The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-19
Man bout
Manhattan
Rv Georqe tucker


NEW YORK, April 1S.-There is
nothing beautiful in seeing a Broad
wav musical emerge from a, mass of
raw material, as there is in seeing
a. sunrise emerge from the daubs of
oil on a painters canvas, but there
is q, lesson in values to be had from
such an experience and if you have
MT anything better to do, I would
like to take you over to the Winter
Garden, and later to the Broadhurst
for a glimpse of the early r~ehearsals
of a musical review the Shuberts
and Mr.. Harry Kaufman hope to
have ready by April 20.
This MI. Kaufman Is a large in.
dividual who came up to Broadway
by way O. the cloak and suit trade,
and during his wanderings as a
suit salesman he learned an import
ant thing. He learned how to talk.
1t is this faculty that enables him
to go out and talk the top writer's
Into composing his shows for him
dllu lllS IVY pCllOl lilClo llilo lCllulI1S
their names to his undertakings.
When [ a him, [ also mean Lee
Shubert, who gave Harry his begin
nings and brought him along until
now he is entering upon his 18th
Broadway show.
Mr.. Kaufman wears double.
breasted suits and bow-ties with
white shirts, but no vests. He likes
to bum around with song-writers
and entertainers when he isn't cafe
proving and looking at talent with
Lee Shubert, Dr. playing pinochle
with this same gentleman. When he
faces a group of aspiring applicants,
as he must whenever a new chorus
is to be considered, he is able to
cut through this mass like a sharp
bladed az. l saw him select 20
boys and girls the other morning
from possibly a hundred, and he
chose them with hardly more than
a "What's your name, Dear?
Now walk across the stage. Now
take a tar. . Just give your name
to Harry, Dear"
Later, when these ~selectees re.
ported for actual rehearsal, no
changes were made. They We're
exactly what the doctor ordered.
A man like Harry Kaufman comes
IN IN hic nraenrt n1ona from tho
LOCKER stage. He makes up his
mind he wants to learn Broadway.
He wants to become a Snowman, a
producer, So he hangs around and
goes to every show that he can buy
or talk his way into. He hangs
around with performers, and with
directors. He learns by observing.
show business. You pick it up from
first hand information. Pretty soon
you get an idea, perhaps for a line,
of a bit, or a piece of scenery, or
lighting, and it is accepted. You
get another idea for a skit, or per-
haps an entire scene and it is &C
cepted. You work your way into har-
ness. and after while, which means
maybe years. and years, and if you
are lucky, you know the right peo.
pie, and they give you a chance.
< 4 y
This is pretty much Harry Kauf.
mans experience. The right" PEG.
pie he met, and who believed in
him, were the Shuberts. Today he
has a bankroll, and he has a defin-
tie financial interest in most of his
shows. I do not know the actual
percentage, but he and the Shuberts
own all of Keep Off The Grass"
this newest venture.
Under him he has at least three
directors, M with the principals,
another with the dancers, a third
a sort of supervisor. But he, Harry
kaufman, is the generalissimo, the
boss-in-chief. He is a sort of bulky,
mOon-faced seismographic instru-
ment that registers all the faintess
(and loudest) rumblings and bitches
and discords that have, and do, arise
during the processing of a show.