Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1961-07-21
Broadway Closed
It's 1861 Season
With Two Musicals
BY HUGH A. MULLIGAN
Alp NewSfeafureS Writer

All NtNSiehtuFeS NFittT
Following the biblical indult of.
"the last shall be first" Broadway
closed out its official season with
two melody filled musicals.
Both Carnival" and "Donny-
brook" are far above average for
Broadway shows and. as such, be-
hong at least in spirit to the earlier
part of the show business calendar.
BY tradition producers almost in
BY tradition producers almost in
wares, on the theory that the critics
are more alert and more selective
at the start of the season. and then
finish up with their more bland
offerings when allegedly, a COM
bination of ennui and despair has
made the aisle sitters more toler-
ant.
Happily. Carnival" and "Donny
brook" reverse the trend. In a,
season memorable mostly for such
run of the mill items as Tender
loin," do Re Mi" wildcat" and
the ornate but excessively tedious
"Camelot." they supply a welcome
finale of charm and wit.
And best of all for collectors of
original cast albms, they supply,
some tunes and some singers to sing
them. With the possible exception
of THE Happiest Girl in the Wor-
Id" which after all owes all its
success of Offenbach. these two late
blOOmer strand out from the 9TH
ers through the fragrance of their
scores and the grace of their lyrics.
They are musicals in the diction-
airy sense of the word "a theatre
cal production with musical num-
beers. centered on slight plot.')
Neither has any thing to sell be-
sides pleasure-pleasure aimed at
the ear as much as the eye.
For some absurd reason it's be-
come almost sacriligeous to cast
singers in singing parts these days.
Singer may act-but usually can't.
And actors may sing-but usually
can't. Any attempt to return them
to their rightful roles is regarded
as illogical as a supplysergeant
passing out the right sized uniform.
Carnival" and "Donnybrook!
make bold to upset this incongrous
situation.
Listen to MGM Records original
cast album of Carnival" you real
ize right off that Anna Maria AL
berghetti is singing her way into
your heart as the lonely waif who
,befriends a gaggle of puppets. To
be sure she's a cute dish, but never
cutter than when she wraps her,
lush vocal cords around Mira" and
the Theme from Carnival"
Listen TO Kapp Records origin
al cast album of "Donnybrooki",
and you are shocked to find that
Eddie Foy, with all his vaudeville
capers, is stealing into your heart
with a song. And the song is "Wisha
Wurra."
Not that Eddie Foy could ever be
called a singer by any stretch OF
the imagination. But he's more than
Just as actor trying to sing. Like
many a show business veteran, he
has a way with a song. Or at least
a way around one. He knows what
musicals are all about.
Both Carnival" and Donnybro-
ok" justify their exclamation point
titles from the richness of t h cir
scores.
Bob Merrill, who at times seems
to be writing directly for the steam
calliope, has caught the flavor OF
the old time European carnivals in
a tinkling waltz Direct from Vienn-
a" and in Pierre Olaf's charming
number. Grand Imperial Cirque
de Paris"
Johnny Burke's score for "Donny
brook" ranges all the way from
an old soft shoe. II Wouldn't Give
a Penny" beautifully done by Sus-
an Johnson and Eddie Foy, to a
lush Irish ballad, "The Day the
Snow is Meltin," and a satirical
funeral dirge. Sad Was the Day"
And somewhere in between comes
Art Lund singing the praises OF,
ELLEN Roe" another fine ballad,
and oan Pagan returning the COM
pliment with 'He Makes Me Feel
I'm Lovely"
Hi-fi fans have reason to be
grateful for Broadway's late sea-
son splurge.