Variety (February 1961)

72 UKCmMATE Pfi&IETf Wednesday, February 1, 1961 East Meets West: Credit Culture; 3 Ambassadors Salute Sol Hurok By ROBERT J. LANDRY Sol Hurok, long a legend in his own time, a showman’s showman nearly everywhere except Lincoln Center, lately has been harvesting ribbons, medals . and honorary sheepskins. To these was aided last week the “distinction of being borrowed by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation as man of the occasion for its annual dinner con¬ cert at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, N. Y. Hurok was hardly a stranger, having been active in and with the Foundation for 20 years, one of its honorary officers and impresario for Inbal and the Israel Symphony | Mr^Rovere. ....... Ro " d y D U aviI tours in this country. Because, it '■ was his evening the participating Artur Rubinstein, Andres Segovia and Isaac Stern, deadheaded their appearances, as did the Met Opera foursome, Roberta Peters, Regina Resnick, Jan Peerce and Robert Merrill, who sang the quartet from “Rigoletto” for a flash finish. Hurok accounted for the appear¬ ances on the dais of both the So^- viet and Israel ambassador^ to the United Nations, Valerian A. Zorin and Michael Comay, respectively; also the subtly-whispering East- West exchange Ambassador S. B. Lacy, of the Stale Dept.; also Marian Anderson, a gracious lady in the speech department, and very touching in her tribute; also Van Cliburn, who turns out to be a po¬ tential spellbinder for the arts, though he needed a punch-line and the gift of brevity. Hurok’s own speech was brief with the audience referred to his wife for the real lowdown on what an impresario was like. She looked up from a mountain of bouquets and smiled enigmatically, There were some arresting allu¬ sions by all the ambassadors do the role of the performing arts In cul¬ tural exchange and in bridging the ideological chasm which curses this century. Interestingly, the Israel voice centered on the hope of an exchange of talent between Tel Aviv and Cairo! That may be sheer- ly wistful, but its expression in the whole context of the evening’s em¬ phasis upon talent-to-people trends it was not without its value as a historic footnote. Speeches constituted part two of the three-part program, following the kosher-catered dinner at $150 per seating. Robert S. Benjamin, United Artists by day, civic leader by night, was dinner chairman, speaking clearly, sincerely and suc¬ cinctly, all admirable traits. The Foundation’s prez, Sam Rubin, the perfumery king, spoke for the goals and hopes of the Foundation. After the usual dismantling of the dais to allow the stage proper to be set, the concert itself proceeded, with four stagehands added to the over- Production Assignments BROADWAY , x . ; “Period of Adjustment”: Richard head this time on IATSE demand. Blofsont production stage manager. A sellout, the grand ballroom = OFF-BROADWAY grossed around $250 000. The ac-; .. Tieer Robert Soule set _ tual net is a matter of guesswork. A > tings main item was the hire of the musi- ' Michael Gilbert has written a featherweight comedy-meller which has* limited plot substance,".but is given some impetus by Alastair Sim’s star portrayal. It. is a com¬ pletely unpretentious effort, but might reasonably hold up in this small theatre for a moderate run, and though it has little prospects of crossing the Atlantic it is a cinch for stock and amateur com¬ panies. The three-acter has been staged by Sim in simple straightforward style and though he is the mainstay of the proceedings he has by no means hogged the situations. George Cole and Janet Brown par¬ ticularly are given ample oppor¬ tunities. Sim plays a respectable law firm head with a passion for minatures. He learns that a painting by an unknown artist (whom he suspects is Goya) is coming on the market and he uses a shady ex-employee of the firm to do the bidding on his behalf. As it turns out, the picture had f>een stolen. There are threats of blackmail and even a murder before all .is resolved. The plot does not stand analysis, but the star gives it stature. Cole gives a smooth performance as the undercover bidder and Miss Brown introduces a provocative note as a beatnik type temporary secretary. Peter Copley as a partner in the law firm, Allan Jeayes as their oldest employee and Helen Christie as a typical stage secretary play principal parts professionally. There is also a polished contribu¬ tion by George Selway as a detec¬ tive. Rosamond Burne has an ex pendable part as a would-be di¬ vorce. Decor designed by Hendrik Baker is up to West End standards. Myro. Concert Reviews . Andrea Segovia . (TOWN HALL, N. Y.) As with his illustrious compa¬ triot, cellist Pablo Casals, nothing seems to dim the luster In the bril¬ liant display of talent and the abun¬ dant gifts of Andres Segovia. Whether it be Haydn, Mendelssohn. Bach or Albeniz, the sound of mu¬ sic, rich, warm and colorful, from the rhythmic guitar of the Spaniard, remain as impeccable as ever. This w r as amply 'demonstrated last Fri¬ day night at N.Y. Town Hall, when Segovia appeared in the first of three recitals this season, offering fresh evidence that he’s still every inch the master, his artistry un¬ diminished. The enthusiatic recep¬ tion from the audience was emi¬ nently deserved. Notably it was the final pieee by Albeniz that yielded the finest fruits of the genuine Segovia flair. Rose. Warsaw Philharmonic Sol Hurok has another import from behind the Iron Curtain. The audience at Carnegie Hall, N. Y. w T as populated by those who spoke Polish and were obviously excited to be present. At a guess this ap¬ peal to. the large colony of Poles resident in the U. S. should make the tour good box office. There is the undoubtedly sentimental as¬ pect that this symphony is entirely new, nearly all the former musi¬ cians dead in the war and the auditorium gone. It was doing it offbeat to omit Chopin from the first program. In¬ stead there was a violin concerto by Szymanovski, introduced by a remarkable woman soloist, Wanda Wilkomirska whose technique is firm, tone pure and artistry in¬ tense. Bela Bartok’s “Music for strings, percussion and celesta” proved an unusual opening but demonstrating that there are those in Red coun¬ tries familiar with 20th century music. The rendering was a shade too suave and lacked the excite¬ ment and brilliance which justifies the composer. The trled-and-true piece was the Brahms First sym¬ phony in which the orchestra proved to be a well knit unit with excellent first desk players. Goth. cians of the Pittsburgh Symphony, who with W r illiam Steinberg, came in by bus; Incidentally, this enssem- ble made an excellent impression. The American-Israel Foundation, with a $1,500,000 annual budget, used to finance various cultural activities in Israel, may have net¬ ted near $200,000. Lahr at Home With Bard, Claims Taxes Nix Vegas Philadelphia, Jan. 31. Bert Lahr. playing Bottom in the touring “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Forrest Theatre here, says he doesn’t see why people are surprised at his playing Shakespeare. “His ideas for get¬ ting laughs are strictly low come¬ dy, and plenty of it,” the veteran comic declares. “I’ve been associ¬ ated with low comedy since the days of the Casino (long shuttered local burly house*. I can clown around and leave the poetry to oth¬ ers. Personally I can take the Bard or leave him alone.” Revealing that he’s never played Las Vegas, the star explains, that it’s hardly profitable to do so. “Af¬ ter your earnings get to a certain point it makes little difference W'hether you get $3,000 or $30,000 a week,” he claims. “The Govern¬ ment cut rises all out of propor¬ tion.” ‘Bye Bye Birdie”: Duane Camp (succeeding Michael Thoma), gen¬ eral stage manager. “Happiest Girl in the World”: A1 Rosen, company manager; Henri Caubsiens. general stage manager; William & Jean Eckart, settings; Hersliy Kay & Robert Russell Bennett, orchestrations. “Mary, Mary”: Lyn Austin, asso¬ ciate producer; Peggy Clark, light¬ ing; Bill Ross, general manager. “Carnival”: Kaye Ballard. “Tenderloin”: Anne Francine (succeeding Christine Norden>, Margaret Gathright (succeeding Patsy Peterson;. “Tenth Man”: Martin Wolfson (succeeding Lou Jacobi'. “Happiest Girl in the World”: Norman Kean, company manager; Ned Armstrong, pressagent; James O’Neill, stage manager; Gordon Barry, assisting stage manager. “Mary, Mary”: Peggy Clark, lighting. Taste of Honey”: James F. Reilly, company manager. Tahse Tourers —^ Continued from page 71 —s ranged for the routing of the shows, it’s figured both will be sent out as bus-and-truck entries in the manner of his prior touring ven¬ tures. “Fiorello,” booked by Broad¬ way Theatre Alliance, has been touring as part of that organiza¬ tion’s subscription series. However, the BTA' subscription network has been sold to United Performing Arts Inc., which books presenta¬ tions for its subscribers only, com¬ pletely eliminating boxoffice ticket sales. . “Seesaw” and “Stairs” w r ere also handled by BTA, as was “No Time *** ** * * * ********* A A ****** AA * *** - ** * *A********** * ** > | Asides and Ad-Libs * ** **** * *********** * ** * ******* *** * * * *A *** ** * *** *t The Howard Telchmann-Oriana Atkinson play which opened Saturday night (28) at the Booth Theatre, N. Y., is not titled “John, Jake and Uncle Lee” . . . Meredith Willson, composer-lyricist of “The Unsinkabl* Molly Brown,” contradicts a report from London in last week’s issue that Sander Gorlinsky will do the show 'in London this spring. The rights for England or elsewhere have not been sold, and no such deal has even been discussed or considered, he says. Arthur Laurents, author of “Invitation to a March,” has reportedly been underwriting the operating losses on the comedy, which closes with an Actors Fund benefit next Sunday night (6) at the Music Box Theatre, N. Y. . . . Betty Field has returned to New-York after a picture stint on the Coast. .. Arthur Klein has taken over as company manager for “The Tenth Man,” succeeding Ira Bernstein who moved over to “Advise and Consent,” succeeding David Lawlor. “The Just Assassins,” adapted by actress Jeanne Cagney from the Albert Camus drama, “Les Justes,” will be American preemed March 11 by the UCLA Theatre Arts department, and will subsequently pre¬ sented at the college’s other campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Santa Barbara and Riverside, Cal. The production is being staged by Miss Cagney’s husband. Jack Morrison, a member of the UCLA drama de¬ partment faculty . . . Producer-pressagent Arthur Cantoris deal for the U. S. rights to Harold Pinter’s London drama, “Birthday Party,” give him the choice of presenting on or off-Broadway. If the author’s “The Caretaker,” due for prior U. S. presentation next fall by Roger L, Stevens, is a hit. Cantor figures he’ll do “Birthday Party” on Broadway, otherwise he may give It a smaller-scale production. The biographical program notes for “The Happiest Girl in the World,” due March 30 at the Martin Beck Theatre, N. Y., are being written by Henry Myers, co-author with Fred Saidy of the show’s book for the show . By what he calls “indefatigable diligence,” press- agent Sol Jacobson arranged for Gallagher’s and A1 & Dick’s restau¬ rants to use plastic steak markers in the shape of steers and a mention of the Broadway musical, “Tenderloin”. . . Playwright-scenarist Robert Ardrey is living in Rome with his bride. South African actress Berdine Grunewald. Jane White will moderate a “free-swinging debate” next Sunday night (5) at her acting studio, 110 W. 14th St., N. Y., on the question “Casting; Guesswork of Know-How.” Participants will include musical conductor Salvatore dell’Isola, tv producer Jack Kuney, choreographer Joe Layton, castin&,agent Michael Hartig, stage director Jed Homer and playwright Saul Levitt ... The Bergen (County, N. J.) Evening Record, which recently began covering Broadway openings, has added the UPI's weekly listing of the Broadway shows, with the respective ticket availabilities. Opera Reviews Martha Friedrich Von Flotow opera with mod¬ ernized libretto by Ann RoneU (after W. Friedrich). Staged by Carl Ebert. Scenery, Oliver Smith. Costumes, Motley. Conduc¬ tor, Nino Vechi. Choreography, Thomas Andrew. At Metropolitan Opera. N.Y., opening Jan. 26, '61; $10 top. Lady Harriet.Victoria de los Angeles Nancy ... Rosalind Elias Lionel .Richard Tucker Plunkett .. Gtorglo Tozzi Lord Tristram .. Lorenzo Alvary Sheriff.Gerhard Pechner Maids.Mildred AUen, Teresa Stratas, Thelma Votipka Lackeys .. Walter Hemmerly. Arthur Backgren, Lou MarceUa A Farmer.John Frydel A Farmer’s Wife.. Lilia Sims The Queen .. Nancy King Everything is relative in musi¬ cology and opera criticism. Those of hardy stomach, for such recent Met Opera confections as “La Peri- chole” and “Gypsy Baron” cannot abide the sugary “Martha,” -re¬ turned to repertory for the first time since 1928. Seldom have the N.Y. critics been so condescending. They did not sneer but sniffed. Actually there is a good deal of amusement and some pretty nice singing to be had from the revival. Sentimental the music surely is, per “The Last Rose of Rummer.” critics conceded. Unhappily a few of her phrases stand out like a bandaged thumb. Such modern¬ isms as “Oh, Brother!” and “Poor Fish!” give away Miss Ronell’s screen and Tin Pan Alley ante¬ cedents. Nonetheless, the Ronell rhymes and patter are more original, fertile and promising than the typical English libretti heard'at the house the last few years. The present revival of the Von Flotow work has a “pretty” *scenie investiture (Oliver Smith) and cos¬ tumes (Motley) made possible by another of the Met’s special donors, in this case its own Opera Guild. The dancers are active and contribute no little to an outward gaiety. . “Martha” is probably going to please audiences better than re¬ viewers. Richard Tucker is one standout reason. He really belts out a couple of show-stoptpers. Land. Poppea (American Opera Society, N. Y.) After seven years the American The plot could not be more con- Opera Society repeated Montever- trived, coming complete with a'*' di’s remarkable work, composed in last-minute baby’s ring which es- - ■ — — tablishes the farmer as the Eari of Dingbat so that he may, under old class conventions, wed naughty for Sergeants,” which laynched Lady Harriet. Tahse on his road career in 1957. | Ann Ronell chose to demand of He worked on that presentation as j the Met Opera management that her name not appear on the a member of Maurice Evans-Em- mett Rogers production staff. The touring presentatiohs, co-produced by Tahse and Knill. and the two properties newly - acquired by Tahse have all been produced on Broadway by other managements. ‘Miracle.” now in its 67th week premiere (26) program as re¬ sponsible for the updated libretto, though it does on the published book sold in the lobby. As to the wisdom of her action, aimed at German stage director Carl Ebert for making “unauthorized” cuts at the Playhouse, N. Y., was pro- J one can argue either way. The duced by Fred Coe, who was also ; critics tended to not like the lyrics, responsible for the presentation of • finding what they could hear out “Seesaw.” “Advise,” now in its 12th ■ of period. Thus Miss Ronell, a week at the Cort Theatre,. N. Y., was produced by Robert Fryer & Lawrence Carr in association with John Hermann. “Fiorello,” now In its 62d week at the Broadhurst Theatre. N. Y., was produced by Robert E. Grif¬ fith and Harold S. Prince. “Dark” was produced by Saint Subber and Elia Kazan. long-established and high-rated ASCAP lyricist, -escaped some 1642 at 76. “The Coronation of Poppea” as prepared by conductor Nicola Rescigno from the original manuscript in Venice, was a new one with a fuller scoring than in 1953. There is of course not much sense in speculation as to which of the many existing editions • nearly every conductor prepares his own) is closest to the musia heard in 1642. This version cer¬ tainly served the spirit of the mu¬ sic well, tho-igh Chester Kallman’s English wor.is is disturbing. Nor is the staging improve'd over 1953, Doing operas in the “wanderings’* of the singers, the so-called action and a hint of costuming in this instance contributed little.j The men fared better in than the women. John Crain as Nero digs. However, she might just as , and Tvnald Gramm as Ottone were well take whatever credit there is j reliable and satisfying, Gloria Lane —it’s hardly a contemptible thing | approached the. role of Poppea in to be programmed at the Met; style and voice as a Verdi heroine Opera. Inside Stuff-Legit Guber, Ford and Gross Music Fairs have established permanent N. Y. offices at 140 W. 58th Street. “The Petticoat Prince,” a projected musical adaptation of Pertita Harding’s book. “Amazon Throne,” with libretto by Stuart Bishop and music and lyrics by Deed Meyer, is not committed to any producer, according to Robert M. Gewald, manager for the adaptors. Also con¬ trary to a report in last week’s Variety, the Brazilian government did : not finance the recent trip to Brazil by Bishop and Meyer to research ■ Mass., seemed only slightly more the project, but merely cooperated In arranging It. Gewald adds that ] familiar with the language. The point about the present libretto which obscures the merits of her argument with Ebert, what¬ ever it may be, is precisely this: though in English, only Richard Tucker and Giorgio Tozzi bothered to sitig in recognizable words. Vic¬ toria de los Angeles, if superbly the European prima donna, though miscast, hardly emitted six under¬ standable phrases all evening. Her Lebanese - American confrere, Rosalind Elias, from Lowell, singer-actress Barbara Ashley, whose name was mentioned in last week's story about the venture, Is in no way connected with production plans. A superficial scanning of the libretto, as printed, suggests that it is a good deal better than the and Eleanor Ross (debut) showed no subtlety or feeling for shaping a line. Regina Sarfaty and Lee Venora sang pleasantly and most pleasing was a scene between a page (Loren Driscoll) and a lady in waiting Veronica Tyler, (an¬ other debut). This last one has uncommonly good stage appear¬ ance and deportment and a beauti¬ ful voice, but would need consider¬ able work on her diction. Goth. Margaret Hall, costumer for the State Univ. of Iowa theatre, will go to the Univ. of Bristol (England) next year on a faculty exchange. Iris Brooke, Bristol costumer, will be at the Iowa Citv spot.