Evening star., 1943-02-23
lheatergoers
Still Would
Be Entertained
Comedy and Music
Rate Above Drama,
But for a Reason
By John Ferris.
shJU-Hxy uOD1

NEW YORK.
In spite of victory tax deductions
and rationing and the gloomy
thought that March Is soon will be
upon U.s., there is no sign on Broad
way that the war Is menacing the
success OF the commercial theater.
The publics pocketbook bulges
happily; men and women stand
willingly in line for tickets to the
smash hits in cold, snow and rain,
and thousands Of dollars slide under
the brass grills Of the box Offices.
Producers and directors look cheru-
bically happy, treasurers and press
| agents greet one another with ex-
aggerated joyialty, especially over
the week end and holiday results.
The only ones who are not partic-
ularly elated are the angels who
backed some of the seasons inevita-
BILE turkeys and those who have
ready cash for backing and can't
find satisfactory play. And the
latter, being Of the true angelic
genus, are hopeful.
At this week end there are 20
shows on Broadway Eleven of
them are comedies, 10 are musicals
or revues, and are dramas. though
some included here as comedies.
! like Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit"
and Joseph Kesserlings arsenic
and Old Lace" may be described
more properly as comedy dramas.
Statistically, these figures would
indicate that most theatergoers are
seeking an escape from reality. On
the other hand, as everybody knows,
there are people who find escape as
readily in dark Russian play like
Katharine Cornell's revival of Chek-
hov's THE Three Sisters" or in Sid
ney Kingsley's historical drama,
THE Patriots" or even in Maxwell
Anderson's grim modern story of
Bataan, "The Eve of st. Mark"
StiH Seek Entertainment.
The truth seems to be that enter
tainment is, as it always has been,
the desirable object. 1t also ap-
pears to be evident that there is no
formula for commercial success in
the theater and that the comedies
and musicals outnumber the others
because they happen to be good for
the most part, and that instead of
staying away from serious war plays
because they are serious war plays,
the critics and public doom them
because they are essentially inferior
| Nr outright noor olovs
While THE Eve OF st. Mark" In its
18th week is playing to capacity,
the Theater Guild had to close "The
Russian People" after 80 perform
ances. The Russian People," as
presented here, was not a first
rate play.
Nor was John Steinbeck's THE
Moon Is Down" Of last season, or
Lifeline" and Morning Star" Cry
Havoc and Flare Path" and sew
eral others. The number of serious
plays, then, Is quickly exhausted by
the regular playgoer. Angel Street"
and Uncle Harry" both on the
melodramatic side, are in their 6lst
and 37th week, respectively. "Coun-
selor at Law" revival with Paul
MUM In his original role, has been
doing good business.
Premium on Good Drama.
SO the play shopper, even though
he would prefer serious drama, is
forced to go to the musicals and
comedies and he loves them. He
can see Life With Father" now In
its fourth year. and find it as en-
gaging and refreshing as when it
opened. Or he can be Initiated by
Arsenic and Old Lace" "Blithe
Spirit" or Junior Miss" all of which
have been running for many months
He can roar at the antics of Tai
lulah Bankhead and the worries of
Fredric March and Florence Eld-
ridge in Thornton Wilder's THE
Skin OF Our Teeth" laugh at the
Lunts in THE Pirate" and thump
his nearest neighbor on the back
when he seeks Dark Eyes" or THE
Doughgirls." He may even enjoy
jamie" If he likes adolescents. or
Moon Vine" which opened too late
this week for comment, or Roland
Young in ASK MY Friend, Sandy"
The musicals are Just as attrac-
tive, Sons O Fun" after 14h
months is still crowding them in.
Let's Face It." starring Danny
Kaye, is so popular that 1t did
$26, 100 business in its SD week; BY
Jupiter" with Ray Bolger, shows no
sign of waning in popularity.
For variety, our playgoer can see
the ice extravaganza, "Star on Ice;
or "Rosalinda," the English version
of the Strauss operetta. die Fielder
maus"; or New Faces of 1943,"
Show Time" the vaudeville piece
of Fred F. Finkelhoffe; "For Your
Pleasure" new revue starring
Veloz and Yolanda. and finally
those two superb productions of
Michael Todd, Something for the
Boys with the unmatchable Ethel
Norman, and Star and Garter in
which GYPSY Rose Lee, Bobby Clark
and Prof. LAMBERT cavort.