The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 19, 1927, Page 11

Ballyhoo! “The Barker” Has Life and Charm—When It : Isn’t Smothered L by Plot Reviewed by HARBOR ALLEN. Kenyon Nicholson, who teaches playwriting at Columbia, has written a play pleasant to the eye. “The Barker” (at the Biltmore) opens with a hallyhoo scene before the Hawaiian. tent of a small-town cir- eus, The caliope toots, bells. ring, the Hawaiians twang their ukeleles, the dancer shakes her gral skirt, and the barker chops the air with words. The crowd swarms into the tent, One of them returns to argue about be- ing short-changed. A few minutes later they straggle out: the show’s rotten, lousy, they’ve been gyped. The barker laughs. The scene is perfect. Ef you’ve ever seen a tent show in a small town, you will sit back with the tingle of recognition. Here is real- ism and glamor holding hands. At this point Mr. Nicholson must have remembered that he was a tea- cher of playwriting. And a play isn’t a play unless it has a plot. Any text book will tell you that. So Mr. Nicholson stuck in plot—lots of it and thick. He borrowed bits of it from sex shows, from melodramas, from the good old tearful plays about loving parents and wayward sons. Only rarely is it convincing. The love of the barker for his son rings true enough, but the intrigues among the women are so. many shad- ows snatched from the movies, Now and then Mr. Nicholson for- gets his plot and turns the stage over to half. a dozen circus. folk: the ta- tooed sailor, the motherly palmist, the colonel, the carpenter, the hands. Then you get the-warm feeling of he- ing close to people. They complain about the weather, they talk about the show business, about the meney they’ve made and lost; they drink to- gether; they borrow from each other and comfort each other, with pity and love. Something beautiful and human and simple. curls, up from the grass floor and the canvas walls and the battered trunks. The next min- ute it is gone. The author yanks his people off and starts the machin- ery of plot pumping. Sometimes it is well oiled; too often it creaks. Neighborhood Playhouse to « Present Lyric Bill April 5 The fifth production of the Neigh- borhood Playhouse, is announced for Tuesday evening, April 5th. This year the Lyric bill, which combines music, dancing, pantomime and drama and will include a seventeenth _ century Commedia dell’Arte, which has not been given on any stage since it was played by the famous Martinelli troupe at the Court of France in 1689, a ballet of Hungar- ian folk scenes arranged to the music of Bela Bartok’s Dance Suite; and dances arranged to the Charles T. Griffes Tone Pictures and “The White Peacock.” ‘Pinwheel,’ the eurrent play, will close March 30. BROADWAY BRIEFS Grace, Henry and Morris Hamil- ton are responsible for the-»music and “tyrics for the new musical comedy which Earl Carroll will present shortly. Earl Carroll is writing the book. Frank Tinney will be one of the featured players, The Shuberts will present “Cherry Blossom,” a musical play based on “The Willow Tree,” with score by Sigmund Romberg, and book and lyrics by Harry B, Smith, at Jol- son’s Theatre, Monday, March 28th, Howard Marsh is featured, others in the car" include: Bernard Gorcey, Ann Milburn, James Marshell, Frank Davenport, Fred Harper, Fank Greene, William, Prin- gle, Ann Yago, Walter Tenney, Gladys Baxter and Marion Keeler. Helen Norde, ° . cess,” ‘is the producer. a nese nse WALTER “HAMPDEN — Appearing in “Caponsacchi,” a “The Ring and the Ring,” now in its sixth month at Hampden’s Theatre. “The Searlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, will be revived at the American Laboratory Theatre in two weeks, Sophie Tucker will be featured in the new Sprin« edition of “Gay Paree” which will be introduced at the Winter Garden, Monday even- ing. Nana Bryant has been. engaged for the title role in “The Circus Prin- the Kalman operetta due shortly on Breadway. “Restless Women,’ a new play by Sydney Stone will play at the Bronx Opera House next week. Max Hayes The company in- eludes: Lucille Sears, Guido Nadzo, Valerie Valaire, Edwin Mordant, Madeline Grey, Donald Campbell, Wilifred Barry and Robert Grozier. “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” will visit the LGronx playhouse the week of March -28, “The Gossipy Sex,” the new John, Golden production is to have Lynne Overman as the reatured player, other players include: Thomas W. Ross, Grace Menken, Florence Ma- son, Eva Condon, Philip Barrison, Ann Merrick and John Cherry. The play opens in Albany, March 28, prior to the Broadway showing. At the Cinemas TOR—“The Big Parade.” BROADWAY ‘What Every Girl Should Know,” with Patsy Ruth Miller and Ian Keith CAMBO—Harry K. Hustace’s “Thru oo te Africa,” ; on. CAPITORN ‘The Demi-Bride,” by F. Hugh. Herbert and Florence mn an with Norma Shearer and con N—The Rough Riders.” COLONY—"“White Flannels,” wi Louise Dresser, Jason Robards an Virginia Browne Fai ‘ CRITERION-—'B: * HIPPODROME — “Easy Pickings,” with Anna Q. Nilsson, Kenneth Harlan and Phils McCullough, . With Ai RIA. LTO ones ene is,” newest film. sensation. Germany's | RIVOLI-—"Old Ironsides,” with Wal- lace Beery, George les Farrell and ROXY—"The L ace: Swanson ARRIS—What Price Glo- ry,” with Victor McLaglen, Hd- * mund Lowe and Dolores del Rio. ! SELWYN-—"“When «a Man_ Loves,” with John Barrymore and Dolores Costello, with Vitaphone program, SRAND-——Jobn Barrymore in “The. | Beloved) Rogue,” 4 WARNE. ‘ ” with sole. Barrymore, Mary Astor and Estelle |) Taylor, Vita phone program, e Bancroft isther Ralston. play based on Robert Browning's , a film diary of ee eee Clothes,” | ove of Sunya,” with > | Gee een an eam anves: LL |) S| ~omM US 1 Cue LL LEELA | | A eS RENNIE METROPOLITAN OPERA Casella’s ballet ‘La Giara” and the “The Tales of Hoffmann” will open the twenty-first week of the Metro- politan Opera season, Monday even- ing; the former interpreted by Miss Galli and Messrs, Berger and Bon- figlio,. with Mr. Tedesco, tenor; the latter sung by Talley, Lewis and Chamlee, DeLuca, Other operas of the week: “Faust,” as a special performance Tuesday evening with Lewis, Dalossy and Tokatyan, Chaliapin. “The King’s Henchman” Wednes- day afternoon with Haston, Alcock and Johnson, Tibbett. “La Boheme,” Wednesday evening, with Mueller, Guilford afd Gigli, Scotti. “Der Rosenkavalier,” Thursday evening, with Mueller, Easton and Tedesco, Bohnen, “Tristan und Isolde,” Friday after- noon with Larsen-Tedsen, Branzell and Laubenthal, Whitehill. “Boris Goduneff,” Friday evening, with Dalossy, Telva and Chaliapin, Chamlee. “Traviata,” Saturday matinee with Bori, Egener and Gigli, Deluca. “Tosca,” Saturday night with Kas- ton, Flexer and Tokatyan, Sgotti. Moritz Rosenthal, pianist will be the soloist at this Sunday night’s concert. ’ With the Orchestras NEW YORK SYMPHONY Fritz Busch will make his final ap- pearance as guesi conductor of the New York Symphony this Sunday afternoon in Meeca Auditorium. John Charles Thomas is the soloist. The program follows: Overture, “Egmont? Beethoven; Aria “Eritu” from ‘Masked Ball,” Verdi; Noc- turne and Scherzo “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Mendelssohn; Sym-_ phony No. 4 in E Minor, Brahms. Walter Damrosch returns next Thursday afternoon for the first of six concerts which will mark the close of his career as reg@lar con- ductor of the New York Symphony Orchester. John Charles Thomas will again appear as soloist. , The program: Symphony in D. minor, Cesar Franck; Air from Herodiade, Massenet; Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis, Vaughan Williams; Song to the Evening Star, Act HI, Tannhauser, Wagner; Catalonia (A Spanish. Rhapsody), Albconiz. PHILHARMONIC Ernest Schelling will be the soloist at the Philharmonic concert this Sun- day afternoon at Carnegie Hall, playing in his own Suite Fantastique. This will be preceded by the Bach Brandenburg Concerto No, 3 for strings and followed by the Tchaik- Fourth Symphony. n_ all-Beethoven program is scheduled by Mr. Furtwaengler for Thursday. and Friday afternoon in commemoration of the centenary. of Beethoven’s. death, Walter Giese- king, will, he the soloist. in the Con- certo in G major. The Grosse Fugue for strings, Op, 35, and the Fifth Symphony are the » numbers on the program. ° The program of the students’ con- cert next Saturday night, will in- elude: Brahms Second Symphony; L2a Schulz, first ‘cellist of the Phil- _ harmonic, playing, the Bruch Kol - Nidrei and _ Stranss’ Don Juan. ye own Dumka, and + MUSIC NOTES Robert Goldsand, Viennese pianist, at Town Hall on Monday afternoon, will play the following program: Sonata, opus 57, Beethoven; Pagan- ini Vaviations, Brahms; a group. by. Chopin and three Liszt numbers. sae We te JAMES Featured player in “Crime,” which will be moved to the Times Square Theatre, Monday night. A piano owned by Ludwig van Beethoven from. 1796 until his death in 1827, now the property of Lotta van Buren, bas been placed on. ex- hibition, as part of this month's Beethoven centennial celebration, in the piano salon of William Knabe & Co., and will be open to inspection by the public for the rest of thig month. Jack Ebel, a fourteen year old bow will give his violin recital Tuesday, Mareh 29th, at Town Hall. The Malkin Trie, at Aeolian Hall on Tuesday evening, will present the following: Trio, opus 8, B major, Brahms; Trio, opus 50, A minor, Tschaikowsky. Erno Rapee has been appointed general musical director of the new Roxy Theatre. : Cecile de Horvath, will give ® pianoforte recital at Aeolain Hall Saturday afternoon, April 9th. MUSIC AND CONCERTS PHILHARMONIC FU RTWAEN GLER, Conductor. at CARNEGLE HAL Sunday Afternoon, March 20, at 3:00 Soloist: NEST SCHELLING, Pianist BACH: Bandenburg Concerto No, 3 for strings. SCHELLING: Suite Fantastique. TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No, 4. CARNHGIE HALL e Thursday Evening, Mareh 24, at 8:30 Friday Aft., March 25, at 2:30 BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL Soloist: WALTER GLESEKILNG, Pianist CARNEGIE HALL Saturday Kyening, March 26, at 8:30 Itth SEUDENTS’ CONCHRT Seleist: LEO. SCHULZ, 'Cellist BRAHMS-BRUCH-SCHULZ-SPRA USS Arthur Judean, Mer. (Steinway Piano) N. Y. SYMPHONY Final Appearance of This Season of FRITZ BUSCH Guest MECCA AUDITORIUM, Sun, » Mar. 20 Mecca Box Office open 11 A. M, Sunday Soloint J aries. Thomas BEETHOVEN, Ov eran Egmont"; VERDI, Aria ‘ Ball’; JOSH HAYDN, Symphony in C major, “Le Midi"; BRAHMS, Symphony No. 4, wernese, at Steinw: 118 W, 57 St 1001, RGk ENGLES, Mer, (Steinway. Piano,) AWOLIAN HALL, Mon. Ev., Mar, 21, 8:30 RUBINSTEIN pr 0 RECITAL BERYL Concert Mgt. Daniel Mayer, . Steinway Piane, HABNSEL and JONES Announce TOWN HALL, Mom, Aft.,, Maw, 21, at 3 ROBERT GOLDSAND Viennese Planist. - Knabe Piane,