louth Carolinian ft ©orgy and Bess fcft Is Operatic Star Makes Brilliant Reds Sponsor O^ ro [dway Return SC Is Greatest NEW YORK, July £> ai-Th-so Yet Created by Americans are lean days in the Broadway NEW YORK, Murch 14 CT»-Thf And America Misses the Boat theater. How lean? The musical isn©t n toucher audience than one By Spaelh composed mostly of actors, per-1 By Dorothy Thompson "Porgy and, Bess" is its most re George Cernhwir©s "folk opera," 1 "The Glenn Miller Story" Is liable and perststant current at formers, ihneers, musicians, writ-j c-rs and others concerned with rival MOSCOW. Dec. 13-Ono of the! (act is that with unused aelinq "Porjty and Bens." Ii one of the j in production at Universal City, traction. things that was discussed and pro major musical phenomena of our Calif., under the musical diree- This story of Catfish Row In shows. This is ji review of a pre-| talent equal lo any wore it no* miere at a Monday matinco. And irtntpd at Ihe first Geneva Confer- idle most of the time, anil will, lime. ThU writer vividly remem lion ot Joseph (jershenson. Tint South Carolina by Du Bose and bers going over the score with its motion picture promises to win Dorothy Heyward, with music by performers in rivnl Broadway shows] rnco was "cullurnl nxrhfirnjrs" bn- playwrights second to none in lht were mostly the audience. composer In Boston hotel room. the Inu-rt-st of even those who may , has been 10 twoen the \\V-st and tho Sovirt world (who are often hotter sup It tven reached Broadway. not clt-aily remember the distino since it first opened in 19.15. It That©s why 1he- spontaneous. | L©nion. I low is that exchange to purled by the Kuropran stape than When George played "Summer- Iive sl -v|e of this popular band lead* triumphed In Dallas, Chicago, heart warming applause had such he effected, and of what can il hy our own) America, in the crea© time." which the conductor Alex- frr cf the lalc ©30». Pittsburgh, Washington, D. C. and rayety Monday afternoon at the I other cities on tour. It added fur consist? The question romrs up in rinmain of the theater, is cullur ander Steinert called "the greatest Mr. Orshpnson hai wisely fol. Zietjfrld Theater when "Porjiy andi connection with the- fnrlhcomini; iong yer written by an American," lowed the more familiHr n;cordinci ther honors in Vienna nnrt Berlin, Bess" returned, from long travels. ally behind half a dozen small an«l under the sponsorship of the U. S. visit to Moscow of .in American relatively poor Kuropoan states. Its musical creator remarked with ni«de by M.ller©s band rnther th:m In an unaccustomed premiere it chnraeleristie naivete. "\Vait till the actunl on whi ©h State Department. company pla>inR George Ger their work was "Porgy and Bess" li musical brought back the music of George shwin©s opera, Porgy and Bess. you hear ih**«e harmonies, Doc." He KislH mpm- Gershwin, the libretto by PuBosel NOW, POHGY AND BKSS is to was evfn more pleased wh^n the of the oriainnl ffroup ap on the semiopera side which docs , 0 to Moscow, opening on January not lend Itself to stars. The siory Ilryward and thr* unforjjft table ly moving "My Man©s Gon* Now" dis in the picture, along \v:ih such Js of life in a tumbledown Nepro rics by Heyward and Irn Gershwin/ PORGY AND BKSS has proved 10. And under whose auspices will solved most of the audience in tears as Louis Arm-ttrnnB, < section on the Charleston wator- This is thn fifth Broadway en-| to be our most successful cultural the troupe, be? The American Gov- that afternoon. Krupa an*t Ben Pollark. Miller hit wife are playeft by Jam"! ©ront. Crippled Porgy and his girl I sagemrnt of "Porcy and B^ss," hut export. Played by an all-Ncpjrr: crment©s? No, it will he under the Q- friend Bess, are beset by the it excited tho professicnnl and criti-j cast, it introduces Iho American auspices of the Soviet Govern .. , .. , .. . ,. srt and June Allvsr>n, to the mir- ^ •C greatly since then In those e*H; ces§ o( th- fj]m wj]1 m stronger, more powerful Crown, cjil audience Monday lo demands for ; Negro as an artist, in a folk opera ment. The Soviet Government :* perforrnanceiHhadaityli7Pd open- entirely on Its C ^ who wants Bess. curtain mils, curtnin spenchrs and of the utmost sympathy and beau paying ils transportalion to and ing. with.Buck, of the vaudeville© * w The role of Crown in the original] em on©S of specific dances and team of Buck and Bubbles, playing production was played by Paul ty. It even promises to become from Berlin, giving it the famous songs. | part of the standing repertory of a hot piano In a second floor front, Robeson, Todd Duncan and sev Moscow Art Theater to play in while a crap game wrnt on below, Tliis story of Catfish Row ml European thratr-rs. played l>y pulling il up at one of the de lu\r eral other Negro actors. Charleston, S. C., is thnt of a crip There wai lots of recitative, which It Is a part which demands voice white actors and singers in black hotels, suppl.tim; it with transla Inevitably sounded artificial, but of opera timbre. Other roles such pled bpR^ar, Foray, who Is pulled ,:round town on his cnrt by a coat. tors and hmnusinos and jjuaran- the music In general seemed abso as Cab Galloway©s as Sportin© Life, Kuropoan thr-nlrr audiences aiv tooirtc; the company generous frrs lutely fresh, with frequent claims Leslie Scott as Porgy and Leon- In Citfish Row th^re is a huge bul tyne Price as SPSS can be done ly. Crown, who hrts a girl friend much more sophisticated than in dollars. The State Department, j to actual Inspiration. named Bess. In a Carolina hurri American, for the simple reason Ahirh approves tbe journey, hfs | Bubble*, the original Sportin© with voices of musical comedy Life, played the Porgy and Bess caliber. cane and several other weal her and that all European countries have said it can©t afford any financial part pimmrily aa! But it©s different when Crown romantic problems, the touph boy I theater tint is not wholly the support. a dancer! without any real sugges-I sings "What You Want With Crown is knifed to death by the tion ot villainy. The current In-j Runs Into Censor (Instrument of commercial intei terpreter. Cab Calloway. substitutes Bess?" and "A Red Headed crippli-d Porgy who claims Bess-is ests. The professional theater Is THE THKATER. like all other Women." "his woman now." It isn©t a tri- si-at-singing for dancing and also In Los Aneles Now singing this role is John umph for Porgy, for EPSS goes off [©not confined, as it is here, to a Russian properly, is a stale niono- seems to miss the evil implirationt McCurry, 6 fert 6 and 250 pounds. with the swiinky Sportin© Ufn, the few strccls in tho national mo poly. Thrro is no reason why this of the role. Between them there IXDS ANGELES Uf ©George McCuriy says he definitely didn©t m;m who ran supply her with nar-j (itropolis. monopoly should not pay the com was Avon Long, who could bo! h Ira Gr-i©&hwln©i famed opera " stumble into becoming an actor. Nearly every city nf 100 000 or pany fees or a percentage of UK- dance and sing and mad"1 the char cot if s, or "hnppy dust." acter more convincing than either gy and Bess" is described as "tO©< t "I wanted to be back of the foot- The singing of "Bess, You Is Myl and many that ore smaller Kfito receipts for there are no i sexy and lewd" for this city©s > Hxhts since I was a kid, and X Woman Now" ami Hie singing of I of the others. h-©ts an opera hniisc and then©er more fn-r (healer tickets in Ru>; The entire op*ra was streamlined ©Philharmonic Auditorium, which h\ headed in that direction," ht re- Cab C;illoway with "I Ain©t Got No si«. I©M! that they, instcnd of tin rails. "Being a singer was my playing th" f©lassies and nmdern later, under the expert musical di- owned by a Baptist Church. Shame" and "It Ain©t Necessarily © and p!n>s, with companies rertion ot Alexander Smallens, who iirst aim." So" showed that with the passing J Director and co-producer Robert He hau the usual difficulties. His lli.it are seasonally employed. American Embassy in Moscow, has been its chief conductor boih seasons "Porjjy and Bess" gains now here und nbrond. Most of the re-, Bret-n said yesterday he had r«- parents wanted him to be a doctor, far MS. The houses ;md casts are sub f-hould become the sole sponsors ind he even took a prp-rm.©dicnl iodized, usually by the munici of this American visit seems tu citative was eliminated and the pace: iceived a letter from General Man- This Heyward-Gershwin musical! became fnster throughout. \ course. They ruled out the stage. Rains new yprve and stature each polities. In tlir larger citins they ;»eer C. H. Bralnard of tht Phil ©He finally hud his way, siudic-d me a lamentable failure in public Gfi Today H seems almost too fast music in Cleveland, played the time It returns, and this time it compete with commercial theaters relations and international diplo and loud, even lo ears attuned to, harmonic requesting that some of Kramu Theater in ro©.os tis varied, has returned to welcome Broad- hut attract Iho best actors and modern tempo and dynnmtn. One ilhe tcenei be toned down. Breei v/ay doorsteps, after drawing cheers macy a beautilul example of as Lennie in "Of Mice and Men 1 [iof course, create great actors and pennywise, pound-foolish policy. I can easily understand, however, the ssid Pralnard called thest sc*nr and Ferroviui in almost every capital of the! in "Androcles jpreat schools of acting, because terrific impact of the work on so ©lewd, sexy and obscene.© TT^t the Lion." world. Ithey usually present Iwn or three phisticated European audiences last WHAT OK THK KKKKCT nr |o,»era shows Negrn lift In a itcilo: \ But he©s happiest as CapVffi.© and different plays each week, and year and Iti continued iuccess in think* that©s Ihe actors of this introduction to New York. •>t Charleston. S-C. j "After all,©^I|jpnts out, "I their programs numerous the Communist world? They will The direction of Robert Breen "This show has playtd without. was born iaeflMPCarolina." time.s during the season, thus rail- i protest for 18 years," observer, have every opportunity to obser\r may seem to keep the stage a bit ©Hreen. "The t/©.S. Suih- Departmei.© Inp on their casts for a grc^l Ihe genuinely hiuh esteem ir loo "busy," apparently resenting the i born near Anders- variety of lalent and industry. m*>re suggestion that anyone in sponsored our European tour a» a which the Soviet L©nion holds all Ihe large rnsl should remain quiet cultural viiiure. Boston and Phil The same is true of Russia artists, and a country in which MM adelphia didn©t object, and It©s where the (healer is superb, and for long. Sn-©h a snlo as "I <*,ot . talented aclnr ©if he koeps aU >f o© Nuttin© " Is now shared by ironic that our first e.ntlcisn contrary to what many people from politiral inlrrventionst is tin should* -ome from Hollywood, of all think almost entirely free o( prop vnlrM. and Otllnway ovrr- employed. They will face the humor of "It Aint Nfps- places." aganda. More residents of Mos a highly The production opened Monde > responsive and discriminating au wrlly So." ^ut th* impressive cow see. and have seen, the jjrrnt "Buzzard Song" has been rpstorfd ight and was repeated subsequrni fltence. The fact that they are ,ly without change, Breen declared Kussian and European operas and colored will prove, fnr them, an nfter a long »bseni:e. and there are Pff»ctive choral passaRei directed adding llmt It was decided not i< the creat classic dramas. Russian. asset ralhcr than a liability. And make any of the suggested change !French. German, and Knclish, than by the gifted Eva J*-ssye. they may call to mind that Con :if1*»r he had conferred with New Yorkers ever ha\c. The plain Noliody IIBS quite tome up to ine gressmen are trotting all over the Initial performance of Todd Duncan ,Ira Gershwin, brother ot th« globe at the public expense. ai Porgy. although William "War- "* \Ve are wasting money on the fii-ld probably 1ms a more Voice of Amehcu. Our entire cul voice. Leontine Pi i ©Mr». tural program and, indeed, ou than the oritcinal and cultural life needs revamping, if also«i.« sings.inuo better.tifltf-r. Ira Gershwin s we are lo hold our own on this w ortls and the literary contrtbu-) level. tlons of IHiBose Heyward are as v «nd Bess." n* now played. ,* ]tnm«thinff quite dtf^rent from what the Orshwins and th* Hey-, unrfli wrote in l!Wi. It still r»rmnn», opera yet created by