Brownsville Weekly News

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1941

| Ft. Valley Music Recorded

sie

Saunders Welker of the Tuskegee Institute Department of Ed~ucation is shown making a record of the ~Smithie~s Band,~ a prize

winner in the String Band Divis

lege Music Festival held last week.

ion of the Fort Valley State Col
The prize winning musicians,

washboard and all, hail from Macon, Ga.

Kay Dunham~s
Star Ascending

by ERNEST
NEW YORK~( AN P)~~

E.- JOHNSON
lhe dressing room at the Martin

Beck Theatre isn~t but so big and the group of people around~
some sitting, some standing~was nothing more than would~ be ex
pected.

~After all, had not Katherine Dunham just given a grand

performance depicting the: wedding of the interpretive~ dance and

the mustcal fantasy? |

It~s divulging no secret to say
that she was somewhat exhausted. Nevertheless; with one more
adjusting-tug at her chenille dress_ ing gown, the premiere danseuse,
~as it were, of ~Cabin in the Sky.~
drew up a.chair to let us in on
a few impressions gained through
the past few montns on Broadway
with a hit show and a giimpse at
tle future and the pending road
cyur of the show;

FINE EXPERIENCE

~You know,~ she began, ~this in~deed has been,a delightful experience for my company and myself.~
She was speaking of the troupe of
young girls and young men whom
she has trained and developed into

~?

| ~Tropicana~
- Draws Praise
OF Ted Yates

_By IVD YATES

NEW LORK~(TYP) ~Producer
Donald Heyward opened up his
music portfolio on the stage of
Harlem~s Apollo Theatre this past
week, and I beg to inform you that
he did a tine job. Heyward~s
~Tropicana,~ although not the best
show to.cOme to the. house thai
Frank Schiffman made the world~s

house of Colored musical and dra-,

matic hits, is one of the best to be
presented~ there in a long time,
And from the way this new policy
ef stock shows has taken effect~
soon I will undoubtedly find my~self with out words that wil) do
justice to. the brilliant stage produetions that are being put on at

the Apolic. Well. at this writing
tt looks that wary.
Tropana is all about Carri
beam cruise. The scenes, costumes
and dances give pep to the HeyWerdised. revuesical. A number of
new songs were sung for the first
time. Norman Astwood, The Calypso Sinecters. Edna Harris, George
Wiltshire, and the antics of. Alex
Lovejoy and Preddie Rebinson,
~ plus, of course, the rhythmic spirituals es only Sister ~Tharpe can
give were the highlights of this
fine entertainment bill. Some
~credits zo to that dance team of
Conway and Parks al*ng with those
hewe probably heard of bv this
4imie~the Mary Bruce. Girls, ~If
This Is Love~ and the West Indian
mitty. ~Out the Fire~ were the

' I liked best. The comedy put

_on by Lovejoy and Robirison in the
@enhicting the.ship~s kitchen

(with Wiltshire~s radio voice in the

backcround) had the audience~ in

' gtifehes. More like ~Tropicana~
would do a. world of good. Ang that
is putting it mild.

a distinctive dance group ~i mean,~
she continuec, ~~we have all found
| pleasure in) What to most of us is
a new field. Her>tcfore, as you may
know~~

The Chicagoan, whose Julius Rosenwald Fund fellowship was) responsible in large measure | for
for changing her theghts. - from
anthropology to folk duces, | was
- not at all hesitant about conymenting upon her original distaste for
her part in ~Cabin |in the Sky.~
| If there were hardships in the be{ binning ~In overcoming her natural; aversion for the ~Georgia. Brown~
| ty pe ~ and Miss Duniiam herself
says there really were-- certainly
| sep performance Nas nt suffered
any for it. Perhaps both custom and
enthusiasm for the new have helped her over tre ~suah spots.~) One
~img is definit.:. apparent jJudging from the 3:cizim she~s | won,
and that is that Miss; Dunham~s
capacity for talent has~ not yet
been completely fathonied.
~Well, bow about uudience
action?~~~ we ventured.

IN'TERESTED IN DANCE

~That nard to say There probably is a diffedence though~ _ for
those who come to set my récitals
have, on the whole, 2 specialized
interest in the dance. Devotees you
would say. On the other hard the
audiences here may or May not be
interested in me as an individuai
Indeed~ -~-. and with the nable gesture expected of so charming. an
artistic a person aS our subject ~
~indeed, there are many others in
our show who can easily lay claim
to a sizabte public.~; It was safe to assume then that
| appreciation for the interpretive
}

ré
| dance as a specialty rather than an
| integral part of the world of enter| tainment would vary in proportion
to the selectiveness ef the audience.
At any rate, such is our impression
after having seen Miss Dunnam
perform before an audierc: almost
completely sympathetic to her art
from the rise of the curtain and
before an audience whose sympathies, if any fluctuate with the
weather.

Without Goubt though hal

~Bi

Audience: Is
Carried Down

ToLowDepths

By ERNEST JOHNSON

NEW YORK~"Bigzer Thomas,~
embodying the dejection and desneraticn, the stunted expression of
a comeiderable part of the Negro
race 28 _ typified in Richard
Wright's cxtraordinary novel, ~Native Son,~ stepped onto the stage
at the St. James Theater Monday
night and dramatically stated. the
ease hefore gq large and enthusiastie audience of first nighters.

Under the skilled direction of Orson Welles in associzition witn John
Houseman, Canada _ Lee,~ playing
feature rele of the book, adapted
for stage by Paui Green end Mr.
Wright, registered a personal
triumph in his true-to-life depiction of the now famous character
of fiction.

On stage frum the monent - the
curtain rese to the terv end, Mr.
Lee. in (10) scenes attempted to
eatry his efidience down into the
towels of ~despair and frustration
that hed been his aboce all his
lVfe. Wits a high degree of consisSency ke sp "ceeded.
UNDERSTANDS ROLE

As is generally known, the story
deals with the circumstances and
cozditions that have formed a barrier against the Negro~s development in this a democratic country.
The effects of the frustration provoked bv this barrier reveal themselves bit hv bit when a combination of ~cther cirvumstances tend
to: enmesh the cenxral character in
an extremely precarious situation
fron: which there is no escape. The
fect. of the mutder of Mary Dalton,
plated by Anne Burr, loses signrificance in contrast to the reactions
of Bigger to the sequence oi events
preceding and following the crime.
~Canada Lee seems to feel that
he has a full understanding of the
tremendous burden he carries in
his fine. portrayal. If occasionally,
however, this- understanding, or
rather complete appreciation, slipped his grasp, this ~lack Was adécuately cOmpensated for in such
scenes es in the Dalton~s breakfast
room. or Mary Dalton~s bedroom
nmr even the basemiiit scene. - An
evenness. of delivery should igen
after a few performances.

whether the play is a sincere transtation of the ~ook might easily run
into a lengthy discussion. On the
whole it annenys to have adhered
prettv faithfully. It must be remembered that much of the -book
was written in an introspective
vein fOr the. main character. Such
treatment therefore must be interwreted to the audience through
sheer drematie ability and not
words, There too the fast movement of the book would nave produced real difficulties in order to
keep up, ovarticulerly in scene
changes. Naturaliy. in the adantion much of this had to be writter. out into the veriovs parts.
LOGICAL SEQUENCE

One complaint levelled at the
bock was the drop in suspense following Bigger~s capture, particular
~ly near the end. This is not a fault
but rather a logical sequence. Aft
er all, certain social theories had
to be conveyed other than those

marks of Miss Dunham~s particular
styling was certainly apparent in
the.interpolations of her group.

As for the tour, which takes the
entire: company to Boston, Toronto,
Detroit, Pittsburgh, Columbus, St.
Louis, Indianapolis, and opens in
Chicago about May 5, all are looking forward expectantly. To the
Dunham dancers a road appearance is nothing new but, as their
slightly retiring -directress said,
there is always among performers
that zeal for new horizons to conquer. And so, with a new-type vehicle, each
night of the tour shculd prcve ~
in the words of Miss Dunham ~as
exciting as the last. There is no
doubt in their minds of the success
of the trip.

~Andi after the close of the show
what?~ we inquired.. ~South America in the fell,~ she
replied, with a note of cxpectancy.

We couldn~t help concluding, at

star is ascending.

~s- ~

Todd Duncan Excells In

~Recital At Howard Univ.

WASHINGTON, D. C~i5NS)~
Todd Duncan, baritone of ~Porgy
and Bess~ fame, gave a song reciial
last evening in Rankin Chapel of
Howard University before a crowded auditorium. Mr. Duncan tas accompanied by Luis Andres Wheatly and the two artists united a
superlative feeling for injerpretation, with Mr.: Wheatly carrying
out the singer~s intentions with

great sympathy.
~ The program was of wide range

Marcello~s ~Tl mio bel foco,~ Schumann~s ~Windmung,~ and ~Ruhe,
meine Seele~ ~Es muss was wunderbares sein,~ Marx~s ~Hat dich die
Liebe berueht,~ and Gliere~s ~Oh.
Bring to Me No Fragrant Blossom.~

To auswer fuliv the question of

succeeding opening |.

the parting, that Miss Dunham~s |

on~

um

Lee Draws Praise / As
yer In. Stage

lative Son~ Deb ae

EWS OF |
THEATRES

Mr, Jchnson whose ~Travelin~~
is a jazz claSsic and whose ~Believe It Beloved~ and other songs
pushed him to a high status in
ASCAP of which he is a most active member, announced this week
that he had signed Bates, Big
Time Crip and Jesse James for
his musical comedy, as a highlight for a cast that will include
some of the biggest names in colOred showlife.

Meanwhile, among the pesforni
ers rehearsing daily for the musi-?cal at 103 Morningside Ave., fam
Ous as the Temple of the late Sufi
Akdul Hamid, Harlem~s ~Black
Hitler,~ are Marion Worthy. clever
| ingenus: Deanie Lary, daughter of
Leiwrence Deas, producer of ~Shuffle Along.~ and a song and cance
star of top timber; a whole roomful of beauteous chorus girls, a line
of tall, tan and terriffic showsgirls,
and commedians.

One of the big songs of the show
is seen in Johnson~s ~I Wasn~t
Meant for Me.~ Johnson's techniqve is along the lines followed
by Broadway and Tin Pan Alley
writers: use of a few songs qs possible, allowing the audier%e to know
and~ like them.

~Here ~Tis~ has the haicking of a
esroup of private Fiffh avenue
~angels~ who believe Negro show
business can contribute more than
it has to the pleasure of living.
For that reason, J. C. Johnson
called in Charlie Daivis, admittedly one of the nation~s greatest

revealed by tne craracterizations.
But sided weight is definitely given that part in which Bigger, in
jail, finally speaks out. Canada
Lee gives life end vigor to the
words and lifts it to a richer anticlimax.

Of course, theatrical effects ~
lighting, scenery, etc.~contribute
immeasurably ~to remove scme of
the fears of anprehension somehow
expected in a portravel cf this
kind. The Orson Welies touch is
definitely present.

Not to dwell further on the cth
ter characters. is no slight to their

splendid talents fOr there is indeed
much more than could be said for
the entire vlav. The role of Clara,
Bigger~s girl, is nicely handled by
Rene Mitchell. If Everett Sloane
as Britten, the vrivate detective,
could lessen the tom-foolery real
improvement would be seen there.
Miss Burr discharges her duties
well and will perhaps warm up to
them even more when public reaction to the play has more time
to crystalize. This is a true of
the whole effort.

Meant For Love, and Love Wasn~t -

Peg Legs Grab
New Show Roles

NEW YORK~(ANP)~The most spectacular under-!
taking conceived in show business wil be the presentation
of the world~s greatest one-legged dance stars~Peg Leg
Bates, Big Time Crip and Jesse James~in ~Here ~Tis~~ tuneful bombshell of rhythm, comedy and dancing from the
pen of J. C. Johnson, famed composer. Eddie Hunter, noted
comedian, Joe Jordan and Charlie Davis are collaborators.

| broducers; and Joe Jordan; the;ASCAP writer of innumerable hits

p and one of Gotham~s most famous
errangers.

Negotiations, it. was learned, are
still underway tc land ~the Peiers;
Sisters or the Dandridge Sisters.

fcr: a spot in the show.

AROUND
HARLEM

By NELL DODSON

Billy Eckstein, the Earl Hines vocalist:
Dear Billy:

This is a boost, and some advice.
A group of us were sitting in the
Braddock grill a few nights ago in
one of those gab-sessions we have
all the time. You know what I
mean, everybody taking show business to pieces and putting it back
together again. We~d just finished
a Charlie Christian versus Floyd
Smith argument, and were. getting
started_on the subject of recordings
when scmebody said Earl Hines

was knocking the juke-box customers fora whole gang of nickles
with swell recordings. Your name

came up and we 4ll agreed you
Were on your way toward, becoming the top sepia band vocalist.
You have looKs, audience appeal
and good sense. You'll need the
latter this next year, and plenty
of it.

SO long ago about ~your mother
teasing you about the heart-smitten gal who sat near her in the
theatre one day and when you
came out. on the ~ stagt, sighted.
~I~d love to just wash his secks for
lovely ladies, pal, who get panicky
kim.~ She~s only one of a mob of
when your name~s mentioned. Look

out for the petticoat influence
Billy; it~s ruined many a promising
career. You have a big future

ahead of you, so hand onto you!
head and your heart. Don~t forget what: Billy Kenny of the Ink
Spots says: ~You have to meet the
same people on the way down
that you do on the way up only you
pass ~em faster.~:
Incidentolly tell Earl his latest
recordings are going over like wild
fire here. ~Everything Depend, on
You,~ i, solid-tooty and ~JellyJelly~ is a sender.

~Yours for a big year,

~Nell Dodson.~

~Bus: Ezell Is

A Winner

_.. ~Bus~ Ezell, of Perry, was > winner in the guitar class at the Fort
Valley State College Folk Musical Festival, The judges shown in the
background gre Captain Frank L. Drye, of Tuskegee Institute; J. Bussell Robinson. of New York City: William C. Hanay, ~f New York City;
Wittlam L. Dawson, of Tuskegee, and Willis James, of Spelman College.

NEW YORK~An open letter to

I remember how you told me nos

Louis Ol Satchmo~ Armstrong, world famous
trumpet player, amid a sw~i of hot licks sounded on
liis trusty horn, accepts a Doctor of Swing degree
awarded him by Brooklyn College, Booklyn, N. Y.
He voiced his apcoptance with a one-handed solo on

the trumpet while he clasped his degree
ether hand. Members of the degree committee,
of whom are ~hep to the jive~ are shown helping ~
make the presentation. net

(TIN)

Nationwide Talent Hunt
Inaugurated By Apollo

New Blood Needed To Carry

Out Musical Comedy Policy

By CEPHUS JONES

NEW YORK~(ANP)~tTheatrical careers on a plane
thought out of the reach of most performers outside New
York City awaits the singers, actors, actresses, dancers,
comedians and cther variety stage folk who contact Frank
Schiffman, managing director of the world-famed Apollo
theatre on West 125th Street here.
sons who sing, dance, act, juggle, or play instruments and
who have never had a chance in the big time can now get
the break they~ve prayed~ for if they are ready for New

York.

Frank Schiffman indicated: ~tits
tothe writer last ~week a, he discussed the new policy and program
the ~Apollo theatre will follow on
tke heels of the umprecedented
success of the musical~ comedies,

~Tan Manhaitan,~..~Up..Harlem
Way,~ ~Tropicano~ -and ~On
Strivers Row~. ~This policy in a nut
shelk > Mr. Seniffman declared, is

mew trends in entertainment and

The hundreds of per
the substitution of ~*~flesh~ entertainment in place of ordinary orchestras and two or three established acts. The Apollo~ will, of
course, continue to book-in outstand
ing orchestras~but there only.
~The Apollo theatre~ he said,
~has always been the first to: note

new demand, on the part of the

RATING THE RECORDS

bi ERAN MARSHALL DAVIS

CELESTE IN FRONT

Blue Note again rings the gong
with: two 12 inchers by the Edmond
Hall Celeste quartet. Hall is the
noted: clarinetist who blows in a
modern New Orleans style. The
others are Charlie Christian on
non-electric guitar, Israel Crosby
on bass and~ Meade ~Lux~ Lewis
on celeste. Titles waxed, all improvisations aré CGBLESTIAL EXPRESS and PROFOUNDLY BLUE;
EDMOND HALL BLUES and
JAMMING. IN FOUR.

Naturally, the ~celeste is of special
interest. Lewis has been heard before on this antiquated instrument in the solo Decca on ~Celeste
Blues,~ but this is the first instance to my knowledge of its use
in a strictly hot combination. As
@ novelty it~s all right, but heaven
forbid a steady diet! However. the
celeste is use well on these. Lewis

~Edmond Hall~ and gives middie

notes a play on ~Jamming.~ At}

other times his work,

down to stop time rhythm, blends -

well. Incidentally, the only boogie

woogie playing is in posions oi
~

~Particularly interesting are Crosblues, *

has few equals on the blackstick for

intensity of feeling and expressiveness. You can clas: both platters:
a

BLUES, Bud Freeman; ALICE
BLUE GOWN, Ben Pollak and
SWINGIN~ ON THE FAMOUS
DOOR, Delta Four; TAP ROOM
BLUES, Joe Venuti, and DECCA
STOMP, Red Norvo. *

That~s a powerful lot of jazz,
mates, and it runs from Dixieland
through Chicago to precision swing,
from complete improvisation to
the written arrangement. Probably
the best number in a group of best
numbers is Norvos ~Decca Stomp,~
a really excellent example of quiet
and relaxed jazz. By the way, Roy
Eldridg> squeezes into this ofay
group as the composer and trumpeter with the Delta Four..which
perhaps proves you can~t keep the
brother quiet when it comes to
jazz. An accompanying ~booklet by
Dave Dexter, pointing out soloists
and high spots, adds to the enjoy
public. ~With this demand, we are,
creating musical comedy ~ ~units ~
along q distinct pattern that calls ~
for new faces, new music,
writers, composers, designers and

all the others asscciated with ariel:;

ductions.

~The Apollo wants to contact.
these people. We will. be. very.
happy to hear from them if
write us direct, sending such infor="
mation about their werk and ability a, possible. If we feel that
they have undeveloped talent, they
need not worry tecause we will
then take the otner steps needed
tu b ~ng them before the public.~

i-Liffman~s statement carries
more ~~an it states. It follows on.
the i,eels of the campaign for ~flesh~
entertainment launched last~ year
by Dan barley, celebrated New York.
eciumnist. With the demand for the
type of entertainment now, being
presented at the Apollc also goes
the fact that theatres throughout
the eastern seaboard and some in
the west and middie west as well as
in~ the South have indicated their
willingnes; to try the musical comedies that are scoring so heavily in
Ney York City.

While orchestras have employed

citiy musicians, at most 16 in @
band, two or three vocalist; with a
few acts thrown in, the Apollo
policy calls for units up to 75 people; gives tne serious musician a

chance, puts chorus and show girls.

back to work; creates employment
for comedians, straight men, singers as well as dancers: Right now
there ic an alarming. shortage of
soubrettes and ingenues. There's g
definite need for new juveniles,
both male and female; comedians
are in demand. New writers, gagmen, songwriters and prodicers po
can have a chance to go a, =
their chosen fields. -

FIRST ESKIMO JOINS ARMY. JUNEAU. Aiaska~(C)~Listed - a8
the first one of his race to be inducted in the arky ig an Eskimo
who is nicluded in an Alaskan Naticnal Guard. But more Eskimos

ment.

are to follow as applications by the
nundred, are being received.:

ranging: NEW YORK CITY~This changing world gives on~é much food for

- ~family, and a white lad who sees
~chksolutely ncthing in the world

|FOOTLITE

~thought At ritzy Cafe So-;, ciety, BOBBY BURNETT, member
~of.a socially prominent Chicago

FLICKERS

(By ALVIN MOSES for ANP)

wrong about earning a livelihcod |
alongside of 18 of the top-renking;
musicians in the business (simply |
because they happen to be colored:;
men). is the leader of tae
band!!!! -.. great kid, this Bruret fella. and Charlie Barnet (for
whom he used to star) will add his
ves to the fact they don~t.
come any better than Bobi.
The band personnel lists ihe following galaxy of stars: Charlie
Helmes, alto sax wizard, formerly
with Louie Armstrong, Mayes Alvis, bass; Al Nicholas,
~Tyories~ Benskin, -piano;

ontfit thrilled appreciative white
audiences until the time for...
BEN KIRBY to take over, came
around... Burnett calls his asseciates. ~The finest lot of amerigan gentiemen and artists~ he~s
ever met in his life~anywhere.
FPorthermore.

anywhere.
he intends playing with them~

Bobby!
MAXINE SULLIVAN, who goes
through her shows with queenly

grace despite the rumors of the
mud-slingers anent her private life
with hubby-bandsman...
EIRBY, expects to open (in Bos
ton) during the latter part of
March in. ~UNCLE: CABIN.~ She has been fret

our

Binet 6 ks

eae F
det EM. Sida, RN ete ot BESET

~

new *