American week at Court

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34103, 16 March 1976, Page 12

American week at Court

■ A double bill of wil and song to celebrate the bi-centenary of the United States of America is planned at the Court Theatre. The evening is created, de(vised and directed by Eirk I Hooper, and stars Elric Hooper and Alannah O’Sullivan, both back for guest appearances at the Court. The first play, “As Dorothy Parker Once Said” stars Alannai, O’Sullivan as in inimitable Mrs Parker who was once called “a combination of Little Nell and Lady Macbeth.” A mistress of repartee and the verbal put-down Dorothy Parker once said of a guest at one of her parties “That woman I speaks 18 languages and i can’t say ‘No’ in any of jthem.” Public figures were , often lacerated bv Mrs

Parker’s t.ngue and of a Katherine Hepburn stage performance she said “Miss Hepburn ran the whole gamut of emotions — from A to B.” Commenting on the America of the 1930 s .Mrs Parker complained that her dog had caught a social disease from using “a public lamo-post.” i Elric Hooper will star in ' “Gershwin’s America." which, features the music and lyrics of the Gershwin i brothers George and- Ira. Their music became a part of the world in the brightest and darkest days of the 20s and the 30s. Songs such as “I Got Rhythm ” “Summertime ” ’S "Wonderful ” “They Can’t Take That Away Fromj Me” “Strike Up The Band ” “1 Got Plenty of Nothing": were, and still are sung by! the stars and general public: alike. The Gershwins had that rare gift of being able! to combine words, music — and nations — in a common: expression of emotion. They! offered hope when the Wall Street crash had made des-j pair a common denominator, for many. '

Elric Hooper will sing , many of the Gershwin num- ' bers made famous by such ?stars as Mickey Rooney, s Judy Garland, June Allyson, Fred Astaire. Audrey Hepburn and Sammy Davis Jnr. The American season. . double bill will be presented: at the Court for one week,! ;from < rch 27.