Look Here, Now!

By Laurence Schwab

NEW YORK CITY, Oct. 18.—"Allegro," a musical play by Oscar Hammerstein, 2nd, and Richard Rodgers, staged by Agnes De Mille—the same inspired trio that gave us "Oklahoma" and "Carousel" — was hailed last week by more than one New York critic as a near approach to American opera . . . as if American opera were some distant golden goal.

Schwab

Allegro is a wonderful musical play, an expression of our country in story, song and dance, but it is not. I am happy to announce, American opera.

The United States cannot produce opera. It has not led the life to give itself musical expression through vocal pyrotechnics and dramatic absurdities. Grand opera, as it is pompously named, is a western European expression of its musical self in the latter nineteenth century; when their world was round and fat and placid. It is beautiful at times, stodgy more often, stilted in story, pace and gesture, and born to be sung in its native language. In English it sounds like some secret code a vocal teacher made up out of the strangled remnants of his own latrynx.

Grand opera is all right for United Staters to listen to and love, but not to imitate, try to improve upon, or worry after. Hot dogs, baseball, atom bombs, DC 6s, and Lincoln convertibles do not engender Puccinis or Wagners, or even Offenbachs. A whole is the sum of all its parts, and out of purely American elements comes a musical play as clean and lithe in line and mold as the George Washington bridge over the Hudson river. And like it, Allegro knows where it is going, too.

Allegro sings from a well of plenty; it talks when words are needed to tell its story of life in one of our typical middletowns; it dances when it is moody or gay or passionate. How it dances when it is passionate. The wide-open stage that scorns confining scenery is a 10-league canvas for Agnes De Mille's animated paintings across the blue and white sky of its background. She sweeps arms and legs and winnowing bodies over her canvas with brushes of comet's hair. But Agnes paints no surrealistic daub. Every move of the whirling dancers, no matter how

it may dazzle the momentary eye, adds up as if it were fiery dialogue, telling the play's story in animal talk. Thanks, Agnes. Thanks very much.

The play tells the story of an American boy, from his birth to his 35th year—his year of decision. Our man has come to be an upper bracket physician in a big city that makes more noise than sense. At the moving eli- max he leaves his wife, now a brittle stranger, and goes back to take up the practice of his aging father in a small town—his small town.

Now this simple story may sound pretty serious for the time-bound buyer or salesman or executive from out of town; even a trifle grim for his El-Morocco-bound companion in the latest Paris wrap-arounds. But I am hopeful enough of the longing for peace of mind of even these crackle-crusted products of our country to believe that they will recog- nize and worship Beauty. For Allegro brings beauty to Broadway; not Broadway beauty of silk, satin and sequin—the beauty that shrinks and curls up when it nears the hu- man heart, but a beauty of feeling that bloss- soms and grows when pressed between the leaves of memory.

Richard Rodgers composed the play's mu- sic. It is difficult to imagine perfection be- ing prefabricated in separate work rooms. I have never heard of a Siamese trio, but, Mr. Ripley, Oscar-Agnes-Dick must be one.

Rodgers' music swirls with the story, en- twining it like a benevolent boa constrictor, hugging, but never choking. It is at times as tender as a mother's kiss, then again as warm as a summer wave, and, at crashing intervals, as hot as murder. The drama of his music does not neglect melody, though, and there are songs to sing; songs for radio, the night club crooners and canaries, the juke-box, and the back seat of the 1937 Chevvy. For they are American, too. More than one of Allegro's songs will shine for months on the Hit Parade; gems in a cos- tume jewelry shop.

Not one word shall I say about the people who act, sing and dance the story. For they are so perfect I do not believe they are real. Just a whisper in your ear, but I have a suspicion the Siamese trio invented them.

No, Allegro is no grand opera. No remnants of an outlived form of musical expression, spoiled by sea-change and cooked over to please the palate of our lusty country. It is a musical masterpiece created in our own image.

Good bye, Tosti! Hi, there, Oscar, Dick and Agnes.

Memo From:

Lawrence Langner November 5, 1947

TO: Jo Heidt

Dear Jo:

Enclosed is a letter from
Mrs. Nana Frances Holmes of the Chaminade
Club of Yonkers, suggesting that we do
some special publicity in the Yonkers
local papers on the basis of "Home Town
Girl Makes Good."

Please follow this up.

LL:mh

Enclosure

Circle 6-9500

Select Theatres Corporation

236 West 44th Street
New York 18, N. Y.

8 November 1947

Mr. Lawrence Langner
Majestic Theatre
44th Street West of Broadway
New York 18, New York

Dear Mr. Langner:

On Friday evening, November 14th, the NIGHT OF STARS will hold its annual benefit in Madison Square Garden. This benefit is for the United Jewish Appeal.

As a member of the Production Committee of the NIGHT OF STARS, I would appreciate the permission of you and your associates to have Miss Kathryn Lee perform for a few minutes at this benefit after her regular performance in ALLEGRO.

/jdr

No agreement or order will be binding on this corporation unless in writing and signed by an executive officer, or its General Manager.

Memo From: Marion

Nov. 11, 1947

Tuesday

Mr. Langner:

The Press Department informs us that the entire ALLEGRO album is going to be played tonight over WNEW on the Milkman's Matinee program, which starts at midnight.

Evidently some of the people from the show are going to be on the program too -- John Conte, Lisa Kirk, Gloria Wills, Roberta Jonay, etc.

(The only catch is that we don't know just when in the program the ALLEGRO part will come, and the program goes on for hours.)

Marion

Memo From:
Lawrence Langner

Nov. 19, 1947

TO: Jo Heidt

Dear Jo:

Have you any more of the ALLEGRO
ads for the NEW YORKER? You can still
use Atkinson and a number of others.

Please let me have this informa-
tion today as I am going away tonight.

LL:mh

Memo From:

Lawrence Langner

November 28, 1947

TO: Jo Heidt

Dear Jo:

Re ALLEGRO, The New Yorker

I notice they are now calling ALLEGRO
"a play with music and two jokes." Is
this something new? Please look through
the back issues and tell me when this
began.

LL:mh

Enclosure

re ALLEGRO

4/5/48

Draft of letter to doctors

Dear doctor:

It isn't often that the son of a
doctor and the brother of a doctor writes
a musical entertainment about doctors. Yet
this is what Richard Rodgers has done in
ALLEGRO.

The famous team of Rodgers and
Hammerstein, authors of OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL,
and ALLEGRO, have written a vivid entertain-
ment on the subject of ideals in medicine,
and with the ballets of Agnes de Mille and
a chorus of sixty, ALLEGRO is a musical
which both doctors and their patients will
not want to miss.

It has been said by some doctors
that the theme of this play is controver-
sial. We do not think so. It praises the
idealism of the doctor and describes his
social problems without propaganda. That
a play could contain the song hits, "A Fellow
Needs a Girl" and "So Far", which are sung
on every radio program, and yet deal with
problems which are on everybody's doorsteps,
is little short of a miracle.

Because of the interest of the medical
profession in this play, we have assigned
a special reservation clerk to take care of
mail orders. If you and your colleagues would
care to see ALLEGRO, please fill in the mail
order, which is enclosed, and you will re-
ceive seats within the first ten rows, pro-
vided you give us a week's notice in to fill
your order.

Cordially yours,

THE THEATRE GUILD, INC.

MAY 10 1948

Notes on Meeting - May 7, 1948

Miss Phillips brought Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Dorais up to date on the previous meeting with Mr. Bernays, and Miss Johnson of AHA. Messrs. Gilbert and Dorais are from the Bernays office engaged as public relations council for the ANA. In response to Mr. Heidt's question as to the ANA's ability to cooperate in this campaign, Mr. Dorais promised not only the use of the ANA's full membership list of 160,000 and it's mailing facilities but also assured Mr. Heidt that the ANA would cooperate in all phases of publicity, promotion and exploitation. It was suggested that the ANA and AHA join the Theatre Guild in sponsorship of this contest. Mr. Gilbert discussed the different approaches of AHA and ANA. Mr. Heidt told of how AHA would cooperate fully on publicity and this publicity would help both the ANA and AHA. The Guild could use the mailing lists of both organizations. ANA and AHA could send out general release to augment a Guild release. AHA would use their funds for outdoor advertising of the contest and AHA.

Details of contest were discussed by all present and of course, tickets to "Allegro", a booth in the lobby and applications for interviews to be made available.

A date was set for a preliminary tea with Press, AHA, ANA and Guild officials and panel of judges to be present. May 21 at 4:00 p.m. in The Guild ballroom. Two judges will be chosen from each organization, Miss Helburn and Mr. Langner, co-directors of The Theatre Guild; Colonel Phillips, Chief of the Army Nurse Corps; Capt. ______ of the Navy Nurse Corps; Miss Best from ANA (Miss Best is Executive Secretary of ANA); Miss ______, from AHA; Leonard Lyons, Elsa Maxwell and Madeleine Carroll.

Wire to be sent by Mr. Dorais to prospective judges: "Will you serve on a committee along with ______ to select the most representative nurse of 1948? Your only obligation as a judge will be to screen photographs of the final 25 contestants and to appear at the official presentation here in New York."

The next point discussed was the charity to be benefited by the 25¢ donation by the nurses and Mr. Gilbert suggested the "United Nations Appeal for Children." Both Mr. Dorais and Mr. Gilbert will contact the public relations person in charge and advise him of the contest, etc.

Rules for eligibility were not definitely decided upon but roughly are: Must be on active duty; graduate nurse within the last 5 years.

Mr. Dorais will check the mailing list of ANA, approximately 160,000. Entry blanks and printing were discussed. Title to be decided upon later, tentatively "Miss Allegro, R.N. - 1948". A teasier campaign could be inaugurated. Who is Miss Allegro, R.N. 1948? Mr. Dorais will check with his printer as will Mr. Heidt re entry blank.

About $5-6,000 can be realized from the contest plus the valuable publicity.

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