The Wilmington morning star., 1947-07-13
TWIN OPERA
REPORTED HIT
Ballyhoo Doomed Genius
OF Fledglings On
Broadway
By JACK O'BRIEN

NEW YORK, July 12.-F-Broad-
way is not a stranger to surprises
in its unusual approaches to trade
by normal business standards, but
what is happening to a pair of
cperatic productions at the Bar
rymore theater is being called
among even the most cynical old
timers THE Miracle on 47th
Street."
The miracle is the amazing up
surge of business which has sent
two operas presented on one pro-
gram, 1.-The Medium" and 1.-THE
Telephone" rapidly careening to-
ward the hit class.
Produced by Chandler Cowles
and Efrem Zimbaiist, Jr., a pair
of youngsters who decided after
playing in subordinate roles in
several Broadway shows that they
would Like to start right out at
the top as producers without any
of this nonsense about apprentice
ship, the the twin operas now are
established in a solid business
groove. But they arrived at this
happily solvent state only after
some rather wierd condolences.
While it received most encour-
aging reviews on it's Broadway
arrival, even a few outright
raves. the outlook seemed to be
more than slightly dim. The at
traction appeared gated only to
the requirements of operate audi
ences at first, and these audiences
have never, with the exception of
the novelty production, Carmen
JONES'" attended any operate
production in consecutive engage
ments. Even the Metropolitan
Opera puts on its most popular
offerings in alternating %repertory.
Most Broadway experts agreed
that after operatic audiences were
exhausted the twin-bill production
would suffer a dignified demise
an artistic success but a CONNER
cial failure.
This indeed seemed to be the
case. In early June after business
had turned bad, and zimbalist
and Cowles had poured more of
their own money into the project,
they finally agreed to close June
7. after A performances. The clos
ing notice was advertised in the
newspapers. This very announce
ment Of expected failure was the
little trick which saved the day.
On June 5 a young researcher
from Time and Life magazines,
named Lucien Warner, attended
1.-THE Medium" and "The Tele-
phone" He was so enthralled with
what he saw that he asked to be
introduced to one of the produce
ers. Chandler Cowles, who practi-
cally haunted the premises, was
fortunately on the spot, and when
Warner expressed his wonder
ment that such an admirable item
should fail, Cowles explained that
the management had just run out
of cash and that the bonds put up
for actors salaries would have to
be used for that weeks payroll,
Warner asked il, 5 1000 in cash
would help. Cowless said indeed it
would. On that spot in the lobby
Warner bought a piece of Cowles'
end Of the prodrotion bonded
over the money next day and thus
the twin productions 4sslr-
ed of at least another week.
Then, apparently miraculously,
other things seemed to happen for
no very Understandable reason.
National magazines arrived on
the street with eye-catching de-
scriptions of the twin-bill. Arturo
Toscanini came back for his
fourth visit, a mighty unusual and
we'll press = ACCENTED loyalty from
such a notable musical celebrity.
Thoughtful musical circles SEEM
ed to get right out and push.
There was no planned campaign
to assemble all these friendly ges-
lures.