Evening star., 1952-08-05

0cSS WHICH OpcIlS dt CIlS NdIIO1lt
show business at the moment.
Their unlikeness to the other
consists Of being so cheerful at eve
to fret at the specters which exist
to haunt all investors of time,
talent and/or money in entertain
ment.
They resemble, of all things,
characters out of q fairy tale, who
have lived through succession
of delightful surprises and have
concluded that this is all there is
to life. Actually. they know better
in the way of sane and sensible
men but there will be time to act
on this later.
The latest surprise. which Breen
sprang on group Of fellow diners
yesterday, was:
We've found another Bess. A.
girl named Elizabeth Foster. She
sang the last performance in Chi
cago, and she's sensational"
80 are Leontine Price and Ury-
lee Leonardos sensational. With
Miss Foster, that's three Besses.
What are you going to do with
that many?" someone asked.
"Use them" said Breen bright
ly. People do not realize it but
Bess is more difficult to sing than
Carmen. The sustained voice de-
mand Is terrific. This, you know,
Is magnificent music. No one voice
could possibly carry the role. Two
could. but three are better"
''The fact is" Breen continued,
putting together a production of |
'Porgy and Bess' is like building
a baseball team, no, more like a
football team. You've got to have
what they call in sports a strong
BENCH In other words, you've
got to be deep in performers for
every role. or in the case Of ath-
letic teams, positions.
"Fact is, we've got three Porgys,
too. With voice as powerful and
sturdy as William Warf1eld'S, it
may not be so necessary-but it
is a comforting idea"
Breen's elation at the possess
sion of SO much talent differs in
kind, not degree. from that of
his co-producer, Davis. The for
mer is a director and he is
cheered by the knowledge that
the quality of his cast will not
shrink in event of illness, accident
or the like.
Davis has another reason for
being delighted.
With the cooperation Of the
State Department he is taking
the production abroad at the con-
clusion of the Washington en-
gagement. The purpose Of this is
to answer the Russian charge
that Negro talent is woefully op-
pressed in this country. One good
Porgy and one good BeSs would
rebut this to some extent, three
of each will do it that much
better.
The engagement in Europe to
which Davis is looking forward
with the sharpest interest in this
connection is that in Vienna. |
Russians who might take a fur
tive look at "Porgy and Bess"
there will have spectacular rea-
son to doubt their propaganda.
he feels. A veritable cavalcade of |
Porgys and Bosses would enrich
the doubt.
The logical thing to do with
'Porgy and Bess." in this second
revival, would be to take it to
New York where it would inevita-
bly, be a profitable venture.
Davis and Breen would rather
do the politically important thing
which is to get it to Europe's
great capitals at once. It is a
tremendously costly production
to maintain with a cast of IS, but
If the project can break even for
a full season In Europe, that will
satisfy its sponsors.
They can think of nothing to
equal the propaganda effect Of
"Porgy and Bess. nor Of anything
better calculated to display the
musical merit of this country to
European skeptics.
After their continental book
ings. they hope to settle down in
London in a theater large enough
to assure a break-even run until
next seasons music festivals open
in England and on the Continent.
Davis would like to make the
complete major circuit of these,
opening or closing the great fes-
tival at Salzburg.
After that, the production
would return to New York and
settle down for a run, with pos
Sibly a second company being
formed (off the bench, perhaps)
for great tour of the American
continent.
A dream in the back of Davis