Theatricals Music Features
BROADWAY TRY-0 UTS
DOORTOFAMEOR
FAILURE
‘Survival of Fittest* Rule in 1
Theatrical Elimination—Writ
er Describes Typical Broad
way Audition and Lists 10
■ •3'- Commandments
New York, Jan. 12 (by Eva Jes
sy" for ANP)—If there is truly a
broken heart for every light on
Broadway, according to the old sob
ballad, nine tenths of them must
be shattered at the starting post,
which in the theatrical profession
is tho audition stage. The try
out is the route to fame and year
after year thousands of Negro
hopefuls apply only to be found
wanting of the sparkling talent
Broadway demands. The disap
pointment and discouragement suf
fered by aspirants during one sea
son would fill volumes. The sing
ing field garners the largest crop.
Human emotions involved in an
audition are varied and interesting
Fear, envy, suspicion, desperation
—often the event is the final straw
to a drowning man. Would-be
stars, lacking carfare, walk the
seventy blocks from Harlem’s edge
to Broadway’s centre. Applicants
seem to be drawn from every con
ceivable place. Many wear bor
rowed finery ,sing from borrowed
music.
There is a type, a story in every
individual. Veterans at the game,!
unconcerned, assured; the first
•timer, edging nervously up to a ,
fellow asking to be shown the
“main” man, whether the spot has
been filled, etc.—A smalltown lad
trying to look as if he know all
the answers—middle aged putting
on a juvenile front—a stout con
tralto, tightly corseted, tries des_
perately to keep stomach and bos
, om in shadow. Thin-legged wom
en surreptitously strike the most
flattering pose. A former prima
donna enters swathed in furs—
seeking to impress by studied en
trance—stands apart till approach- j
ed, then insists on being heard im
mediately.
) When a producer or agent sends
■<£t a call for singers $hcre is no]
telling what the harvest will be,
but it is certain to be full of sur
prises. Like casting a net in the
deep sea, one may draw anything
from a minnow to a whale. Any-!
thing from a hog called to a Flor
ence Mills. No producer pasess up
the chance for a “discovery” and
will listen down the line of sing
ers to the very end.
IS GIVE AND TAKE GAME:
It is serious business, the mak
ing and holding of aduitions. The (
aspirant gives all he has. freely,!
desperately, the producer takes it ■
all in, cooly, unresponsively. Pro
ducers are a poker_face lot, with
a few exceptions In vain may the
finger search the face before him
f ora hint of his fate. Good or bad
the judge’s face tells nothing. In
fact, the more pleased the produ
cer, the more inexppressive his
face is likely to become. To show
enthusiasm would puff up the per
former, run up hig price, discour- j
age the others, but this philosophy i
sometimes works a loss at both j
>
ends. Often the aduitor sits far;
back in the theatre in darkness, j
the glow of a cigar the only sign
of his presence. The darkness
permits a keener focus, absolute
relaxation and puts tl" singer
more at ease.
In many instances there is an
elimination board, thus only the
most promising voices reach the
decisive ear. Mostly dreaded by
singers is "the auditor woo strolls
or rushes back and forth like a
caged beast while the vocalist
shows his wares. Likewise disgust
ing in the producer whom after in
structing the singer to proceed,
begins an animated conversation
with a third party, never giving
tho performer a glance until the
end, when he says vacantly “Thank
-you very much.” And it is time
wasted.
PORGY AUDITIONS MEMOR
ABLE EVENTS: Of all the audi
tions witnessed by the writer in
12 years the one held in search for
s>-—
talent for the opera ‘“Porgy and
Bess," fvcre most exhaustive, dis
criminating and revealing. Audi
tions were held secretly over a
period of no less than six months
Requirement was both type and
ab'lity. Training and lack of train
| ing were desired in the same voice.
in a number of case;, meaning that
i only a trained voice could accom
plish certain things acquired in i
the score, yet that voice mast not ]
i sound trained
1 Ol>en auditions revealed that, j
despite the Negro’s insistence that!
ho is ready for opera and such,
most singers, if we are to judge
from ‘Porgy’ applicants are on
hall'-way ground, above the me
diocre, below the exceptional. This
classification includes both private I
! F upils and graduates of music'
j schools. Many should never have
selected siging as a career, and
those gifted with good voices are1
lacking the many fine poitns.
There is a mighty broad line
between operatic and other kinds
of training and this applicants
learned with a big shock. In one
instances a wl'11 known society so
1 sweated thru his audition
pad remarked he never before:
realized how far he was from be
in g a good s nger until that mo-j
nun;. Theatrical performers hes-:
itatod to fall back on trick vo- i
calization .“top sopranos” found
altitude alone insufficinetly. In
short, those auditions did much to
reveal the lack of musicianship in
the vocal field. There was a flood
of baritones, a scarcity of tenors, a
few altos, plenty so-so sopranos all'
aspiring to “first”, almost com-!
pleto absence of basses. Auditions
were performances in themselves, I
as dramatic, as comical, as any
productions to reach the paying
public.
VARIOUS FACTORS INFLU
ENCE JUDGES: The writer, in
cluded in the audition board of j
three action for the Theatre guild,
listened to and watch each appli
cant. Factors of which the singtef
had no suspicion entered into the j
appraisal. One soprano, sweet
voiced and charming, was selected,
on personality and amiability chief,
ly, another on her buxom figure,
one man-voiced contralto offered
“Walter Boy" with assurance,
while the audition board was aware
of nothing save her flat white
shoes which gave her a most lu
dicrous appearance.
A baritone of other days famous
on two continents 20 years ago,
essayed a ballad that at one time
would have brought cheers. All
thait remained was a continental |
style and he failed to place. A re- !
putation as a trouble maker barred
a woman who by virtue of voice
and type would have rated a quick
okay. An inexperienced chap with
more conceit than ability strutted
to the piano, gave tho pianist a
copy of “Chloe”, struck an im
presteve pose and proceeded to
bellow forth on the second line of
that well know song. 'Catastrophe
was immediate and when he glared
in offended dignity at the accom
panist the judges could control
their laughter no longer. He barg
ed from the stage feeling much
mistreated.
A cut? little thing whose charm;
1 had bowled them over in night
clubs blushed and almost fainted
! from nervousness. It took repeat
ed encouragement from her escort
! to bolster her up for the ordeal.
1 Tho judges were bored past sym
1 pathy. One old man returned again
and again for another try. insist
| ing that he could do better. The
i judges were startled when a short
fat woman sang one stanza of her
' song in high soprano and the se
I cond in deep contralto, both good
quality. She landed as much for
comedy as vocal ability. Some well
; known singers were accepted with
out a hearing, some very light
complexions were rejected on that
score. For once ‘creoles’ ’were not
i preferred. The word quickly gets
■ around and most applicants were
not too far removed from the “Cat
fish Row’’ requirements.
JUDGES MAKE STUPID BLUN
DERS: But producers and those
who should know do not always
know', nor recognize talent when
they see it. It is diffciult to believe
but sure that many drawing hug?
salaries in motion pictures, vaude
ville, opera, radio were not so long
•since pushed aside with :> glance
or overlooked entirely. True ar
t' tic talent may develope miracul
ously, yet surely there must -be
some sign of it even in the sprout_
ing stage. And the producer should
have an eye trained for such per
ception Usually the talent must be
an pronounced as a Chesterfield
signboard before it is recognized
by the powers that be.
Ten years ago the celebrated
George Cukor turned thumbs dow n
on Bette Davis at a Rochester thea
tre. In his opinion she was hope
less. A year later Bette Davis
crashed Broadway another year,
shn made Hollywood and six years
later won the Best Performance
Award.
The late and immortal Schumann
Heink had os many careers as a
cat has lives. Her first try-out with ,
a Vienna opera was a miserable
failure. They laughed at her home
ly face, her clothes, her figure.
Somebody was mighty stupid.
Errol Flynn was in pictures four
years before he forced the audi
tion that landed him in the top j
crust. The role was “Captain
Blood”. He returned to the cast
ing office time and time again
telling them: “I’ve had adventures
that make Captain Blood look like
a fairy tale. I can shoot, ride, swin
handle any kind of a boat. It won’t
hurt to try me will it?” Per
sistence and self-assurance won n l
test and the part.
Duke Ellington tops tho list now
but there was well remembered
time when auditions seemed but i
a farce designed for the producer’s
idle moments. And the shaping
and re-shaping of a band to anoth
er’s idea is something else again.
For a band or vaudeville until au
ditions are frequently strung out
over months and months. Every
audition finds new faces in the
judges’ stand and the unit must
go thru its paces repeatedly while
the contemplated producers picks
imaginary flaws and suggests a-,
bsurd or impossible changes Such
irt the experience of every band,
however famous.
Minta Cat, Georgette Harvey,
the Southernaires, all have tales
to tell of aduitions at sometime
or other that would ended their c&*
reers, had not their own stubborn
ess prevailed.
HOW MATTHEW BROKE IN:
The writer literally forced the
hearing of Erward Matthew for
tho much struggled after Capitol
Family Hour. Fred Raphael was
holding auditions in the broadcast
ing room. We took Matthews in,
unannounced and without appoint
ment and asked for an immediate
bearing. We were too late, said
Raphael and besides, their new po
licy was to have aspirants try out
over WHN, the Lowe radio station.
“Let him come in and sing a song
over the air and if we like him;
Okeh,’’ he said.
I refused pointjblank. "He’s not
that kind of a singer, he is far
above that, and you’ll be making
a mistake to let him go out the
door unheard.” Nonplussed, Ra
phael called a pianist and walked
resignedly to the control room. The J
air became tense with excitement
at the first note. Orchestra men on j
the point of leaving crowded hack
I into the room, the pianist was j
j smiling estaticall.v and Raphael •
war, busy on Mayor’s private phone j
' and thus was Matthews “dis
covered.’ ’
Walter Brennan gave an audi- j
: tion for “Barbary Coast” unsoliet
j ed. Ho applied all made for the
: part minus an eye, old hat, ect.
Bruce Cabot’s frist movie audi
tion was a failure. Isabel Jewell
was at rock bottom when she took
tho test for “Tale of Two Cities,”
I Her whole future depended on it.
, Cary Grant’s audition was an nc
j cident. Joan Crawford’s life was
1 just one audition after another,
producers thought her impossible,
but the divine spark was there all
along.
A singer, a performer, is like
a diamond on which the cutter of
- - 1 .... .. - - - --- - -. _ -.1,.... r„ fc _ .
CAB INTRODUCES h'IS FIRST SOLOIST
_____ —
Photo shows the famous Cabell
Calloway III, introducing his first
soloist, the noted June Richmond,
who formerly warbled for a white
band before s’gning up with Cab’s
hot C-otton Club Orchestra, now in
its third winter on the “Great
White Way,” Broadway and 48th
Street, New York. Cab is also busy
rounding out courses for his new
‘‘Jive University.” which will be
broadcast over CBS from the Cot
ton Club.
(Calvin Service.)
experience must labor for years to
bring out every fact by careful
work, and it must be a good stone
to begin with, 'out if anyone can
discern its IbriUjance in rough,
producers should. Yet numberless
times they fail and you read time
after time of this or that actor be
ing "discovered” when the fact of
tho matter is that the artist carted
that same talent quantity and
quality, to audition after audi
tion, and the producers failed to
see it. Auditions are not infalli
ble tests, but they are the best
method the business has of find_
ing who’s got the button.
THE ASPIRANT HAS MUCH
TO LEARN: While the possession
of talent and ability is the main
selling point in an audition, other
factors weigh heavily for or a
gainst the artist. There are many
rules to follow aiuj fliany “don’t’s”
to observe. There are uieji3 in!
every trade and not necessarily il-1
Jigetimate.
Tho first caution is regarding
appearance, (’lohtes may not make
the man, but they make an im
pression, which is one-third the
battle. The producer reasons thus:
“If he is so good as that, he
should be looking better,” and
it’s straight reasoning. And you
cannot stand before a man in
shabby clothing and demand a big
salary.
There are the Ten Command
ments for those making auditions:
(1) Don't rush and attempt to
overwhelm the producer. As
tonish him if you can, but
don’t rob him of the chance
to appraise you calmly. He
resents your putting your
finger in his eye.
(2) Don’t brag (you’ll only ap
pear ridiculous at the show
down). Neither try to worm
yourself in with cheap
flattery Yours has no value
to a superior, and the pre
sumption is sickening.
(3) Don’t cringe. A respectful
attitude is all that is requir
ed. A conductor or director
is pot a tyrant or Lord God
Almighty, just another hu
man being.
(4) Don’t of all things, speak
ill of another director, or
accuse him of unfairness. It
disgusts nnd embarrasses
your listener.
(5) Don't insist on singing more
when he says “sufficient. If
you have a better song sing
it first. It may help to ask
how many numbers he will
consent to hear, and what
type he prefers.
(6) Don’t ask the pianist to
transpose the number on
sight. It shows lack of con
sideration and is proof of
carelessness.
(7) Don’t wear “That’swhat
they - all - say” expession
when told you will be called
in case of vacancy. It is
insulting to the conductor,1
and remembering that, Look,
ho won’t call you, sure e
nough,
-0O0
CHARLIE’
SPEARS ’EM UP
FOR ANI*
W AY DOWN SOUTH
COULD YOU DO THIS FOR ME
PAL? Take my money and do what
ycu think is best. In 1922, “Uncle ’ i
Jim McAllister had been a dray-j
man for many years, died in Fayet
teville, N. C. Ho left all of his
modest estate to his boyhood play*
nifties, W'illiamson W. Fuller, white
cf New Yofki a native of Fayet-j
teville who left many years ago and
became a multi-millionaire and
famous lawyer as general counsel:
for the American Tobacco com
pany. j
When Jim and Fuller were small
boys they hunted and fished toge
ther in the long ago and remained
life-long friends. So just before
• Undo” Jim died he signed a re
markable will in which he declared
he was leaving everything he pos
sessed to his best pal, Mr. h uller.
and asked his white friend to do
what he thought was best with it.
The multi-millionaire after a few
years sold the estate and convert
ed the proceeds into the “James
McAllister Christmas Fund’’ which
was established 12 years ago. The
beneficiaries are residents of Cross
Creek township who were contern
j poraries of his old time pal.
Only the income from the fund is
distributed each Christmas and the
amount distributed among the aged
Negroes at the holiday season
every year amounts to $800.
Mr Fuller erected a special build
ing on his estate at Pinehurst, a
Carolina winter re-sort, and in it
you will find just one thing, his
old pal’s antique low' wheeled one
j “hoss” dray.
CATFISH ROW
Mr. Bnrnum, who was the b'g
gest faker in American history,
nnd loved to fool the public would
only magnify his remarks as to
the gullibility of the American peo
ple were he living today.
Bamum’s thesis: Was that a
“sucker’’ is born every minute, and
by golly, the old gentleman was,
right. Even today he could find no
end of concrete evidence as to the
correctness of his thesis.
DUBOSF, HEYWARD: Deserves
a friendly and resounding pat on
the back for giving to the world
“Porgy”, the story of the crippled
| beggar who lives amongst his fel
| low Negroes with h« woman
“Bess” in Catfish Row dawn in old
Charleston.
Every since the book was pub
lished, and the play produced, mil
lions of people have really believ
ed that Negroes live in Catfish
; Row' down in his historic old city.
Even veteran newspaper men walk
the plank and go off the wrong
end every time they hit Charleston
to cover a case. Every time. They
always snap a picture of the worst
.■I'lacks t hey can find, up . orae alley
down in the dumps and shoot it
in to be published under the title
“Cntfish Row.”
Usually we pay no attention to
'anything like tijit, beeaife we
know the boys but when one of
our favorite weekly papers pub
lished a photograph of a shack
shortly after the storm, which was
supposed to be Catfish Row, hat
was Lho limit, because we want our
news straight. So we said Cholly
cl,: boy its time to STRAIGHTEN
MM OCT: And -top all that “fool
uff ’ right now. So get this
straig' t. There is only one Catfish
Row in Charleston. And never has
been but one. And it is on an alley.
And it is not a street. And it is
pot a. row of buildings. And it is
not in a colored ne ghborhood. It
in in a white neighborhood down
near Tie world famed old bettery
where you will find single colonial
homes worth in the hundreds of
thousands of dollars (and you know
what that means down South.)
That is where Catfish Row is
located.
Catf'sh Row is a single building,
a very very old apartment house
with two wings extending back
from the street. In other words
the building is sha|H‘d somewhat
like a horso shoe, with the open
part in the rear. Between the two
wings (in the rear) is an open court'
beautifully landscaped with south
ern flowers, and fountains. The two
wings are Catfish Row and White
people live in Catfish Row and not
Negroes. The building is owned by
a millionaire landscape artist who
has an apartment in the building
and lives there also. The other
apartments are all occupied by ar
tists (writers) painters musicians,
etc.) all white.
The History of Catfish Row
Wo talked with the owner and i
ho gave us permission to take as
many photographs as we wished,
also sketches. He also gave up the
history. Here it is.
I-ong before the Civil War, Cat
fish Row was occupied by white1
people and was known as “The Hat
and Gown,” and for a short period
after the Civil War it was occup
ied by Negroes as a tenement
house Except for this short period
of time, white people have lived
there, always. Near the building
you well find many little shops,
“Porgy^s Hat Shoppe,” etc. But
there was never a “Porgy" and
there never was a “Bess” except
in the imagination of Dubose Hay
ward and George Gershwin but
there is a Catfish Row. Well, So
long old timers, do be good.
—-0O0
MUSICAL 1)0 NTS
Don’t attempt numbers beyond
your powers. A simple -eng .*441
sung is art. Omit songy that Mar
ian Anderson, Tibbott, Hayes, Rob
eson and other superlative artists
have made familiar unless you can
top their performance*.
Don't use ragged music that fade
all over the place, embarrassing
all present.
Don’t use hackneyed r.umbeis—>
and th:s is an important point—
Ninety percent of tryouts selects,
"Ro.su in the Bud". "Because", "I
I >v.i V« i Truly", ">'"hloe”, "Water
Boy", "Water Bov", "Without A
Song”, ‘‘Road to Mandalay", “Morn
ing", "flomihg", "Pa-sing By", "A
Brown Bird Singing", > , whea
them are hundreds of other songs
just as fine and Certainly more
wtdeome for their freshness.
And finally, don’t forget that
charm in s aging and manner e
clipse* all other qualities. Sensa
tionalism may dazzle for a time,
hut chann casts a spell the years
cannot break.
--oOo-•
WHENCE AND WHY DU THEY
COME
Where do they come from? Like
the nursery rhyme—“Out of every
where, into hero”—small towns,
where they were the best in the
county church choirs. college
theatricals, glee clubs, quartets.
They may entertain bright hopes
of landing on Broadway at the first
hearing, but even after disillusion
ment they hang on and make the
rounds on every call. As long as
there is an example of success
within their view, they will vision
tho same glory coming eventually
to themselves.
Perhaps they know the stories of
Katherine Cornell, Claudette Col
bert, Frank Wilson, Little BiUy
Adams, stepping out in a current
White Way attraction— Why do
they cling to this mirage, this
source of disappointment, unless as
Walter Huston declares, “We love
best the thing for whiich we suffer
and starve-—cuss out and worship.”
FORT WORTH GETS SECOND
NEW THEATRE
Forth Worth, Texas Jan. 13—
(By R .L. “Pie” Melton for ANP)
—Theatrically speaking, the city
of Fort Worth is forging ahead.
Tho opening of the $38,000 Ritz
theatre Wednesday marked the se
cond all sepia show to open in
Cowtown in less than a year, the
other being the Grand which open
ed several months ago. Both thea
ters are modernistic in structure,
somewhat streamlined, having
neonic lighting fixtures that are
similar to the brights lights of
Harlem.
The opening of these movies has
caused colored theater-goers to
become more show conscious and
at the same time, caused other sur
rounding Negro business to soar.
--—0O0
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