Evening star., 1949-01-13
After Dark
Never Were Truer Words Spoken
Than Those About Les Compasnons
By Harry Macarthur

"The nine Frenchmen, whose
very names have disappeared in the
blending of their voices" he went
on, were the most anonymous in
dlVlduals present at the gala OPEN
ing night song fest but they domi-
mated it completely. They infected
every one with their mood and
their mood was one of hilarious ir-
reverence, of festival in the city
square, or the snake dance between
the halves Of a homecoming foot
ball game" Apart from the fact
that they now have formal enter
tainmentS rather than spontaneous
snake dances between the halves
OF homecoming football games, Mr..
c. never was Fighter.
Les Compagnons demonstrate
that they can sing with superb
harmony he wrote further, but
they make it even clearer that they
would rather not. Their preference
is. for acting music with a sharp
sense Of satire. They find national
variations in musical style very
funny indeed. They declare them
selves best on this score with the
demolition of soft, helpless Glare
de Lune, which they do first as an
American jazz quartet and band
would do it.; next as it. might be
sung by an octet which studied
music under Stains Politburo !:
ana finally as symphony and
tenor soloist would present it 10
an audience with taste for sym-
phony orchestraS and tenor solo,
lists
Probably because Russians seem
more ridiculous-in certain ways
tnan any one else, the Muscovite
version is the high light of this
Glare de Lune.'
What they do to it in toto should
mean the end Of 'Clares de Lunes.' >"
Absolutely true, every word of it.
Such enthusiasm hasn't been shown
toward any entertainment around
these parts since q minstrel show
ian we occasionally get around with
last saw Ted Lewis. We can think
OF only one thing to add. You'd
better make it your business to get
to the Shoreham Blue Room this
week or next to hear Les Compag-
mons de la Chanson.
Il
II you are interested in the state
OF night club business in Cincinnati,
Ohlo-a fa1-fetched supposition if
ever we made one, and we've made
some-We are prepared to tell you
about it. We know because Basil
Fomeen. who triumphantly returned
to the Carlton Congo Room Monday
night, has just served q term at the
Netherland Plaza Hotel in Gin
cinnati.
Business isn't very good in the
bistros out there-and Mr.. Fomeen
also knows the reason why.
They got place across the river"
he said, KENTUCKY, they call it
and it's full of slot machines. Every
body goes over and spends all night
putting quarters in the slot ma
chimes and they never pay off,"
Furthermore, If you want to know
how the Netherland Plaza got its
name, you will find this pillar mine
of information, full of things that
even Basil Fomeen doesn't know.
1t was supposed to be the st.
Nicholas Plaza and was that until
just before the ceremony of opening
the doors for the first time. The
silver, the china, the stationery, the
book matches and possibly even the
faucets in the bathtubs were deco
rated with swank crest featuring
a prominent "St. N. p" A very
prominent "St. N. P"
Then the boys building the hotel
discovered, somewhat belatedly, that
Cincinnati already had a small St.
Nicholas Hotel, the owner Of which
wanted real fancy fee for the use
Of the name. Only the handy avail
ability in the firm of a man named