Evening star., 1961-05-03

moodineSS. And what could
one find to dim the gayety of
Gaels with gifts like these?
Well, not to put a seriously
discouraging value on it, a
Sturdier, Shaplier book. One,
say, more like that of the pa
ternal movie from which
Johnny Burke and Robert Nc
Enroe have delivered the off
spring.
This is a minor quibble. 1t is
also a minority one to judge by
the ovation that "Donnybrook!"
sarned in the first of a fort
nights performances last night.
No one else obviously cared,
what with all the rollicking
romancing, the chicanery, the
iiggling, lovely singing, and
brawling going on in the misty
other-world setting of "Donny-
brook"
Nevertheless, not to sound
too much like Senator Wayne
Morse. "Donnybrook!" might
do better with a mite more
book and a spot less dancing.
it is this that could make it
an even more cheerful COM
panion piece to Carnival"
that earlier adaptation of an
other movie, Lii"
Il y y
Innisfree, a Brigadoonlsh
spot but a real one, is the set
ting of "Donnybrook!" In its
out of -this-world atmosphere,
ShildlikeneSs survives. Its glad
hess to be alive has inspired
Sohnny Burke to write a score
Of matching ZeSt, freshness and
variety. Worthy to be sung is
every note of it as the whimsi-
cal natives devote their atten-
tion exclusively to the romance
between Ellen Roe Dannaher,
an InniSfree redhead beauty,
hnd John Enright, back from
voluntary exile in America.
This is something for an in
aocent, if earthly, community
% get it's emotions into instead
If wasting them on weaponry.
missiles. and the emptiness Of
silly space.
Ellen Roe and Johnny, then,
give the free people of 1nnls-
free something to feel about.
most of it growing out of the
fact that marriage is complex
community affair in Western
Ireland. It is hedged about by
SO many things. a 29-year-old
Eirl's submissivenesS to her
orother who is head OF the
nouse, the need for a dowry to
give bride a suitable pride,
7er inability to become a wife
more than in name until her
familiar possessions are IN
place in her new home.
Making the romance of Ellen
and John special is that they
are Innisfree's most lovable
and attractive couple. They
should be safe from the stric-
lures put upon their marriage
by the bride-to-be's bullying
brother. They will be, OF
course, before everyone in the
town from the guileful little
priest to the unprincipled
marriage broker, has finished
with the loutish brother.
1t could be an Irish vague
ness. a deliberate and happily
fragmented slice of life that
"Donnybrook!" is reaching for
in Mr.. McEnroe's book and
Jack Coles staging.
True or false, this aSsump-
don; the musical does zip
about, singing. skylarking,
dancing, and jesting in a null
titude of settings, the dominant
ones Kathy Carey's pub and
the misty glens adjacent to
Innisfree. Both of these were
made for love, the former for
its communal strategy, the
latter its expression.
In either, or elsewhere, no
one could ask for a more ro-
mantle pair than Art Lund, as
John Enright, and Joan Pagan,
as Ellen Roe. They are lovers
who have learned to sing music
Of distinction. of which a
couple Of samples from the
score are the ballads, HE
Makes Me Feel So Lovely" and
II Have My Own Way"
There's an Irish lilt to these,
and also to such others as Eddie
Foy's funny, sardonic, marri-
age-broker duet with Susan
Johnson (Kathy); and the
amusing THE Lovable Irish;
and the lyrical Toast to the
Bride"
sInnisfree's natives do not
have to sing to prove how en-
gaging they are, not Philip Bos-