Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-12-06
A Much-C Changed "Follies'
May Arrive in New York
Producer Shubert, Holding Many Rehearsals at
National. Plans a Number of New Items.
Fanny Brice Tells of Her Stage Work.
By E. de S. Melcher.

!. Melcher.
the back of the National Theater
rveyed his surroundings with some
MS. In front of him some golden
sleepily in orchestra chairs; back
nth Everett Marshall's voice labor
of ticket buyers out
was happening to warrant all that
r piano was humping out who's
he vocal accomplishments of four
self another piano was humping
ay asleep against the proscenium
n session on the left of the stage,
e on the right, and in the center
lown soldier was being tested with
le and then to disappear.
bus which Artist Albert Johnston had
promised to provide-and will; it didn't
get the proper lighting effects on most
OF the show because the spotlights and
other lights are too high up in the roof
OF the house to permit suitable shading
effects, and 1t failed to see that League
OF Nations stocking Unknown Soldier
number because the scenery hadn't ar
rived.
Mr.. Shubert recited all of these fail
lngS with a calm, neat air and no in
dicatlons OF the temperamental i'm
presario with flying hair and a wasted
look. Beside him stood dark-eyed Helen
Hoerle, who nodded when he nodded
and bowed when he bowed, and some
where in the distance director Bobby
Connolly was shouting out commands,
and hooters were doing some extrava-
CANT hoofing, and upstairs. too, blonde,
handsome lady was cudgelling her
brains over some new lines.
1t really looked at that moment as
though Mr.. Shubert might have a
"Foll1es" when he gets to New York.
strong hand to mold all that ma
terial together. That's where maestro
liegfeld was and Is one up on MIN.
SHORTLY after the lucky hour when
- Marylanders were celebrating the
arrival OF new era last night, Fanny
Brice was discovered in her dressing
room applying the last touches to her
already nicely gotten-up face. Said
she, when questioned as to her prefer
ences in the work she Is doing in the
"Follies": Il like being a baby best.
like that" she continued, skipping in
and out OF the room as she modestly
put on this and the other, because I
have never been baby before. I mean.
that that is a new stage creation for me.
Oh, yes. like that fan dance, too, but
I feel with that that people laugh be-
cause they associate me doing a fan
dance as something funny before they
even see it. and with the baby num-
Der really have to work to get it
across"
The present star of the "Follies," who
hojv
1910, seemed glad to be back in the
harness again. She likes to work and
she likes to make people laugh and she
never wants to be a tragedienne She
would also like to do a play. but the
right play has never come along" she
said. When I was %. said that I
would do play when I was 25. When
I was Is. I said. well I'll do a play
when I'm 80. And from then on. we'll,
1t never came. I have never found a
play that suited me. and 1 don't know
that I ever will. I'm not so sure of
myself now as I used to be. It's hard
er when you get to the top than it is
getting there. Oh, yes, it is much,
much harder"
Miss Brice then said nice things
about Lord Oliver Wakefield, Husband
Billy Rose (who wrote all her "Follies"
material for herr and BETH Beaton,
and bade her visitor a gracious adieu
as some kind of bell rang and the
"Follies" seemed to be under way again.
**
ITEMS about Lord Oliver Wakefield.
: the young man in the ''Follies" who
is attracting considerable comment:
His real name is Oliver Wakefield
Rudy Vallee made him a Lord"
He Is "a wears old
He was married six weeks ago to an
American.
He was born in "Zulu-land," South
Africa.
At the age of II, following apprentice
work at the Royal Academy in London,
he toured the provinces with Sir Ben
jamin Greet's Shakespearean company.
He played in London in THE Sacred
Flame" with Gladys Cooper and in one
or two other successes.
He gave radio addition over here
year ago, following his American
debut at benefit performance of some
times a week with the Rudy Vallee
hour
He writes all of his own material
He likes New York. He doesn't like
the habit which he says Americans
have-of keeping their windows closed.
XXX y
MARY CLOUGH, the local Alice"
A'A who very nearly became Para
mounts alice in Wonderland" will
meet the real Paramount Alice tomor-
row evening at 1880 o'clock at the
Caroline Mckinley studios. The cast
Of Bess Davis Schreiners' alice in
Wonderland" will be there, too.
In the New York version of Dancing
Lady" the reference to Hitler in that
crossword puzzle scene is out
We saw Libby Holman recently at
a New York theater premiere wearing
the new kind of glasses which fit neatly
into the socket Of the eyeball and which
you don't see at all.
Arthur Levy tells us that tickets for
the new Katharine Hepburn play, 1.-THE
Lake." already are gone for the first
six weeks Of its performance in New
York.
incidentally, the Bryn Mawr Club
has bought out the National for the
opening of the play here
The cast of Miss Hepburn's play now
includes Blanche Bates, as well as
Frances Starr, Colin Give, Godfrey
Wardwell and others.
Gene Austin entertained last night
after his last show at the Earle. So
did Anita Page.
Lucille Page and Shaw and Lee will
head the cast of the Scandals" when
1t is presented on the stage of the
Fox the week of the 18th.
Julio Triano is at the Madrillon after
appearing at the Palace in New York
with Ramon and Rosita. Signor Triano