“A Hat, A Coat, A Glove”, now in rehearsal and scheduled to open at the Selwyn Theatre January 31, is being offered by Crosby Gaige, in association with D. K. Weiskopf This will not be the first joint effort by these two producers, as they have been associated in the presentation of several plays in past seasons. Mr. Gaige, is personally directing the play, and the featured players are A. E. Mathews and Ned da Harrigan. The adaptation for the American stage has been done by William A. Drake. The opening of this play will also mark a striking innovation in the theatre, that will be the introduction of the so-called “London Pit” system of seating the audience. The system, long in vogue, consists in placing the seats in the rear section of the orchestra, on sale forty-five minutes before the rise of the curtain. These seats sell at one-third the price of the regular box office prices.
Arthur Hopkins, inactive for sometime, is about to present a new play from the fertile pen of Philip Barry. The play now in rehearsal, has undergone several changes of name. The latest is “State of Grace.” Barry has not been represented on Broadway since “The Animal Kingdom.”
“Roberta”, the musical comedy, which received from the press only lukewarm praise, is surprising Times Square wiseacres by its persistence and steady growth. The cast and chorus; the setting and production and especially the ingratiating music of Jerome Kern have finally caught on. “Smoke in Your Eye”, one of the lyries, is heard almost as often as “The Last Round-Up”.
The sad fate that befell “Yoshe Kalb” in its venture to Times Square, has been one of the bitter disappointments of the current season. The performance at the National Theatre was a stirring and dramatic evening, at times soaring above the Yiddish version. Mr. Schwartz made a valiant move in presenting this legendary spectacle to an American audience, and if Times Square turned thumds down, Mr. Schwartz seems to derive ample satisfaction from the fact, that the alpp is doing a standing room only business in its old home on Second Ave.
Barnett Warren, who will be recalled for his excellent direction of “Blue Monday”, which he produced a season or two ago, is completing a new play, which bears the title “A Place in the Sun”. Mr. Warren will present his play in the early Spring.
Paul Muni, who has appeared in several outstanding films, is another actor, who announced his return to the legitimate. At this writing, Mr. Muni is Europe bound, where he will combine business and pleasure. While obroad, Mr. Muni will cast more than a cursory glance at the continental stage, especially Russia, with the object of finding a suitable vehicle for his forthcoming Broadway appearance.
Nat Dorfman, one of the better known press agents, who has also had a play produced, is completing a script, as yet untitled.
A benefit performance which can be wholeheartedly recommended is the forthcoming one given annually by Eddie Cantor for his boys’ camp. The array of talent, who have volunteered to appear on that evening insures a big evening’s entertainment.
A few choice seats are still available at the box office of the Music Box Theatre, where the first of this year’s benefit performances for the benefit of the Stage Relief Fund will be given.
Frank M. Thomas, Jr. and Walter N. Greaza, the father and son in “Wednesday’s Child”, now current ot# a scene from this play at four o’clock today over station WABC.
Daniel Frohman will be master of ceremonies this evening at the Actor’s Dinner Club meeting at the Hotel Woodstock. Mr. Frohman has arranged a special program of entertainment.
Saturday night Maurice Schwartz dug deep into his bag of plays and brought forth that lusty tale of the amorous violinist, “Stempenyu the Fiddler” by Sholom Aleichem. Continuing his policy of presenting repertory plays at the Yiddish Art Theatre, Mr. Schwartz has added Leonid Andreyev’s “The Seven Who Were Hanged”. It will be given for the first time this season on Thursday evening. The other plays to be performed this week include “Modern Children”, and “Yoshe Kalb”.
Why does Eddie Cantor command such a tremendous salary from his radio sponsor? The answer comes thundering back-he sells their product. I have been told that in the months when Cantor was off the air the gross sales of the product dropped as much as fifteen percent and when he returned a few months ago, sales promptly snapped up.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
