WMfMiwmmimmmmmmmHammssmmm mumsamwammnma ,1 CLOSE-UPS BROOKLYN EAGLE/SUN., JULY 22, 1945 • 21 PLAYTHINGS *»^ Beethoven and the Ballet Gertrude Lawrence Rings Up the Curtain Lawrence Brooks of 'Song of Norway' Featured at Stadium Concerts Of Her Own Drama Between Two Wars Proves Right Shy at Singing His Own Praises Beethoven and the ballet ''will vlej By VIOLET BROWN By ROBERT FRANCIS for audiences during the sixth week, Gertrude Lawrence was in a touring company at Yarmouth In This corner dropped into "The Song of Norway" the other night of stadium concerts. Record crowds 1911 when her big chance to go to London came. The only trouble to hear Lawrence-Brooks, who is the Edvard Grieg of the show, sing are expected for performances of | vas she hadn't a shilling to pay her fare. Six soldiers In a regiment his namesake's beautiful melodies. Larry has been at the'chore nearly the Beethoven Ninth Sympony and! of gunners drilling nearby decided to take a "filer" on her and a year now and the customers are still pouring in to hear him. A nice the dance program by Alicia Mar- financed her Journey. They escorted her to the London Express and start for a young baritone at his first Broadway try. waved her on her way. "Best of luck, Gertie!" they called. "Don't kova ahd Anton Dolin. Under the It is also pleasant to report that Larry's success hasn't gone to direction of Fabien Sevitzky, the let us down." .his head. music of Beethoven may be. heard /'Why should it?" he grins. "After all, I just met the right people. • • ~ .She didn't. And a whole era later she went back to blitzed Eng at the stadium three evenings this! I might just, as well still be knocking my brains out chasing odd radio land- just Before D-Day to join ENSA, the British USO. With it she week. The Markova-Dolin evening j ; jobs. toured the Western Front to within sound of Von Rtfndstedv s next Saturday, presenting the. "There a re. Jihj.ee. people to whom I'll always be eternally grateful," . mortars,.trying to pay back to the GIs and the"Tommies what.she famous dancers with a company ofi owed to those World War I gunners who gave Gertrude Lawrence, he goes on.- "When I came down to New" York from Portland in four other soloists Is one of the big ft chance'to become a star, before they sailed for Flanders. 1931 I didn't know a soul and,I didn't.have much else but nerve. gest nights-of .the stadium season.] Estelle Liebling thought I might have something and took me on for Maurice Abravanel will conduct for She tells what happened In between In a sparkling autobiography this concert. called "A Star/Danced," Just published by Doubleday, Doran/ It vocal lessons practically for-nothing. Gave me more time than her best-paying pupils,- too—and scouted me radio jobs. I'm not likely Tomorrow, Fabien Sevitzky. dis Is written with the same apparent artlessness, the skill disguised by tinguished conductor of the Indian to forget that. Then a couple of years ago I auditioned for a Summer spontaneity, that marcher acting. Since it Is the story of ah actress, PERENNIAL "MAMA"—Mady Christians (left) and apolis Symphony Orchestra, will of job at Camp Tamiment. Two boys, Bob Wright and George, Forrester, fer familiar classics for .his seventh It is all theater. And since It Is also the story of a woman with a Frances Heflin, whojdoes the remembering in "I Remember heart, It has real drama. were in charge of the Saturday night shows. I guess they liked me. stadium concert in the series of ten Marrfa/'-the John Van Druten play at the Music Box. Anyway, after a £i-\veek Summer session they wangled me three concerts under his leadership. In She was born Gertrude Alexandra Dagmar Lawrence Klasen, addition to the Beethoven 'Third! daughter of a stage-struck English woman who had to pad her tights weeks at the Copacabana. Guess Monte Proser must have liked me, Concerto with Ania Dorfmann at' when she appeared in the chorus, and of a Dane who was fonder of too, because I stayed there six months. the piano, Mr. Sevitzky has pro-BIRUT' A RAMOSKA, who "Of course," Larry smiles, "Bob and George had the music and grammed the. Hadley Overture, "In the. bottle than-of his family. Her career really began one bank Comden and Green Team Got Bohemia"; Brahms' Symphony No. .will be soprano soioist for lyrics for this show in mirw that Summer at Tamiment. And they holiday in Brighton when she sang a little song called "It Ain't All 3 in F major and the popular Polka the performance of Bee Honey, and It Ain't All Jam^' (Noel Coward was to use the Inci 7 used to say, when and if it came off, I was the guy to be Grieg. But and Fugue from Weinberger's opera, dent later In "Cavalcade.") She was six then. When she was ten 'On the Town the Hard Way I never took it too seriously." "Schwanda, the Bagpiper." \^A^ thoven's Ninth of "Choral" she had cards printed reading, "Little, Gertie Lawrence, Child Actress No'fairy godmothers with magic i also 26, was no boy wonder. He lived In the meantime, Larry continued at the Copa until a talent Tuesday will see an all-Russian Symphony at the Lewisohn and Danseuse.'_Not long after she was on her own. wands lurk behind the success story | in movies and at concerts. He was-i scout for Warners dropped in one night and'bld him for a screen test. program including two major sym of Betty. Comden and Adolph j a Wight but bad student. Stadium Wednesday and "I'd never.seen California,' he chuckles, "and it seemed like a phonies and an overture; Kabalev- Her first break, came soon after her Tommies seH$ her to London Green, authors and performers of| Finally, Brooklyn and Bronx met. sky's Overture to "Colas Breugnon"; Thursday evenings. when Beatrice Lillie, for whom she was understudy, was thrown from "On the Town," who found recog-JThfcn they met three other persons, good chance to get there. I took the test and after the usual post with .Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" a horse. "Little Gertie" was/pregnant at tlae U:nd but for seven nltion the hard way, and worked j also looking for jobs on the stage, ponements, they offered me a six-month contract while they looked Symphony, No. 6, in,B minor and every bit of the way for It. JThe five pooled resources and late around ior a spot to-use me. No dice for me on that! I'd have gone the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony. where of the symphonic version^of months, to the steady delight of her audiences, she starred in "Char They met back In 1938 on the un- in '38 the "Revuers" were horn at .this madern composition, through iot's Revue." The day Miss Lillie came back to her part, Gertrude crazy. But I was lucky again. Edwin Lester hired me for the lead employment beat. Betty was doing J the Village Vanguard. Little by little SymphonyThe Beethove, will nb eNint presenteh ord Choral,Wed- which Milhaud describes for the Lawrence crawled into a nursing room and at the height of- the the "Subway Circuit" (Newark tojcolumnists and public alike passed in 'Sally.' He was prepping this show, too, at the time and this was American and Allied armies the Brooklyn, walk-ons six nights and the word around, and the quintetl what I wanted. But they'd already engaged Walter Castle for the nesday and Thursday, with Mri.|prench provinces in which they . biggest Zeppelin raid on London had her daughter Pamela. The" Sevitzky in the podium; the Philhar-; dom. For both three matinees for $5 pecyveek) andlmoved uptown and upstairs to the part, too, sb it was 'Sally' or nothing.' {ougnt for world free episode barely interrupted her career. She went on to become the Adolph was . a "camp follower"!Rainbow Roof. Next, the Music Hall. monlc-Symphony Orchestra, t h e. the orchestral and dance number* Apparently, however, Messrs. Wright and Forrester didn't forget Schola Cantorum of N'ew York andj Saturday program, the noted —tA»fi»r-rtf_t.tc^_pf>ntinPi-it.s, & member of the gay, sophisticated set (Bronx hillbilly waiting tables at Then. Muslcraft recorded their act. of the four young vocal artists. Including conductor Maurice Abravanel will headed by the then Prince ofWales She came to America wltrr rflrimmffr-^r^t^--w4iilft-^alting^or-_a-Thp.y_ ikehi, hack to. the basement the Tamiment talks', because when Castle decided to withdraw from break—just any kind of break, mis- though after a radio contract fell Biruta Ramoska, soprano; Nan[conduct _he Philharmonic Sym- Chariot; she went back to Europe with Gershwin's "Oh, Kay!" She "Norway,',' Larry was immediately tap3>edTo^te^nTo~"triS~Grleg"shoes— Merriman, conTralto; Donald" Dame, j phony"" OTcneitTaT ter). through. The World's Fair saw them at the end of the second week. fell In love with a titled English gentleman and received a betel nut Betty, tall, dark and sultry of;next. They toured the night clubs tenor, and Edwin Fowler, baritone,' Instead of a ruby she expected from an Indian prince. £>he met her voice, was born in Brooklyn 26!and ended up in Hollywood—on a "So you see." laughs Larry, "there's nothing to get swell-headed with Hugh Ross as choral conductor about. I'm. just lucky. I knew the right'people. They plugged for for the Schola Cantorum. The pro- childhood colleague, Noel Coward, again and starred In his "Private years ago. Curbing an early desire-cutting-room floor, programs also -include a perform Lives," complaining that people have been confusing her with, the for the stage because she,felt her] Bitter? A little. So for the next .me—and 'Norway's' a big, hit. That-'s all."' \ ance of John Alden Carpenter's looks wouldn't '-warrant' it, she-time,—the all-for-one policy was Maybe it is luck. But it's pretty certain that if Larry hadn't had heroine ever since and ascribing to her the "emotional sta turned her talents to study at Ethi-j abandoned. Half the Revuers stayed "Song of Faith", with August J. bility of a shuttlecock." cal Culture School and Erasmus:West, and Betty and Adolph came something on the ball: (1) Estelle Liebling wouldn't have given him Seiloff as narrator. This is not any time; (2) Wright and Forrester would have forgotten all about only a first time at. the stadium It was not all undiluted glamour, of course. She never did have Hall High. Reading an N. Y. U. bro-7iome. En route they met friends but the first time this modern to revert to being a barmaid to pay her board bill as she-hadUnJieju. chure on dramatics, her love for th^/paul,. Feigay and Oliver Smith, him after Tamiment; (3) the talent scout at the Copa would have theater f molding of chorus and orchestra pre-London days, but, she did go bankrupt. And there was consid ~ttaTed™a^n~and-* ^ejyoung^mdwxrs-c^tne^ passed him up._and (4) Edwin Lester wouldn't have switched him has been Ireard in New York. promptly enrolled.for the courses.icy Free," with music by LeonardI from a revival to head the cast of a potential new hit. Anyway, it's erable heartache before she met Richard Aldrich, now of the U. S. If nothing eific, she'd teach speech. Bernstein. Five again—they couldn't Friday's concert features Fabien Navy, at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis. But she took It all with a Four years later sheXhad her B.S.lrniss. They didn't. Betty Comden a nice modest way'df looking-a.t it. .. Sevitzky conducting the Sibelius 1 Symphony No. 2, in D major; the light touch. degree and major inXiramatics. Ajand Adolph Green sat down as one — - • season of Summer stock in Eastland wrote a,book and lyrics based'. . . . Praeludium and Allegro of Kreisler- And she tells of it with a light touch, too, skillfully alternating Hampton didn't cure her. She'd action "Fancy Free" and called it "On;Noel Coward Play Sevltzky; the Debussy Nocturnes, and Les Preludes'of Liszt. . flashback;with the present. .Gertfude Lawrence can write. But she or starve—and almost did. jthe Town." The rest is theater;/^ Sayville Playhouse ought to stick to the stage for a while longer yet. She can act, too. '-^Meanwhile, Bronx-born Adolph,;history. Saturday Alicia Markova and ______I Theater Producers, «Inc., an Anton Dolin will present"" a dance nounces the opening of its first program of exceptional caliber and 'OUTWARD BOUND' AT HOLYOKE season at Long island's * Sayville appeal. Markov« and Dolin. will The Veteran^M&vrice Schwartz themselves interpret the music of Sutton Vane's popular drama, Cliveden-Banks..- The cast_wllLalso Summer . Playhouse this Tuesday Chopin, Mendelssohn, Mozart and "Outward Bound," will be the Val include Martha Jones, Terry Little ?££*»:, evening. The initial production, Tchaikovsky in ballet presentation, ley Players' vehicle for this week Hugh Franklin r Ronald Telfer, Rob scheduled for one week, will be with dance artists Anne Simpson, at the Mountain Park Casino, Hol- ert Emhardt and Edward A. Wright, SoonlSegins His "Blithe Spirit," .starring Dennis Albia Kavan, Bettina Rosay and • yoke, Mass. Jean Guild will have who is spending part of his sab Maurice Schwartz, actor, direc- Jolson Theater he produced "The'Kin^ and featuring Ann Andrews, John Kriza rounding out the com the part^of Mrs. Mtdgetr Gaylord batical leave of absence from Deni- tor, producer, who- begins his 26th Brothers Ashkenazi." Another tourj Valerie Cossart and Nydia West- pany of soloists. Of special interest Mason will play Prior and Jackson son University Nvith the Valley- season of the Yiddish Art Theater followed, embracing South America, j man. Performances will be given this evening is the "Pas de Quatre". Perkins will have the=^role_of Mrs. Players. in October, has trouped all over -.the. Europe, Palestine, Poland, 'Romania j Tuesday .through Sunday night with known to the present generation of world, playlhf every conceivable;and Lithuania. Last season he put;matinees Saturday and Sunday, dance lovers only from A." E. Cha-| character, from a beggar to, a king, on "The Family Carnovsky" at thel Originator of the project is Eu- Ion's famous lithograph of the fouri from a youth to an octogenarian,!Adelphi .for a season, and more r'e-jgene Lerner, youthful playwright, great nineteenth-century dancers, | Taglionl, Oe'ffto, Grisl and Grahn.| even from a man to a woman. jcenUy he has'put oh "Three Gene-:who has worked on Broadway as HARRY CAREY, in "China's rations He has It was originally arrangeo-, to the', Born In Russia, Mr. Schwartz did! -" made three films,jstage manager for ' "Manhattan 1 not come from a theatrical iamny.j"Tev>'a" "Uncle • Moses" and "The j Nocturne" and "Same Time Next music of Cesare Pugni by Jules Little Devils," at the He~caThe to the United States at the'Mission of Moscow" (the latter in \veek." Associated with Mr. Lerner Perrot and first performed at Herj ; Majesty's Theatre, London, in the j Strfind, .with "A Sporting age of" 11. j English).. „_ j0n the board of directors are Will "It was my theater-loving' uncle! ?ne Yiddish Art Theater in theioould, chairman; Geoff Lumb and presence of Queen Victoria on July Chance." - who made me theater conscious whenilast.25 vears presented more than ishirland Quin. 12, 1845. ' . 125 from Shake- he took, me to see Jewish plays," he'i new plays—plays from Shake-j Mr. Gould, at present stage man The Saturday program also holds JA E i. said. "I watched from my balcony speare t.o Sholem Aleichem. Mr. ager for "The Glass Menagerie," a musical highlight in the perform Sayville Playhouse ^ iiT seat great actors like Jacob Adler,! Schwartz has now leased- the Yid-will double from'his present chore ance of Darius Milhaud's "Suite DENNIS KING David Kessler and Tomashefskyjaish Art Theater and will open his at New York's Playhouse td the one Francalse", first performance any- Ann Andriwi Valrrit Con.irt Nydli Wettnun 26lh season tnfere ln •BLITHE SPIRIT' And lateat night I always found! October. He at Sayville. myself in a dark corner at home, has engaged Joseph Rumshinsky Although the first three weeks of ]u\t 24-27 Majt^Sat. 4 Svn. dean of Yiddish composers, for thethi s Summer's season will be de SCIENTIFICALLY AIR CONDITIONED > Opening Jul'j Si memorizing their lines!" 3 EUUSTJ MART MORRIS JEAN ADAIR One night/in the theater while season, and Mr. Rumshinsky will voted to presenting established •mftFHE SPIRIT"—Dennis rnm FLATBUSH 'THE OLD LADIES' obviously imitating an actor from write the music for five new plays: plays, the aim,of Theater Producers, nu-tooo run r.:-s.7sc-S2.S07>lui tax.Mats.7bc-S2plui lot his halcony seat, a stranger tapped he Three Gifts," by J. L. Peretz; Inc., Is to ma£e the Sayville house King takes over the Charles him on the shoulder: "Why don't ?heodore Herzel," by H. R. Lenz (a tryout center for new works, %^:ggg£ULts& : and G Condomine role in the Noelvp you join""our"club—the Delancey - Nilloff; "Wandering Stars," I principally "those which nave been IJttTf^TOTPrtlV Oeenn Parkway b Snolem 15Mill* 11 JLlPiXr and Boardwalk Street Dramatic Club? We need y ( Aleichem; Shakespeare s held on option for a time by Broad Coward play opening at the Ki THIS AFTERNOON & EVENING talente.d boys," he said. . |" "S Lear and "The Bal-shem, ;way producers and then rejected for b Davm Sayville Summer Playhouse Anthony Tarrlla prtsents That began it. Maurice Schwartzj ^' Pmsky. 'reasons in no way connected with SENSATIONAL STAGE DEBUT OF joined the club, and when the club " : their merit. Tuesday night. BERT LAHR in g)iva its first showing at a Brooklyn I Aquadium Will Show Production.' rehearsal hall, a manager from Bal-j ' _ ,, - ',« MICHAEL A. BtVtm-V X JOHN tlmore say him and engaged htm'DUSter Lrcibbe Troupe j'" YWAt-EN. * ROBERTS ^HOlOtH r "BURLESQUE"- iTprJAVHaUtveTRfe'S and TELL For rurvallont: Call ESplanadf 2-91H Immediately. I The Aquadium at the Worlds Fate Led From Five-and-Ten popular Pricfx: $1. JI.50, *Z Plu». Tax In Baltimore Ellis F. Gltckman, Fair site in Flushing Meadows an- a producer from Chicago, saw young jnounces that Buster Crabbe and his 7 1 Mr. Schwartz and sent for-him. Twoloiympic troupe of 100 will take part Right to Ten Little Indians JOHN WILDBERG prctenft , 6th Year! A PERFECT COMEDT." years in Chicago- were follow^by]in the-Water Follies of 1945 show! HARRY WAGSTAFFGRIBBITS PRODUCTION _' y y TIMES an equal period In Philadelphia* as!next ^eke^}. N.;•' Only after an absence of 12 years his parents had other plans that ANNA LUCASTA [1FE WITH FATHER actor-director. j Buster Crabbe is a former Olym- did Michael Whalen' find himself landed him in a 5-and-10-cent A Play bv PHILIP YORDAM WAIXIS CI.ARK • LII.T CAHILIT' store. Later he" managed throe of SENSIBLY AIR-CONNDINTNIONET> EMPIRE Thtltr», B'nr A. W* St. Ev»«. 8r4» It was rJayldJCessler^who brought]pic swimmer, holder of 36 national^ack on Broadway in the leading MANSFIELD The»tr«. 47th Wert of B'wiv Mitt. W
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Thomas M. Tryniski 309 South 4th Street .».,tiihiirtM.h».li^,«.tv.a^iw^ -••"YrrtiTiiiitiittilMmia-llIM Fulton New York mwmmam 13069
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