From Broadway to Ballet and Black and Four Saints in Three Acts (1952)
The reprisal of Four Saints in Three Acts in 1952 had 15 performances from April 16, 1952 – April 27, 1952 at the Broadway Theatre in New York, NY. Virgil Thomson (artistic and musical direction), Gertrude Stein (libretto), Maurice Grosser (director), and Florine Stettheimer (design) were all involved in the reprisal as well as the original production in 1934. Choreography by William Dollar, direction by Maurice Grosser, scenic and costume design was done by Paul Morrison, and the show was produced by The American National Theatre and Academy and in association with Ethel Reiner. The dancers in the show were Arthur Mitchell, Louis Johnson, Helen Taitt, and Mabel Hart who was dancing in the show again after her appearance in the 1934 production.
Four Saints in Three Acts is an opera that starts with a prelude from the chorus. The first act takes places at Ávila cathedral titled “St. Teresa half indoors and half out of doors.” Act two, entitled “Might it be mountains if it were not Barcelona,” has a telescope and glimpses of a heavenly mansion. Act three, “St. Ignatius and one of two literally,” involved a picnic and had Ignatius’s aria “Pigeons on the grass alas.” Act three ends with a tango-like ballet, followed by the fourth act, “The sisters and saints reassembled and re-enacting why they went away to stay,” which is set at the garden of a monastery.
Sources:
Four Saints in Three Acts Revival, Playbill
Four Saints in Three Acts, Wikipedia
More about Four Saints in Three Acts (1952)
Broadway Theatre: “The present-day Broadway Theatre opened in 1924 as a movie theatre and vaudeville house known as B.S. Moss’s Colony Theatre. In 1930, the venue became a legitimate house named the Broadway Theatre. Because of its large stage and seating capacity, the Broadway Theatre has remained a popular home for musicals, notably Funny Girl, the original Cabaret, and the first three years of the long-running Les Misérables.” The theatre seats 1738 people and is located at 1681 Broadway (West 53rd Street), New York, NY.
Dancers: Arthur Mitchell, Louis Johnson, Helen Taitt and Mabel Hart
Libretto: Gertrude Stein
Music and Artistic Direction: Virgil Thomson
Director: Maurice Grosser
Choreographer: William Dollar
Scenic and Costume Design: Paul Morrison
Designs: Florine Stettheimer
Producer: The American National Theatre and Academy and in association with Ethel Reiner
Sources:
More about Four Saints in Three Acts (1934)
The 1934 production of Four Saints in Three Acts, on which the 1952 reprisal is based, was shown from February 20, 1934 – April 14, 1934 at the 44th Street Theatre in New York, NY featuring Maxwell Baird, Card Lyn Baker, Elizabeth Dickerson, Mabel Hart, Matthew Floyd Miller, and Billie Smith as dancers. The musical director was Alexander Smallens, music done by Virgil Thomson, and produced by Harry Moses.
44th Street Theatre: The 44th Street Theatre was built at 216 West 44th Street, New York, NY in 1912. The theatre has 1465 seats and its longest running production was Rosalinda which ran from October 28, 1942 – January 22, 1944. There have been 611 performances at the 44th Street Theatre at the time of this writing.
Dancers: Maxwell Baird, Card Lyn Baker, Elizabeth Dickerson, Mabel Hart, Matthew Floyd Miller, and Billie Smith
Musical Director: Alexander Smallens
Music: Virgil Thomson
Producer: Harry Moses and in association with Friends and Enemies of Modern Music
Libretto: Gertrude Stein
Choreographer: Frederick Ashton
Scenic and Costume Design: Florine Stettheimer and Kate Drain Lawson
Scenario: Maurice Grosser
Production Director: John Houseman
Production Stage Manager: Ted Thomas
Sources:
Four Saints in Three Acts Original, Playbill
44th Street Theatre, Playbill
Nicole Toney
