Daily News from New York, New York • 113

7 I lit? kieturns By MICHAEL IACHETTA The New York State Council on the Arts is spending $15 million it doesn't yet have to help more than 1,400 nonprofit arts groups throughout the state stay alive in a By- DOUGLAS WATT V. -When Alfred Drake, fleet of foot and smooth as-silk, is telling us "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore, or when the entrancing Maria Karnilova is kicking up her heels in "The Night They Invented Champagne," or better yet time of inflationary crisis. It is the largest state program of government support of arts in the nation. And it is de termined to live up to its pur pose: To provide maximum encouragement and assistance for the maintenance and development of the public availability of the cultural of the state. It doesn usually spend money it doesn't have.

But it received $15 million from the state last year to assist 1,415 groups. And it already has received more than 2,000 applica tions for aid this year, with the deadline for requests tomorrow. The council expects the $15 million to be forthcoming when the Legislature votes on the arts aid budget next March. Meanwhile, it believes the new proce dure of making grants before it receives its anticipated appropriation will speed up the time it takes to get money to applicants by at least four months. The council distributes funds to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations for programs in visual arts, theater, music, literature, film, dance, folklore, festivals and other areas- to Alfred Drake, with dancer Sandahl Bergman when the two of them are beautifully underplaying that fetching duet "I Remember It Well," the new show called 'Gigi" is all it should be.

But for too much of the time last night's arrival at the Uris merely struggles to evoke once more the chic and rapture of the Lerner-Loewe lawyer, expertly played and sung by George Gaynes, as they haggle over the terms of Gigi's anticipated liaison with Gaston. This extra emphasis on the business arrangements, clear enough in the film, seems a bit out of place. In fact, a good deal of this "Gigi" seems out of place, for although Oliver Smith's lavish scenery depicts Parisian exteriors and interiors, and Oliver Mes-sel's handsome costumes are intended to add to the illusion, it is often a musical that appears anxious to get to Jones Beach. Smoothly Staged Joseph Hardy has staged the play smoothly and Onna White has provided engaging dances. A lissome blonde named Sandahl Bergman does well enough as the featured dancer (she also plays Gaston's discarded mistress), though, as I've suggested, Miss Karnilova has only to twinkle a toe to win the dance prize.

"Gigi," which was performed for Edwin Lester's Los Angeles and San Francisco subscribers last summer and then played St. Lous, Detroit and Toronto before being installed here by Saint-Sub-ber, offers a pleasant and, of course, tuneful evening. But the magic and, more particularly, Paris have all but disappeared. "Why don't they write plays like that anymore? Well they do and they have. 'Full Circle' is that play' Clive Barnes.

N.Y. Times enthralling melodrama. Bibi Andersson is excellent and so is Leonard -Richard Watts, Post ITicketron 6444400 Student rusk ANTA THEA.W. 52 St 246-6270 1 MAT. TODAY AT 2 0 Gives its money's worth off entertainment, the kind off Droadway theatre that cannot be duplicated on a movie or TV screen." -Martni Gottfried, Women's Wear Daily Otifitul CMt albam A ta IUODAM ttCOtDt MARK HELLKrttR TKEATtE 51st Stfc Kttj 7-7058 MAT.

TODAY HOL MAT. NOV. 22 ot 2 film classic. The trouble seems to lie with the tremulous Gigi herself and with her surprised and somewhat reluctant lover, the jaded Gaston; in other words, with the very heart of Colette's little story which, having been a film, a play and then that stunning film musical, is now bent on rounding out its career as a stage show. The unhappy fact is that neither the Gigi, Karin Wolfe, who seems a competent performer, nor the Gaston, Daniel Massey, an able enough actor, possesses an ounce of charm.

And charm is everything here. His Show, Really So the show, or as much of it as possible, has been thrown to Drake, who plays Gaston's suave womanizer of an uncle. Drake, bearded and with his TODAY at 2 hair darkened and gray-tipped, is ever ready to sweep us up into those lovely old songs and a few new ones as well. Miss Karnilova as Gigi's grandmother and the redoubtable Agnes Moorehead, playing Gigi's rich retired courtesan of an aunt, match him in authority. About the songs: most of the good ones remain, but in order to make this into a full-scale Broadway musical, Lerner and Loewe have felt obliged to write five new ones, and though Lern-er's lyrics are deft enough, Loewe's music seems unable to rise to the occasion.

''Paris Is Paris Again" is attractive, but the others are fairly weak. An unfortunate exception is "The Contract," a quartet dominated bv Miss Moorehead and a 87:30 P.M. ii To apply for funds, you must fill out in triplicate a 13-page application form, called "Information Request and Return for Assistance." The forms are available from Robert Marinac-cio. Application Service Section, New York State Council on the Arts. 250 W.

57th St, New York, N.Y. 10019. On the form, you must provide a description of your program and the services you will provide for the money you request. You must supply a detailed financial statement, including a fully itemized special budget for each program you request funds for. You must also give a detailed operating budget for the present year and a proposed budget for the next.

'Good Evening' "Good Evening," a comedy revue with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, will open at 7:30 tonight at the Plymouth Theater. A special matinee will be given tomorrow at 3 p.m., replacing what would have been the regular Wednesday afternoon showing. itrectfoiry MATS. TODAY A SAT. AT 2.

SVN. SPEC. MAT. THANKSGIVING DAY at 2 ALFRED DRAKE AGNES MOOREHEAD MARIA KARNILOVA and DANIEL MASSEY in I Lerner Loewe' VJ I Cr I A New Musical For Broadway tcith KARIN WOLFE as Gigi For Group Sales Only Call: 774-3974 URIS THEATRE 1433 Broadway 584-451 Tues-Sat. 7:30.

Mats. Wed. A Sat. 2. Sun.

3 OPENS TONIGHT AT 7:30 SPEC. MAT. TOM'W. AT 3 P.M. SPEC.

MAT. THANKSGIVING DAY ot 3 PETF1 DUDLEY TOOK MOORE Gfn OOn EVENING comedy urith music Wow-FVf Sat. Mitt. Wed 2 0 Snt 3 PLYMOUTH THEA. 234 W.

45th St. 244-41S4 MiTfVFP TODAY A SAT. AT 2 4HGHTER ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS!" Tito Mas. GR FT A T3 wv rtnrrt FNfv4vta M'rt'VT? Hit! ounwcr DCCCBVftTinMC. TICTn.

414-4M0 rM f.ytt 4 wrf TUB) MATINEE TODAY A SAT. AT 2. "LIVELY AND ENTERTAINING." Port "DEBBIE REYNOLDS DEBBIE REYNOLDS in RENE A Masimt Comedy Also Slarrmg GEORGE S. RON RUTH IRVING HUSMANN WARRICK and PATSY KELLY Thea. 45 St.

of Bway FOR GROUP SALES ONLY CALL: 7-''' Evas. 7:30. Mats. Wed. A Sat 2 TICKETS ALSO AT TICKETRON: 444-i MATINEE TODAY' A SAT.

at 2. "A HIT. MY HAT'S OFF TO MOL.Y', I LOVE YOU." Geoffrey Holder. NBC-TV "I LOVED MOLLY." Ed Sullivan KAY BALLARD MO The New Broadway Musical-(Based on Characters from "The Goldbergs" by Gertrude Bern I ALVIN 250 W. S2 St.

f212) 757- Evas. 7:30. Mat. Wed A Sat For Group Sales Only Call: (212) 74-3'4 Tices also at Ticketron: (512) H' American Express Cards Honored at P.O. MATINEE TODAY A SAT.

AT 2. SPEC. THANKSGIVING DAY MAT. ot 2 WINNER TONY A WAPHS BROADWAY'S BIGGFST HIT MUSICAL COMEDY "CYTRAORDINARY THFATP" SPLENDID MAGNIFICFNTLY STGEO PAND PLAYED." Watt. Doit Neirs I 7:30 10, 7, 5.

Sat. Evgs. 7:30 1S, 12, 10, 0, 7, 4. Wed. Mat.

at 2: $. 8, 7. 5. 4. Sat.

Mats at 2: $10, 7, t. 5. Please enclose stamsed, self-addressed envelope and list alt. dates. IMPERIAL 240 W.

45 St. MS-1 FOR GROUP SALES ONLY CALL: 7W-J0M woo $rJ Theater MATS. TODAY A SAT. AT 2 P.M. THIS YEAR'S BEST MUSICAL TONY AWARD WINNER N.Y.

DRAMA CRITICS' AWARD "LIKE A DRY WINE FROM A VERY GOOD YEAR." WaiMch. Suscia LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC a new mufical starring GLYXIS LEX HERMIOVE JOHNS CAHIOU GINGOLD MAJESTIC THE 245 W. 44 St. 244-0730 Ev9S- 7:30. Mats.

Wed. a Sat. 2 FOR GROUP SALES CALL: S82-M19 HURRY! LAST TIMES! Ends San. Mat. MATS.

TODAY, Sat. at 2, Sun. at S. "A GREAT PLAY!" Barnes. Times A TENNESSEE WILLIAMS' STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Student Rush! One hour prior curtain.

ST. JAMES 44 St. W. of B'way. OX S-S858 Eves.

7:30. Mats. Today, Sat. 2, Sun. 3.

MATS. TODAY. SAT. t- SUN. at 2 Lwiffed Enoagement A Tonight at PM "ONE HELL OF A PLAY!" Gottfried.

Women's Wear OOM BOOM ROOM a new vlay hy David Babe Mail Orers Now thru Dec. Toes, fhm TtMirs. Evas, at 7, 5.S0. FrL A iat. at 10.

t. 4.50: Sat. A Sun. Mat at t. i.

4. Ml Malta chs DavabU to Vivian Beaumont Thea. Ewfose seif-d-e4 amoed envelooe A lit n. dat. Vjvi- Th lWU St.

EN -7 Fn Tir 50- St'iflet under 25 vrs. flttrf Senior Citren RlmvmmnilnlsV Mr At.K MATS. TODAY SAT. at 2. Sr.V.

S. SPEC. MAT. TH VVKWVfVG DAY at 3 LAST 3 WEFKS FTCFf.r.EVT AY" Watt: CIIEEN HERLIE GEORGE GRIZ7SRD Ctn the Smnoh ffit ROWN MATRIMONIAL merian Ero. Phove Res.

ATete a.m. Mats. Wort A Sat 7. Sim. 1 MCLFN HAYES Thea.

ilO W. 4 St. V4-43M 84 TH WEEK! SPEC. TFMVKSGIVI.VG DAY MAT. at MATS TODAY SAT.

at 2. SUN. 2 A 5 AMERICA'S AWARD WINNING MUSICAL! DONT BOTHRR ME I CAN'T COPE EDISON 47 St. W. of Bway.

757-7144 FOR GROUP SALES ONLY CALL: 794-3074 MATINEE TODAY A SAT. AT 2. "AN ENTHRALLING MELODRAMA." Watts. Post SPEC. MAT.

THAKKSGIVING DAY at 2 All OTTO PREMINGER PRODUCTION BIBI ANDERSSON LEONARD NIMOY in 1 il'LL CIRCLE: A Plav bv ERICH MARIA REMARQUE As adapted by PETER STONE TICKETS ALSO AT TICKETRON: 44-40 P.M. Mats. Wed. Sat. at 1 ANTA Thea.

52nd St. W. of B'way. 244-4271 ii 1 1- ii i tj iirinihuni i I I "KAY BALLARD IS CHARMING AND IRREPRESSIBLE." -Clive Barnes, N.Y. Times Ik The New Broadway Musical Hit FOR CROUP SALES ONLY CALL 212) 796-3074 AIM THEATRE 250 W.

52nd St. N.Y.C. (212) 757-8648 ABCl fr ffw wi details.