Public Brought Back To Theatre Through Medium of Revue

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 124, 29 May 1939, Page 8

Public Brought Back To Theatre Through Medium of Revue

It ia revue that is bringing the public back into the “legitimate” theatre, according to Ur. Garnett H. Carroll, special representative of Sir Benjamin Fuller with the “Hollywood Hotel Revue” company. Mr. Carroll has made numerous visits to Palmerstou North. Amongst tho first shows which he brought were * 1 The O 'Brien Girl' ’ and Nelly Kellv,” while others were “Rio Rita’,” with Gladys Moncrieff, and more recently “The -Marcus Show” and the “Alontague Show. ’ “When I say that this revue begins where the Marcus Show left off, I am not exaggerating,” said Air. Carroll in an interview with a “Times” reporter vesterday. “It was booked from America for 20 weeks in Australia and New Zealand, but so successful has it been that it is now in its 39th. week and having a sensational run. It opened in Auckland and played for three weeks before going to Sydney, where it was booked for livo weeks but played for ten. We are racing against time to play in as many towns as possible in New Zealand before the company sails for South Africa.’ ’ The company is an all-American one, including the ballet and chorus, and is headed by Marty May, who is a Jack Bennie or “Master of Ceremonies” type of modern performer. Plenty of humour is supplied by Morris and Briscoe, of New York. In the female lead is Wilma Horner, who was for five years “stand-in” for Claudette Colbert, while Magda Neeld has the leading singing role. Incidentally, this girl is making her first trip to New Zealand and is well known in the entertainment world as having been associated with Jack Hylton’s band. Amongst the other performeis are Jack and June Blair, dancers of the Fred Astaire type, Jack Whitney, who played in a recent George M. Cohen Broadway film. One of the outstanding acts is that of “The Eight Apple Dancers, ” the Negro dancers who created the “Big Apple,” which swept America and which the troupe performed five times at tho New York State Theatre. Palmerston people will remember them in tho films “A Day at the Races'’ and “The Big Broadcast of 1937.” The finale takes the form of a portrayal of the successes of the Great Ziegfeld, showing the memories of ten of his famous musicals. The use of the microphone on the stage had become universal, said Mr. Carroll, because the radio and the “talkies" had attuned people’s ears to it. Thus it was even used by Magda Neeld, the singing star of “Hollywood Hotel,” although she had been clearly heard above the music* when singing the principle role in “Bigoletto” to the accompaniment of an orchestra of 40 instruments. Lighting Technique Lighting technique on the stage had been revolutionised by the Straubelight method. Much attention was now paid to lighting, and to get the required effects the company had to carry with it a team of electricians specially trained in lighting technique, and extra equipment to supplement that available in the theatres. The “Hollywood Hotel Revue” has been found to be the type of entertainment proving most popular with audiences and Sir Benjamin Fuller has found that the bringing of complete units from England or America is most satisfactorv.