Variety (June 1959)

IJEGIT1MATE Wednesday, Jane 3, 1959 Shows Abroad Dance Reviews Inside Stuff—Legit Lock Fp Your Daughters tion is visually attractive, however, London. M«.v 29. land Sally Smith, a H-year-old Bernard Mile* & Josephine Wilson pres- • newcomer, IS a refreshing title •ntation of two act musical: comedy, player. She gives a confident, in- ^SSr* egr H,“ e ” y Beraard fectioqs performance and h«* voice; Miles; music. Laurie Johnson; lyrics, ; though SOlnewhat Small, has Charm ISS* SSrv ««•£: j and style. Other assets of the show oAhed May 28 . *59, at the!; Mermaid ; are Hutchinson Scott’s scenery and Theatre. London. S 2 .is top. -j Bernard Nevill’s handsome period Worthy . w ■ - *°>' Ada ™J COStumeS. Poiitic /ur . 1 .. •.7.7.7. .7* " ' Job?Sharp i There is, no original choreog- Ramhie ......... i.... Frederick Jaeger j raphy in the presentation, and the. .V';.V;.V.V.V:/..^Kelui^A. .onlyftwo notable prqdMction num- Dabhie .. Brendan Barry, hers are a double eightsome reel • ...» wi ! and “The New Bohemian Polka ” •&1d®bK j it is possibly,a reflection.on the Brazencouri ... Roger Boston show as a whole /.that-the exhilarat- Watchmen ............ Michael ^Hanbuw j ng iy staged former item .'was? an Gentleman .. ’ Barry Jackson Opening night hit.. Melville*?, tyries servant ....... Sama Swaminathan [ ma t c h the book and. are, in conser mVI Squeeeum . . . . ^.^ H^eii | queiice, lack bite or wit, while cioris .:. Mr.deiemej, Newbury j Charles Z war’s score is ^without a wench.. . ; Sa P y Adams , memorabletune. Bernard Milos has sWn Vuricrmfant in unnjjrtirincf:. Ti prtrv . time of Queen Victoria.s visit. to Judgment in unearthing: Henry^ ! Fielding’s comedy “Rape Upon J Rape” and ingeniously adapting it ’ ^ as a musical to launch his Mermaid I ^ «i2l+2? ?£ d l -S:Sfe years ^ ® authorsh 5 p more ^ han 2 ^ 5 j fntth^E^ihburgtf Ca&lei ty*’ap: years ago. •. . . n .. ! parent, that her bethrothal is going In the tradition of Restoration i to be on the rocks and with the comedy, 'Lock up ^ourDaugh- -change of setting from the manse isa bavdy and amusing romp, i home in Paradykes to the castie skillfully staged and beautifully; the prediction gradually takes acted by a shrewdiy-selected cast, i effect. The , two leading femhie parts, in I Under Murray Macdonald’s spir-. particular, are delightfully filled, ited direction the cast responds in 1 by Hy Hazell and Stephanie Voss., fine style. Sophie Stewart, who I The P ries by L : onel Bart caD-! played the title role ini the original ture the Restoration period felicit-: legit version, now portrays Mari- ously as illustrated by such num-i gold’s aunt with more charm than bers as “When Does the Ravishing- subtlety. Jean Kent gives a lively Begin?” “Red Wine and a Wench.” . interpretation, of the girl's dis- as well as the title number! Laurie ; tiriguished actress-mother, and Brett Johnson’s music has a ghy ring, ! makes a. handsome hero. William although it is far later than the[ Dickie as the jilted fiance, Trevor period. j| . [Reid as the . girl’s . father, and! Miss Voss plavs the demure and! Madeleine Christie and Edith Stev-. virtuous girl who decides to elope i enson as the hero’s two maiden with her lover because i of her? aunts head a lively supporting cast, father’s opposition. Escorted! by her j Myro ... maid, she sets off to a rendezvous ! .. ~ i ~~ . — but runs into a street fight and j 4'aught tapping becomes separated from he)r escort.; ^ London, May 23. I . ’ ■■■ ' ■ . ■■■ i — y . “The Pleasure of His Company,”: the Playwrights Co; & Frederick imna-ui Brisson production of the Samuel Taylor and Cornelia Otis Skinner - *»»panese^imperial comedy, was inadvertently omitted from the list of established hits in Household uOgAKU to. the tabulation of Broadway shows of the -1958-59. season, published in (WITH N.Y. CITY BALLET) last week’s Variety.; The show, currently in its 33d wbek at the Long- • Previously via dance groups acre Theatre, N.Y.! will transfer June 15 to. the Music Box, N.Y. from India, Indonesia, Bali, Java . “Flower Drum Song,” listed in both the established hit and not yet and other Far East points the definite, categories, should.have been included only in the latter. AI- dance-going public of Manhattan though it has played to capacity since its opening last Dec. 1 at the has learned how extreniely “an- St. James Theatre, N.Y., it has not. yet earned back its investment. The cient” are the song and dance per- above two errors in the listing do hot change the numbers in the vari- • ^ rts ® f °ris categories. There were, as stated, 13 established hits, seven shows ■ with the Japanes^Imperial H<mse- not yet definite, 30 failures, and six unclassified, miscellaneous. G^aku^rdutines^lUeraliy trims- “The Visit,” rated as -a failure among the shows still running but lafed k “eieeant arid* authorized not .yet-definitely established at the end of last, season, should have music”} the^question of time and. been ineluded among the hits. According to Roger L, Stevens, a part- tradition is underlined. Which is a ! ner of . Producers Theatre, which presented . the Fnedrich Duerrenmatt way of Saying that such visitors' ! ^ rama starring Alfred Lunt and Lyna Foritanne, the show recovered. music must be regarded—and re- E the cost of its New York production, aithbugh there is still; a deficit viewed-^-from a.special point of'bh the previous, separately-financed British edition. . view. This is. not show business, I \ though it is a spectacle. Joe Cook, whose death recently at 69 was the occasion, of extended ; An all-male company of 22 per- j recall by yet legit and film publicist Glehdon. Allvine and Variety forming in costumes of the utmost I staffers, was, as expected, front page news in the Evansville (Ind.) elegance .to the musical instru- j Courier. Cook had been raised there: and was always devoted to the nients and the. musical tone, scale , town, holding fond memories of his step-parents,; the . Cooks, local of Japan their numb^^ are jn : rnerc h an ts, and of various schoolteachers, townspeople and local Jour- slow motion, choreographically - na lists; ^ ' = • . in^ P lo e ri« n trafni^ AsVthe obit notices' brought out. Cook was. part-Spanish; part- and ^pageantry% ?'stateiy rlcall of | Wsh;. His father had^been a theatrical, scenic_painter .named Lopei. ancient race myths and tales con- His brother Leo had been a performer; too, as has been Joe Cook Jr^ stitute the fare. One deals with a now believed living .in Las Vegas. barbarian Mongol hunting, finding, A news blackout of Cook’s own choice prevailed during his 17- fascinating and devouring a snake year illness with Parkinson’s disease. In consequence Cook, like others in the forest. This is danced with dying well beyond the heyday- of fame, did not have the impact Upon a truly: weird. effect by Masatara the general public of today as upon the. memories of oldtimers, many . Togi, the only, soloist, of whom esteem him one of the most versatile; performers ever known. K It is to be remarked that three ; Cook’s youngest son Leo, from Pompano. Fla., and hiS : older daughter ' members of the same_ Togi clan, j Mrs. E. C. Lee, of Carlina, Pa., attended the final mass. ■ c | the.. j; :A new all-automatic lighting control system, virtually eliminating I I rehearsal delays for the recording of lighting cues, has been developed. A bold voung spark, s^ein® the girl ■ Peter Bridge presentation of three-act t nn nvun at ni^ht matoc arl ' farce Geoffrey Lumsden. Staged by; on ner own at m- nt, makes ad- Anthony Sharp^ decrr. Michael Trangmar. Vances, which she reDels. land the Opened May 22, '59. at the Piccadilly i police charge h ; m with attempted ; Tlieatfe - LondQb; $2 - a0 t op. j rjnp !' Henry...;.:.. Graham Armitage r rape * ii n Mabel Bridget McConnel * A lecherous magistrate: is pre- ' WeUington Potts......... . George^Benson , pared to make a deal if {the girl. nJ! Rodd . V.Raymotfffir will agree to an assignation, but his Matron Margot Lister ; wife nlaved hv’ lnrec^: Gertrude Pof s ...... ... Winifred Shotter 'V ie \ piajea Dy : >n>S ^azeil, lures Gordon w. u ig ......... Leslie Randell the deiendant imo her livang room. Laker-Hop___. . ... Derek Smee Meanwhile, the hemine’s lover has A 5j cb j B ^ Basil Lord ; misadventures and is also [charged: Gen.^^ ckrtmichaei '.V. -.Geoffr^’ Lumsden with rape. 1 : j Lady Cartmichacl ......... Nan Mttnio The first act is about as breezy ; . as it could be, with bawdy humor : fh TrS,o lgICall J tior. of the show, while there are ' Q^ffrev LflS^s an g h s i ng s I?“5 es a ' n t ' '■Caught Napping.’^ “esmte . :W e rl L n - J I yt some incredibly peuriie dialog the S '°h r .- has! wisely: a UtKor ha j flung in enough pre-1 been ed..sd r which is fortunate, as ■, dictable fareial situations, stock it is weaker than tne first. (In addi-; characters and rnixups to create tion^-o Miss Kazell and Miss \oss, i y 0 cks. The undemanding may give the impeccable cast includes Rich- j this show a fair run in the West ard W ordsworth as tne corrupt, End. . It will be a money-spinner judge. John Sharp as the Heroine’s ; in stock, but can hardly be re¬ father who spends h:s. lifei reading j garded. as a sturdy candidate for • newspapers, Frederick Jaeger as; Broadway. j riaviliinnc rnmnailv enes bv I reneaisai uviays ior me recoraing.oi ngnung cues, nas ueen ueveiupeu descent^as^its re^rtoiT of some { h * Century Lighting. The system, labelled Punch, is capable of record- 200 items is Ssd.Urieal, some back ing Hghting cues for^a 90-circuit system.in less than 15 seconds. The . to around A.D. 700. [ device, comprising three electrically, operated, units, a manual^ control Gagaku opened the regular N. Y.|console, a card-punching machine and a card-reading machine, permits. City Ballet performance May 26, i an infinite number of pre-sets instead of the 10 previously, possible, will give some 10 . performances 1 The system eliminates all manual operations except setting iip. the- within the .frame of the host or- proper initial lighting conditions for each icene or pre-Set, and the ganizatipn. Which. built a. raised ; timing of the “fades” from one pre-set to the next. The Punch cue cards platform with red lacquered rails . are made during rehearsal, and then during the. pertormahee of a show and '.posts'Tor the ■presentation. The ’ each card is fed automatically And in sequence into a read-out nia- preniiere. was. a: benefit -by the , c hine, manually executed for the speed desired by.the operator^ . .. ; pP cxety v an 5 w ? s r * u so f X ; i According: to. Edward Fi Kook, Gentury president, the system took affair between, leaders of the two t t W o years to develop, and will be put into. pfoduction shortly. The cost n Having anoeared already at the of the s > >:tera is $650 for. the light control circuit and $8,000 for the T!„iS"-. ffl «vd puncher and reader. . Having appeared already at the United .Nations- the company may be seen, in Washington and pos¬ sibly, on some campuses before re- Faufare (ROYAL DANISH BALLET) i‘! e ^ U ?^i ake a:,dTere "-tf ooper : • The locale Is a boy's,school,ar.d;; a:> the lover. ftlyro. the action involves a missing bath ~ . . 1 ' i in which the headmaster’s effigy AS&2*iS>Ossl : has been flung into a carnival, the ^ Stephen Mitchell .in ;>55ociation with fixing of a race horse by a shady Murray Macdonald & John Slovens <hy ar- ransement with. His n h Wontneri presen- 5 bookmaker, the blackmailing Of. tation of two-aet «ei"ht scenes) musical j the school matron, mistaken iden- r& 00 !u. • a » d Iyri ‘‘ s * Alan;. Ma lv iiier;j -tity- and other trivia. The type of music, CharleyZwrr: b-sed on;;-the n»ay u. v,, „„„ by Fe R. Pryor and - L APert flarker. action Can be JUOgcd by One SCenG General staging, Murray Macdonald; stag-., where ah aristocratic lady (bear- i the. same. chrisUan name.: Bernard NevilT; director; Robert the horse) IS kidnapped, in error^ Piobst. stars Sophie s^ew^rt.-jpan-Kent, flung^into a cupboard arid silenced 27. '5 9 fTt the Savoy Th^^Pitendon^w : -with fa- carrot .in-.-her itibutfi;’. The top. quality of tne dialog can be judged Miss Sarita Dunlop Madeleine Christie . by SUCh a; genv as “Tell them- Beenie aIenc?J Dunlop ^{y 1 Henderson ; y ou *^e- indisposed.” “In de where?” Mrs. Pringle . Sophie Stewart “Gaught • Napping”: relies Over- . Mar e i r go?d oag . much; oh physical disability. intro- Arehie Forr.th .... .WemV Brett ducmg a deaf peeress, a literally James Payton —. . William Dickie dumb st'oogeh - 'and-, ‘an-' •.• absent- kaj. a seitor arly ..'. .V.';.’.*,'.:"' frJvor nl?d mint&d and senile butler! In 'ap- Mordan — Aubrey Morris parent desperation, Anthony Sharp f’•.-Trevo^riffiths has directed the piece at a break- Capt^Innes Graham^si;idmi% neck speed, hot attempting '.sub-' ciblv on Aomp cambitse*? before re- 1 . Brooks Costume Go* was the subject of a two-page historical run- tufhing to Tokyo. It will be .much ^ own hi all i.ssues of the Playbill for the week of May 18. The piece in discussed in artistic circles, though 1 the program for Broadway theatres was written by. Violet Welles and too exotic and ethnic for the run covered the establishment of the firm in 1906 by; Ely Stroock to its of audiences. • Land: current operation, under the presidency of his son, James E, Stroock. :■ As noted in the article. Brooks originally concentrated on the man- Kaiifirp ufacture bf uniforms, with the move to regular theatrical costuming mnv\tbi«Scu^iiiirTv occurring in 1918 when the firm acquired a supply of costumes left by (KUIAL DANlhti BALLLT) , producer Charles Frohman, who went down with the Lusitania in 1915. Copenhagen; May 26. The story also noted that Brooks now costumes 75% of the Broadway : , As part bf. the 1959 Danish Bal- shows, in addition to clothing stock and amateur companies, televi- let and Music Festival; a big spring sion productions, industrials, ice shows, :etc: tourist attraction, .Copenhagen’s •••.-. ; ;■ - .-——-—-— ., ■ :.., ; ■ . —r——.—— Royal Theatre presented a double bill of “Giselle” and' American 1) J Tl , On-Droadway Reviews several visits to Denmark arid has .. * taught and .worked with the Royal j Xhe Young and Beailtilal i ing fresh air only in the back seat Danish Ballet, is well-knovyn and . Theatre East Repertory Company pres- f of a . Stutz Bearcat, slinks omi- appreciated at . the Royal Theatre, entation of three-act (five scenes) comedy- nously on and. off state in a black "Fanfare’’ was given a single per- ^ama ^saiiy^^n.iMiedon,stones . C g pe Qn two or three . occasions fOrmance at the Festival:this year, cLnber; S -«h!rtumesf Vari Horn, opened ; toward the end he appears with- arid was- enthusiastically received May 28, ' 59 . at Theatre East, n.t., $2.9a : | out. the cape, presumably to. indi-. by a packed hous^ at the beautiful —cast- Amanda Meiggs, Rhett Harris. ; cate: progress toward maturity. 18th century Old Stage Of the Ken kallender. Jack standard,: Judith I Nedi. Roval TheatrA- • Tillman. Ruth Livingston. Doris Davis, ... ■ - - . . noyaL a neaire.-... . . F>avth: naioh Goodman. James Royal. Danish. Ballet, which ex- K?ue; tensively . toured America several j —— : ! Harvey stuaft & David Tayntoh presen- years -ago under Columbia Com 1 Jo<;eDhihe Perry'Is a girl with tation of a: musical, revue, in two act* problems. At 17, she hasn’t (ota»a the, world s top flight companies m . meaning of love; she’s mis- Nassau; sketches .and blackouts. Abe spite .of the dismissal and subse-! understood, mistreated and miser- ^jS ?r 3gSA SX22i : ~ quent. controversy over Harald: a ft lc And in this off-Broadway re, end 'jtSSS!' BdaS Lander, its talented artistic direc- j vivai n.f ^allv Rpnson’s “The-Young ^, ch y ab; settlQ 8s. costumes and lighting, tor A knowledge and feelirio fnr : V V j n i .ru dnJ Fred Voelpel; musical direction andar-: x Kn0W1 a xi~ * ee ‘ m ^ f or i and Beautiful,” she is spoiled and rangements. Saul Schechtman. Opened tradition enabled ; them to give a bor g. May 20 , ' 59 , at thb Renau Theatre, N.Y:.- , In’the F; Scott Fitzgerald short $4 Cast; OI qi-6ve Dale, Paul Dooley, Judy periOrmailce. Choreographed and, . nn whiph thp nlav is based- Guyll, • Margaret . Hall,; Jack Kauflin, directed by Erik Bruhn, their top Stones, on Which tne play IS Dasea, Charles. Nelson Reilly, Joe- Ross, Joy male dancer, this Festival product ’ J osephme performed in t he ; grand Lynne Sica. Virginia Vestoff. tion riicnlaved in eood TTipasUrP fhp ma hner for her courtiers, a sue- -v. fine ensemble wbrk and hiehlv de- cession °* woridly adolescents, with •- At the start of the second act veloi^d ^inimetics fom which tiie a disdain for the: realities, of life, of ^Fallout,” a revue in 31 parts, Roval Danish Ballet is famous The , In thcir original form, the stories Judy Guyll, a pert little brunet, Suet^^d e^S&lv ; u£ ?oi^ni were filled with acid portraits .of step S: onstage dressed as a tramp &/S S C wi % ^e : pSans Chicago social climbers of: 1915. of sentimentality and triteness: . It is difficult however^ to por- ’ thri^ *£% However, Margrethe . Sehanne tray to today’s audiences the danced gracefully and delightfully, legendary flapper, and. the-.com- ‘ without, acrobatics, and led the rest, temporary callousness to all except J a “Srrius efound ' -Fallmri” of the company in a performance a narrow; social order. Such an scattets amils ing Darticles but it’s of precision and highartistic merit.} assignment takes, expert playing Second on the bill Was "Fanfare,” arid direction; and although the “® ver f « ult f on the entertainment Here, where ensemble work is im- new Theatre Erst repertory coin- ° * -. • : . . portant. the Royal Danish , Ballet pany is eager arid attractive, ft ’; Jt has provocative title, but gave the piece a well-knit arid hardly can claim those qualities gayly smooth performance. Rob-) yet. stead- of containing cogent remarks bins' ballet dates from 1953, when In the original 1955-56 Broadway about ^p^^rid. rtrambles around, it was created for the New York production, Lois Smith \ played ^ City Ballet,; where Robbins is co- Josephine. With the play receiving director. Company’s :performance only a lukewarm critical reception, Was full of zest and dazzle, and the This time Amanda Meiggs; tackles ® ? oint of View a.,d moments with the fat and Comic the complicated central role and ^ • 8 inere- . contrabass and with the military scampers through three acts with Tne nine-member cast; is young bassoons were especially delightful undiminished energy. Only for a and attractive, but Without a real... Robbins himself directed the pro- few moments at the end does she singer or §n outstanding comic, ductien. Marker . convey the picture of a girl alone, Of the group, Charles Nelson • • lost, and in need of real love. Reilly, a big, cumbersome, man the Hume Cronyns (Jessiea The rest of the cast, all balanced with: shuffling Bate end /bpoming Tandy) left last Friday (291 for at precariously on the edge of volc ®*: comes off best, particularly least three months’ vacation bn Josephine’s temper, come off pretty * s v A.?? 3 * c 2 their private: island in. the Ba- well. Rhett Harris; as *the teen- , 5 aliite-to the Oriental performers llamas. age suitor who believes in'breath-: (Continued on page;59) Fayth, Ralph. Goodman. James Fallout years -ago under Columbia Con- 1 j 0 s ep hiiie Perry is a girl with ; Wtion of a : mu,, certs management.^ is still, one of f problems. At 17. she hasn’t f ound V SLtSfcfenuSft the worlds top flight companies in ! the meaning of love; she’s mis- [Nassau; sketches top. ’ •; ' quality of the dialog can be judged Miss Sarita Dunlop M.->' , .eleint Christie . by SUCh a; genv as “Tell them- Beenie aIenc?J Dunlop Henderson ; V 011 ’^ indisposed.” “In de where?” Mrs. Pringle Sobhie Stewart "Caught ■ Napping” relies Over-; Mar e i r go?d oag . much; ori physical disability. intro- Archie Fors-.th .... .T»remV Brett ducmg a deaf peeress, a literally James Payton —. . William Dickie dumb stooge!- - 'and-, ‘ah absent-. Ma). a &eiiar ar ^ y ... TrJvor Rrid mint&d and senile butler! In 'ap- Mordan — Aubrey Morris parent desperation, Anthony Sharp ..-Trevo^riffiths has directed the piece at a break- Capt^ Innes Graham^si;idmi% neck speed, riot attempting -.sub- others: Pauline. Ashley. Mary; Benni-ng, tlety. The author doubles'- Hi the T^indci Anr^ D^v/soit- Csrolyn rnlp Af o ■ nniTinniiQ* iipnprfll Gray. Billie Hill. Virginia Minoprio, VOle OI a pompous general. Prudence Potter. Gordon Dobson. George George BenSOn skates cheerfully Lucas. R 9 n Lucas. Philip Politer. Eric through tile role of a harassed 1 * r ' . ■ I| housemaster, plagued by the head- d is a fairly dis- R an dall produces some engaging SSJ na S. e - touches as a vapid juvenill lead, idonc h l° t , he + 1920 s ‘ I V; has ^ b ‘ and Nan Munro scores as the deaf vious appeal to organ*^e.d bus general’s wife who . finds herself parties, but basically its-; success j on the receiving end of the kid- will depend on the willinjgness of napping the British public to support a As the aged butler. Graham home-made musical no matter Armitage acts as a sort tii crum- what. It is a doubtful prospect for bling chorus and gets Tuighs read- Broadway. ! ily once audience resistance fias Alan Melville, responsible - for been broken down. Margot Lister the book and lyrics, has followed as the matron and Basil I.orfi as the musical format of the pre-war a genial, rascally villain, help' to era, with a saccharine j heroine, keep the situations afloat. ^ transparent plot/ plus situations To Winifred Shotter, a veterdt! and dialog to match. The produe- (Continued on page 60)