they arrive clean, and on time, and complete, and ore whnt you want. 1 os hear from you! “The Tin Cup,” by Viennese playwright Richard Reich, is one of the best new scripts in the local arena theatre’s 12 seasons, and it’s likely to rack up a hefty gross during its three-week tryout en¬ gagement here. Added b.a. draw is the appearance of film actor. Henry Daniell in his first stage role since 1951, when he succeeded Alec Guinness as lead in “Cocktail Party” on Broadway. “Cup” is a melodrama about how a brooding former professor plots his wealthy spinster sister’s murder in their home near Boston. A parolee from a girls’ reformatory is framed for the crime, but the cul¬ prit is exposed by his own blind son. . Daniell plays the harassed, morose professor so convincingly that he almost gets sympathy as he endures his sister’s beratings. As his loyal wife and conspirator, Martha Bumpas movingly projects the motherly devotion to her blind son. Ruth Amos is excellent as the crochety spinster who^would leave her estate for a memorial dog and cat hoiSpital rather than to her kin. The blind son is believably acted by John O’Leary, while Rbnilie Claire Edwards scores as the maid. Associate director Hall Shelton has welded the two-acter into an evenly paced drama that whets in¬ terest throughout. Bark, Miieli Ado About Nothing Chicago, Jan. 22. Studebaker Theatre Co. revival of com¬ edy in three acts, by WlUiam Shake¬ speare. Stars Jerome Kilty, Barbara Baxley. Staged by Basil Langton; sce¬ nery, Clive Rickabaugh; costumes, Theoni Aldredge. At Studebaker Theatre, Chi¬ cago, Jan. 22, *57; $4,50 top. Cast: Jerome Kilty, Barbara Baxley, Moultrie Patten, Vernon Schwartz, Robbert Rietz, Lee Henry, David Crane, David C. Jones, Louis Zorich. John Win¬ ston Smith, Jack Hollander, Robert Laurie. Maury Cooper, Gene Troobriick, Maureen Hayes, Tresa Hughes, Sally Breskin, Louise Ploner, Jacqueline Bar¬ nett, Laurie Mathews, Terry Lynn, Julius Johnson, Mark Reed, Edward Grable, Walter Daugird, Marty Brenner, Bleese Green, Brian McGovern, Harold Swan¬ son, Coralene VasUiv. Studebaker stock enterprise has really hit its stride with this ver¬ sion of William Shakespeare’s souf¬ fle. which -closes the company’s ini¬ tial series. Basil Langton’s staging, while generally orthodox, has a re¬ strained touch that exploits the wit and humor of the piece. Jerome Kilty and Barbara Baxley, in the pivotal roles of . Benedick and Bea¬ trice, whose love making is a en With a few exceptions, the sup¬ porting players are up to require¬ ments. Moultrie Patten gives a i^tudied flourish as Don Pedro, while Vernon Schwartz is effective as the wicked bastard brother. Lee gagingly satiric. Henry is properly paternal as father of the wronged Hero, smoothly portrayed by Maureen Hayes. Tresa Hughes romps along with some good comic touches as Mar¬ garet, the handmaid. Louis Zorich also does some neat thesping as her swain who helps trap Hero. Dave, Mickey Rooney is being consid¬ ered for the starring role in “Man on a Tiger,” which George Abbott, Robert E. Griffith, Harold S. Prince and. David Susskind plan for Broadw'ay presentation next fall. The Broadway production of “Damn Y.anlcees” is switching its performance sked, as of Feb. 24, when a 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sun¬ day performance policy will be in¬ stituted in lieu of the customary Monday evening and Wednesday afternoon performances. . Eroducer Robert L. Joseph, who recently returned to New York fx'om Paris, has optioned George Tabori’s comedy, “Brouhaha.” A musical comedy adaptation of Moliere’s ‘IThe Doctor in Spite of Himself,” ,by Robert Wright and George Forrest, is scheduled for Broadway production next season by Lynn Loesser and Shamiis Locke. Also on Mrs. Loesser’s pro¬ duction agenda is Jean Pierre Aumont’s comedy, “Ange Le Bienheureux,” w'hich Locke is adapting under the working title of “Once Upon a Sleep.” The French ver¬ sion of the play is scheduled for a Paris preem in the spring. Laurence Olivier and " Vivien Leigh, wall tour Europe next sum¬ mer in “Titus Andronicus,” under the auspices of the British Council. The trek will begin in Paris in mid-May. Peter Brook wall be re•sponsible for the staging, musical score and scenic-costume designs. He’ll be similarly represented by “The Tempest,” scheduled for a pre-London opening next August at Stratford-on-Avon, with John Gielgud in the cast. Shirley Booth will star in “Miss Isobel,” slated for Broadway pro¬ duction next season by Leonard Sillm^Qt and John Roberts. Sillman, inciidentally, has also scheduled a show built around female imper¬ sonator, T. G. Jones, who appeared in the producer’s recently-closed Broadway production, “New' Faces of 1956.” • “Patate,” a newly-opened Pari¬ sian play by Marcel Achard, haS been optioned for Broadway pro¬ duction by Gilbert Miller. The N.Y. City Center drama season, which was to Have followed the current ballet program, has been cancelled. However, Jean Dalrymple, producer of the dra¬ matic series, has agreed to take over supervision of the musical productions as a result of the re¬ cent wthdrawal of William Hammerstein from the post of general director of the Center’s Light Opera Co. The tuner season is ex¬ pected to begin around April 1 and take in three or more revivals. Joe Moss has opened a central booking office for off-Broadway productions. Herbert Whittaker, drama critic of the Toronto Globe & Mail, Is in New York on a show-catching splurge. Florence Rapport, wife of gen¬ eral manager Robert Rapport, is taking in Mexico City, Yucatan and Guatemala on a three-week vaca¬ tion. A banquet honoring Dave Nederlander for his . 45 years in legit in -Detroit was held Sunday (3), with Gov. G. Mennen Williams and Mayor Albert E. Cobo the guests. Nederlander, 70, is manager of the Schiibert Theatre. Two of his six children, James and Jo¬ seph, now associated in the opera¬ tion of the Shubert, will open the Riviera to’ legit operations next month with “My Fair Lady.” The year-round suburban thea¬ tre planned by Theatrical Enter¬ prises Corp, for Fort Washington Industrial Park, Philadelphia, will be a modern 820-seat hardtop, not 600-seat tent as reported last week. Charles Evans designed the house, which will offer straight plays and posssibly musicals. A newly-formed legit group, Community Stages, Inc., has sched¬ uled “The Gambler,” Serge Prokofieff s musical drama based on Fedor Dostoievsky’s novel, fot a March 25 preem at the 85th Street Playhouse, N.Y. Irving Palmer will double as producer-director, while his wife^ Georgette, will be musical director. The couple col¬ laborated on the English adapta¬ tion. Sonia Lowenstein and John Coolidge are handling the sets and lighting, respectively. Les Abbott and Les Abrams, Frisco little theatre producers, have signed an off-Broadway Equity contract, will enlarge their company and bring Hollywood “names” to Frisco for leads in plays to be presented at the re¬ cently vacated Turnabout Theatre. , Jules Irving, managing director of Frisco’s Actor’s Workshop, has been elected Northern California ANTA rep. “Praise House,” new drama be¬ ing presented by Huntington Hart¬ ford, will bow Feb. 22 for a oneweek run at Frisco's Alcazar. Arresting marquee on Frisco’s temporarily dark Alcazar urges customers to see “Anniversarv Waltz” at the Ritz, in Los Angeles 400 miles away. Peter Larkin is designing thp sets, for “Good As Gold.” The off-Broadway Contehiporarv Theatre, which presented a double¬ bill of “Respectful Prostitute” and “Hymn to the Rising Sun” earlier this season, has folded. Ezra Stone, Milton Rosenstock and Daniel Nagrin are the in¬ structor team for the American Theatre Wing’s new "course. Musi¬ cal Theatre Techniques for pro actors, singers and dancers. Meyer Davis is musical con¬ tractor for “The First Gentleman.” which will have costumes designed by Motley. Leo Kerz will design the sets for “The Strongest.” Alfred Drake will appear with the American Shakespeare Festival Gb. at Stratford, Conn., next sum¬ mer, playing Jago in “Othello” as his first assignment. Earle Hyman will appear in the title-role. Charles Mooney and John Lane are taking over Paul Crabtree’s duties as producer-director of the Palfn Beach (Fla.) Playhouse, with the latter' taking a year’s vacation. Canilida Equity Library Theatre revival of com¬ edy in three acts, by George Bernard Shaw. Staged b.y Norman Barrs; setting and lighting, John Rothgeb: costumes, Paula Soans. At Lenox *Hill Playhouse, N, Y., Jan, 30, *57; admission by contri¬ bution.. Cast; Bradford Hoyt. Siteila Coonan, Keith Herrington, Walter Thomson, Patricia' Peardon. Hal England. “Candida” is going to the Bronx and Queens. Equity Community Thedtre is trouping the Shaw clas¬ sic as the first of its mid-winter productions for the boroughs, three more following on alternate weeks. As usual, the prices, at the Adult Centers, the Clinton (Bronx) and Bryant (Queens) will be bar¬ gain basement, 90c and $1.20. Also as usual, there’s a week’s run at Lenox Hill prior to the junket. ' It’s pretty hard to do wrong by ’Candida.” GBS was in top form when he scripted his poet and par¬ son fable, and that it has been as¬ sured permanency within the com¬ paratively short span of 60 years is sufficient conunentary. What ELT-ers are doing, pre¬ sumably without intent, is to sketch “Candida” with the light caricature. Their revival is com¬ petently stock, all of the words are there and spoken intelligently enough, but the people and humor have varying degrees of exaggera¬ tion. It’s a help that Patricia Peardon’s strawberry blonde, sculptur¬ ally-profiled Candida is , played with crisp Clarity, if withotit depth. Her direct dealing is particularly helpful when coping with the string-tied, breathy excesses of Hal England' as Marchbanks. In an over-eager performance, England seems desirous of getting at least seven meanings out of every word, but he doesn’t give' evidence that he really knows the secret in the poet’s heart. Bradford Hoyt is erectly uncom¬ plicated' as Rev. Morrell. As Can¬ dy’s father, Waiter Thomson rolls his eyes, flashes his red vest and cockney to order. Sheila Coonan virtuously demonstrates Prossy’s complaint and Keith Herrington is unfortunately mincing as the as¬ sistant ejurate, Norman Barrs staging is slick, and compact, and John Rothgeb has provided a pinkly be-plated Victoria Park sitting room. ' Gear. TNEAntE AVMUBLE TOOO SEATS — AIR CONDITIONED • Fully Equipped Stage • Di'essing Room Facilities Modern, Beautiful Theatre • Drawing Area of 75,000 Close to Camps and Resorts TERMS 6pEN Ideal Opportvnify for a Good Company Let's Hear Your Offer / Write Box V-347-57, VARIETY, 154 W. 46fh Sf., New York 36, N. Y. Will purchase all or half-inter¬ est In either Broadway, offBroadway or summer theatre. Write Box 125, VARIETY, 164 W. 46 St., New York 36, N. Y.