Evening star., 1945-09-02

Lives to Come
In a Deluge
By laurence Perry

-
Years and years ago musical
version of the life of Jacques Offen-
bach, the French composer Of opera
bouffe, appeared in the stage OF
that prodigious but Inflated enter
prise, the Century Theaters up on
Central Park West. Interlarded
with famous Offenbach numbers,
the piece nonetheless was not en-
received. Subsequent
ly, producers-with exception Of the
Schuberts with their sempiternal
Blossom Time" dealing with Franz
Schubert; also 'The Great Waltz
and straight play called Bee
thoven"-producers avoided eminent
composers of the past.
Eventually some one awoke to
the fact that many classical works
were public domain. The awaken
ing was signalized some years ago
by the production of Hot Mikado,"
In which Sir Arthur Sullivan's score
and w. S. Gilbert's plot and charac-
tiers Of 1.-THE Mikado" were distorted
into Harlemized conception of the
way a Savoyard classic should be
treated. But it was Billy Roses
Carmen JONES'" in which Bizet's
score was taken over lock, stock and
barrel, veneered with a swing. boo
gle and jazz-not forgetting the
two more recent "Pinafore" atroci-
ties-which opened the eyes of i'm
pressarios generally to a vast field
of enterprise awaiting exploita ton.
Orchard Without Wall.
Here, ready to be seized free OF
cost, cherry orchard, so to speak,
without wall, a ladder on every
tree, were multiplied works con-
tanning all ingredients necessary for
musical show-solos, duets, quar-
tets, sextets, septets, octets, chorals,
dance music-everything. All to be
done was hire an arranger. and en-
gage creative writer. His job was
to read a biography Of the master
In question and .hereupon fashion
libretto, faclually authentic or
mainly fictjonal, depending upon
the romantic and dramatic content
OF the composers life.
II yoI know much about Chopins
career you will realize upon Yiew-
ing che movie, "a Song to Remem-
ber," what a knight of the type
writer can do when he finds him.
self not too vexatiously trammeled
by facts. Un this connection l re-
Gently viewed a rehearsal of Mr..
Strauss Goes to Boston
playing in that city-wherein Jo-
ham Strauss becomes involved in
passionate love affair-which he
never did. Not in this country at
any rate. 1t is all right, of course;
merely mention it as an instance
OF nctional latitude.)
| But what I wish to hurry along
| to say is that anything done in
the past to capitalize on the repu-
| tation of those whose music has
brought inspiration, solace and
artistic satisfaction to music lovers
of the world, Is but a trickling rivu-
let to the inundation now threaten
ing.
/ Dvorak Life Is Due.
/ Once Anton Dvorak, the Bohe-
mian composer, came to this coun-
try-a visit which he memorialized
chiefly in his beloved New World
Symphony" He and his life story
will be on the stage this fall in
'The Man From Bohemia" whose
song will be adapted to the pub
!, lie taste by AL Newman Nor will
Tchaikowsky escape. He and his
: music - arranged, adapted and
otherwise treated by DR.. Felix
Guenther-will appear in Song
, Without Words" Felix Mendelssohn
) -Bartholdy's life story and his
, music will be embodied in "Or
Wings OF Song" So far, including
Mr.. Strauss Goes to Boston," due
here on September s, that is all
Hope for producers and hackers
still to climb upon the bandwagor
is warranted in the fact that the
list of public domain composers is
far from exhausted, what with Bach
Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, ct al
and who knows but that they are
now in early stages of induction tc
Broadway, or at least, to try-oui
cities.
When they are exhausted there
remain the composer of the Banks
of the Wabash" Frivolous Sal
and-and-I was about to say Ste.
phen Foster; but report has it ths
master of American melody Is nov
in the works.
In all, a musicals are headed fol
Broadway this fall and winter. Alst
more legitimate plays than in years
With the Winter Garden likely t.
get in movie hands, the 44th Stree
Theater. torn down, and the Zieg'
field Theater headed toward movi,
rental, the booking situation here
abouts is going to be headache o
prodigious poignancy. Even if hal
the musicals and half the legiti
mates win right to Broadway, wher,
are they going to be staged-in tn,
Grand Central Station and tn,
: Third avenue car barns?
4 FRQsW