The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-03-11
La Semana Allegro
Pageant Presented
With Custy-Co
High Winds, High Jinx,
And High Schools
Hiphlighi Heights
OF Celebration
BY Dorothy Rsymer

by 0ofOfUy NovWef
The crowd of over 500 PEE pie al
La Semana Allegro pageant last
night was practically carried away.
by the breeze. And that is the
understatement of the week. The
wind kicked UP a capar of at least
% miles an hour through the en-
tire performance and part of the
scenery. including the rugged sails
and mast of pirate galleon, took
off for points unknown. HCSever.
the big cast continued vaiienily
and The audience hung on to their
hats, caps, mantillas, stoles and
hairnets with a Here we go
again." nonchalance for over two
hours duration.
The 0nce-oyer.l ightly-ciad rym-
phs 6.i tie sparkling Fountain OF
Joy structure. complete with a COB
let and two king sized seahorses,
danced atop lie parapet with flut-
tering grace, the fluttering given a
Southern exposure boost by "bree
yes revealing the kneeses" and
then some, much to the delight of
the spectators. The dance was
highlighted by rowing rain oH
spotlight and sCInd effects, with q
pred0minance of whistles.
10 the right. huddled on an en-
bankment, were nearly GO high
school students ably guided by birs.
] Edgar Stark VINO timed them VITA
a symphony directors gestures as
trey chanted the stories Of each Sc
iquence Of history as imagined by
Pageant Director Nine. Irma La
bastille. Credit is really due to the
group who were handicapped by a
floodlight which glared in their
faces instead Of being erected be.
hind them. but they managed to
read the overlong lines with the aid
of flashlights in their hands.
The chorus of about so vocalists
directed expertly by Thomas Whit
ley and accompanied by Millicent
Taylor were also excellent. The
sound G. the singers blended per-
fectly with the seas song and the
voice of the wind with unusual re-
suits. Unfortunately, the blend was
too much of good thing at times
without adequate loudspeakers, and
the singing was often gone with the
| gusts.
Scene II opened up with screams
and whoops as string c. Caloosa
Indians tore onto the stage Tearing
fiery torches and crusaders vii
to win over all odds and their enc
mics, the fierce Caribes. Most Of
them fought to the death while ;
crew OF strangely calm Indians sa
cross-legged and beat on their tom
tons, though you could not '.heal
them for miles, as the old sons
goes. The SavageS entered into
combat with terrific zest and out
side of football scrimmag,
there's been nothing so active il
Key West for years. Scalping came
easy. But wigged or wigged less
| the warriors fought on, and ON
and CT, until there was complete
humiliation. The loose scalps also
Stayed the audience.
A band OF C0nquiStad0res appear
ed on the next scene supposedly
finding only the whitened bones o
the tribesmen. Their armor gilt
tered in the moonlight and The
scarlet banners Of Spain and the
EChurch were planted ON the SCI
named ,Cayo Hueso, Isle of Bones
The black-r0bed priest and the
band Of Spaniards looked dramatic
enough. There Is only one sugges
ton TO make for improvement
here: remove the eyeglasses q. the
hardy explorers.
The Pirates landed next, but moi
IKE the Marines with situation
well in hand. They came rollins
i'm. rolling il, rum fsvntha,;c ! viii