Evening star., 1938-09-04
PAGEANT Of SEA
TO Be HIGH LIGHT
Of REGATTA WEEK
Theater to Be Anchored at
Water Gate for Program
on September %.
QUEEN TO BE HONORED
BY NEPTUNE HIMSELF
Magic Ring to Guarantee Quiet
Water to Be rendered in
Exchange for Mug

A colorful nautical pageant OF sing
ing, dancing and merrymaking, set in
the realm Of King Neptune, the ruler Of
the sea, will be presented at the
Water Gate Thursday night, Septem-
Der %, as one Of the high lights In
the Presidents Cup Regatta program
opening September II with sailboat
races on the Potomac.
The pageant, the first Of several
civic interest presentations during the
week, will be participated in by Charle.
Edison, Assistant Secretary of the
Navy, and other Washington digni-
tarles, The regatta will close with
motorboat races for the $4,000 Presi-
dents Cup on Sunday. September 25.
Directed by Col. H. S. Kimberly.
the pageant will be presented aboard
a specially constructed 'undersea the
ater" anchored at the Water Gate. The
show will open with a group of sub
marine singers and Dayy Jones (Bill
Raymond) and the Flying Dutchman
Erred East singing sea chanty as
Tritons and Nereids surround Nep-
tune on his throne.
An acrObatic dance by the Nereids
will be followed by an undersea mes
senger entering the throne room with
report of the approach of a fotilla
OF vessels bearing a royal parsonage
en- route to AN unsanctioned regatta
Planned by certain terrestrials who
have failed to pay the 'hocus tax
to King Neptune"
Affront to Kings Pride.
Although the "hocus tax" IL not
important to the king, his pride is
hurt at being ignored by "terrestrials
who would use the marine realm and
facilities without permission and yet
have the audacity to depend upon his
Marine majesty to temper the wind
and calm the waves so that the re-
gatta might be held in safety"
Co0s5'~" MbegB'
Describing the subsequent action OF
the pageant. Col Kimberly explained:
Neptune decides to withhold orders
for high winds and rough seas until
he has seen the visiting queen (Miss
Elizabeth Reed. AS stage lights dim,
battery of cleaning searchlights
pick up the approaching flotilla of
cruisers, motor-sailors and whale
boats manned by sailors. all led by the
yacht Of the Assistant Secretary Of the
Navy.
Approaching the undersea theater-
barge, all sailors will up oars in salute.
make way for the queen and her en-
tourage. The royal party will come
aboard the barge, followed by Mr.
Edison and his staff.
"As coronation march is played by
the United States Navy Band. under
direction OF 1t. Charles Benter, the
queen will ascend the throne. Mr..
Edison, followed by his staff, will move
forward and place the imperial crown
OF the regatta upon her head while
guns aboard Navy destroyer, anch-
ored in mid-stream, will boom out a
royal salute.
The queen and her encourage will
then be escorted to royal box ashore
after which Neptune will return to
the throne. Looking about him, the
majestic mariner will demand TO know
who is responsible for this unsanc-
toned regatta Learning that James
A. Councillor, general chairman, is the
guilty party. Neptune will order his
trltons to bring Mr.. councillor before
the throne.
AS Mr.. Councillor stands shiverine
with fright before the seagoing solon.
word is passed around that Neptune is
bent on possessing the gold mug This
turns out to be the $4,000 gold cup
which Is awarded each year by the
President to the winner of regatta in
board motor boat race.
Mr.. Councillor suggests a bit of
entertainment by maritime brigands.
Neptune agrees and band Of pirates,
headed by Dead Eye (Estelle Went
WORTH, enters the throne room and
the second act of the Pirates of Pen
zance' is then seen and heard.
Two Others to Be Arrested.
But Neptune is not satisfied with
floor show compromise. He orders
the arrest of two others-both high
ofhcials of the Nations Capital whose
names he will not release for publi-
cation. These victims also seek to
temporize with his majesty and sue-
gest, and produce, their acts of
entertainment.
Meanwhile, the queen learns that
Neptune insists on having the gold
mug before he will order calm seas
and fair winds for the forthcoming
regatta races. She sends the gold
trophy to the undersea ruler by her
royal messenger. This act so pleases
Neptune that he orders his Nereids
into beautiful ballet, after which
Davy Jones and his cohorts indulge in
a lusty chanty and John Charles
Thomas. famous baritone and speed
boat pilot who has been summoned
from Davy Jones locker. follows with
a marine song of his own.
Neptune presents the queen with
a magic ring that guarantees smooth
water and fair wind for life. Satan
(James Mullings) and his red devil
followers suddenly burst on stage de-
claring they are ashamed of the hell
they, too. had been plotting against
the regatta. Neptune suggests that
we turn all hell loose and the pageant
scars to dazzling climax with a
brilliant and bombastic display OF
pyrotechnics."