The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 32

fllE PROVINCE, Wednesday, May 19, 1971 3l -1 11 -sammiMSaB Mil. CL1VE BARNES I Christ just a clown in a Superman shirt Still it is an honest attempt to make Jesus into a musical comedy star, and there may well be those who will find freshness and originality here where I could discover only a naive but fey frivolity. but here Tebelak was partly to blame. Apart from the music there was an air of charades to the whole thing, a certain atmosphere of amateurism that is pleasant enough to encounter almost anywhere but in the professional theatre. 1 All ten of them carry out their assignments with the gung-ho vitality of kids fresh from drama school and they work with a fierce desperation.

Some of them, however, need singing lessons and they all need more discipline New York Times NEW YORK Innocence reigned like thuader at the Cherry Lane Theatre when a new musical called Godspell opeied. It is a musical.based upon the Gospel According to St. Matthew, and dealt with the life and teaching of Jesus I i ji 1 1'-: The show must go on Christ. Conceived and directed by John-Michael Tebelak, and with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (most of the lyrics are based on the Bible), in an earlier version it was Mob threats don't scare Al BALLET BOYS candidates from across Canada including (from top), Paul LeForestier, 15, of Toronto, Luc Amyot, 13, of Quebec City, Raymond Smith, 14, of London, Peter Ottman, 14, of Port Credit, and Aaron Shields, 14, of Vancouver. he spent seven years singing in Europe.

"I admit things got a little warm for me in this country," the handsome1 vocalist said. "Night clubs are a tough business here and I couldn't get enough work. Let's say I didn't go along with the representation I had. "The book was written so close to the things that were printed in the press about Frank Sinatra that a lot of people thought he was supposed to be Johnny Fontane. "I guess- that is what everyone is doing.

Personally, I don't think so. But people are free to think what they want to think." Asked if the words "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" had been eliminated from the screen version, Martino said he didn't know. "I'm a babe in arms a far as those things are concerned," he said. "I just see part of the script at a time. Changes and revisions are being made every day.

"If the Mafia exists today and they didn't want this picture made, I imagine' it wouldn't be made one way or another. "On my first day of shooting on Mott Street in New York the only people I saw were fans. If there was anyone else I was unaware of them. "But nobody is going to pressure or scare me off this picture. And they better not try." By VERNON SCOTT United Press International HOLLYWOOD Al Martino, who plays the role of singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather, says pressure is being applied to him to drop out of the picture.

Earlier this year Vic Damone left the role, explaining he thought the characterization wasn't in the best interest of Italian-Americans. "That's a copout," Martino said. "I think pressure was applied to Damone and it wasn't because of the Italian Defamation League." Martino, too, has had telephone calls advising him it would be best all around if he eschewed the part of a singer who is controlled by the Mafia. Not that hoods with bulges in their coat pockets have paid him visits, but he has received the word nonetheless. "I'm playing the role no matter who or what applies the Martino.

said. "I'm not afraid of anyone in or out of Hollywood. I've wanted this part ever since I read the book, and I want no trouble." There was much speculation that the character of Johnny Fontane in Mario Puzo's novel was patterned after the foremost American entertainer of Italian heritage. Martino said, "the character could be the story of a lot of singers. I had National Ballet School AL MARTINO a babe in arms bucking the big boys.

Male enrolment rises as ballet stigma fades managerial problems when I first came along and had a hit record." The record was Here in My Heart. And when Martino didn't go along with some of the lads the heat was turned on. Martino thought it would be healthier for his career to leave the United States. So originally produced at the La Mama Theatre. It is a whimsical vietf of Christ, who is made into a pure simpleton clown, with a red 'nose, a red heart painted on his forehead and a Superman shirt.

All his followers and disciples are also clowns, and they re-nact parables and scenes from Christ's life with manic energy and great good nature. It is a show that will appeal most to the religious, or at least the religious at heart. People wanting to see the contemporary relevance of the Christian ethic should not be surprised to find it here. Young churchmen looking for ways to fill their empty peivs might well find hope at this seenjingly hip Christian message, with its (perfectly contemporary and perfectly vulgar concept of peace and goodwill to all men. Although I woull not for a moment presume to doubt either its integrity or sincerity, I found its whole concept of whimsy, and of Jesus being a regular fellow, too coy ana knowing.

It is never irreverent, merely naive and platitudinous in its mixture of Jesus Christ Superstar! lovable circus clowns and Bill Grahanf. Personally I thought the whole precise rather nauseating, but I very frpely admit I have an unnaturally wfeak stomach in this respect. The musical opens with a group of young people impersonating Socrates, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Leonardo da Vinci, Edward Gibbon, Fried-rich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Buckminster Fuller who indulge in what sounds a little like a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song. I Then John the Baptist arrives announcing Jesus Christ, who in turn enters, and the show is on its way. Tebelak's staging uses fuch devices as cartoon-voices, the jolly' rituals of TV panel games, strip shows, minstrel routines and conjuring tricks, a great deal of Marcel Marceau-influenced mime, and tends to reduce the-acting to a common denominator look of radiance.

The lyrics by Schwartz are not especially felicitous, but for this I suppose that his absentee collaborator St. Matthew must bear some of the guilt. Schwartz' music is almost as eclectic as Tebelak's staging, but at its best it provides by far the best part of the entertainment. I It varies from operetta to salvation rock, from soft shoe shuffles to a kind of country and eastern style. The best of the numbers do hav the right kind of fervor; and are both enthusiastic and attractive.

I suppose enthusiastic and attractive also describes the cast, if not the show. Fischer confident of victory Credit, finds the school makes considerable demands, "Sometimes we get pretty depressed because there's so much expected of you here," he said. But a large part of the day is devoted to dancing and "that's the best part," according to 14-year-old Aaron Shields of Vancouver. I Both boys are in Grade 8 and, like the girls, are kept busy from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Despite the busy schedule the pupils are enthusiastic. Luc Amyot 13, of Quebec City summed it up: "None of us really knows why we love it so we just do." Canadian Press TORONTO The stigma of being a male ballet dancer is rapidly fading, says Betty Oliphant, National Ballet School director and principal. In an interview, Miss Oliphant said she finds North American fathers particularly respectful of their son's career wishes. Though the NBS had no boy students when it opened in 1959 there are now 22 and between 30 and 40 boys are expected to be enrolled next year. There are 96 girls enrolled.

The school, which provides full-time academic and dance instruction, starts at Grade 5. Peter Ottmann, 14, of Port viewer acciden- rupted Sunday when a tally tipped a set over. Black Whit Taimanov Whit Fischer 1. P-K4 Fischer KR-B1 24. B-B4 2.

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champion Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R. in Moscow next year. In an independent version of the Sicilian Defence, Taimanov proved a much stronger opponent Tuesday than he was in the first game. Known as a strong end-game player, he was in a good position to force a draw until the late1 stages of the game when he failed to capitalize on an opening to attack white, choosing instead to withdraw into a defensive shell. A shortage of time may have been responsible for Taimanov's oversight.

He used up 45 minutes of his 2V4 hours to make his 13th move. A player must complete 40 moves in that time or forfeit the round. On Fischer's request, spectators are not being allowed to follow the game with their own chess sets any longer. The American said his game was dis Bobby Fischer of the United States and Soviet grandmaster Mark Taimanov adjourned the second game in their world championship elimination match here Tuesday night after the five-hour time limit elapsed. Adjournment came on the 44th move with Fischer holding an edge in board strength with a bishop over a knight.

The 28-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., native confidently predicted after the game that he would win. If Taimanov. 46, does not concede the game beforehand, play will resume this 'afternoon. Taimanov resigned in the first game, played at the University of B.C. Sunday, before it could be resumed Sunday, giving Fischer a one-point lead in the scheduled 10-round quarter-final match.

The competition ends whenever a player reaches 5V4 points. It is being held to decide who will meet world 36. PxP 37. 38. James PEME P-B3 BxP R-Ol 39.

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R-KB1 43. B-Q3 44. R-KB2 P-R4 45. P-B4 Adjourned. Is this the way it's going to be when the cable companies take over, when local TV stations become so short of cash that they sell their cameras for scrap, when the government decides to stop subsidizing the commercial-ridden "i CBC, and when Canadian viewers ul" iss are treated to 100 il per cent American Wednesday 'MP 1 1 IH.MEHHtl4 cunienif Ironside, I mean.

A' two-part detective i 1 ler filmed on location in Montreal. Dro- 6 7 8 12 hiehlishts fc- ttl viding a laughable :15 :30 i ib 11 :00 :15 :30 :45 12 :00 :13: I While 5:30 p.m. baseball wipes out network programming on CBC, the NET University of Washington station Will be broadcasting an essay on violence at 8:30 p.m. on Chan. 9.

Three julogies of a draftee killed in Vietnam, a Kent State victim and a Jackson Mississippi, student victim of violence, will be seen. Same time, pan. 8, Gregory Peck jiiid Anthony Quinn star ii a fictional treatment of rje 1 i versus law and order in Behold A PaM Horse, a 19G41 film. At 9 p.m. Chan.

5, Ten-' nessce Ernie Ford sings with Danny Thomas, Diahann Carroll and' the Smothersj Brothers In Sing America Beautiful. i 2: 6 i Enthusiastic opening for national est By KATHY DENMAN Canadian Press OTTAWA If the enthusiastic reaction to the children's theatre at the National Arts Centre is any indication, Theatre Canada '71 is off to a good start, The Quinte Island Theatre from Pic-ton, opened the week-long festival with a presentation of Gift of the Drum. The story involved an old Indian legend about how man first learned to dance and sing. The eiEht players, dressed as Indians, had the children enraptured from beginning to end. The children, sitting on the floor of the salon, formed a semi-circle around the actors and a few minor problems evolved when a few couldn't see.

Two little girls had an allout slapping match. The Circus Kazoo, put on by Montre-al's Youtheatre involved a lot more audience participation than the first play. The cast of six was dressed as circus performers and gained the sympathy of the children in the audience when they were forbidden to set up their circus in the town by the black-cloaked rogue of the story, Mr, Snarlface, Several children were picked to take part in a parade to advertise that the circus would be held outside the town limits. The cast had the children tiptoeing past the rogue's house, leaping over imag-incry poison Ivy and crossing a brook by jumping on the rocks. At the end of the program all the children were handed balloons.

The Youtheatre company is profes-siunal while the Quinte Island Company is made up of amateur actors. The youngsters got jump on the official festival opening with Governor General and Mrs. Michener attending The Land God Gave to Cain by the Carol Players of Labrador City and Wabush, Nfld. Twenty-four groups from across the country are taking part in the noncompetitive festival that has replaced the Dominion Drama Festival, interpretation of the Quebec situation made strictly for U.S. audiences.

(Thanks to the miracle of TV editing, Ironside's drive to Montreal from the airport took 30 seconds, during which time he was given a run-down of 100 years of French-Canadian history.) On the plus side, the story was written by CBC veteran Sandy Stern and starred a native of New Westminster, Raymond Burr. But the actor, by his own admission, is now about as Canadian as an avocado. The Ironside crew has made similar trips to Mexico and other distant places and geography was used strictly as scenery. As a whodunit, the Monday night episode delayed because of the real situation in Quebec last year was excellent. I can't wait until next week for the exciting conclusion.

So successful, in fact, that I can imagine other TV series directors making annual excursions to Canada for their token Canadian program. Agents for The FBI (TV version) will bring their cameras to Vancouver and Toronto to focus on the draft dodger-deserter situation, and it will be discovered that the Beverly Hillbillies have a long-lost cousin in the Kootenays. And whenever a real bomb explodes in Montreal, former CBC man Lloyd Robertson, a mere reporter for CBS and Walter Cronkite, will deliver 1 20-sccond report. The ever-touring Partridge Family will schedule a concert in Calgary, and Lome Greene will arrange date for his show in the same city come Stampede time. Viewers here will get their Canadian content in the same way they get winter lettuce, imported and slightly willed.

By that future date, however, the water to grow the lettuce will have to be shipped down to California. And the Yanks be complaining about Canadian content in their water supply. i Western Movie I Sale Of Western 'Family .1 'Family Schools Movie Century Schools Affair Affair F. Giant 'News 'Hollywood F. Giant 'Love Of Yoga 'Love Of C.

Helene News I Squares C. Hslene Life I Yoga I Life Sesame "Galloping 'Jeopardy Un WhereThe Uni- 'WhereThe Street Gourmet Jeopardy versity Heart Is I versity Heart Is Sesame 'That 'Quiz Yoga 'Search fori Jean 'Search Street Girl Game Yoga Tomorrow I Cannem Tomorrow "Bob "Bewitched Noon "Noon News David Switzer Bewitched Distaff Show News Morrier Frost Luncheon 'World "Days Of Cont. "World Co. David Date I Apart Our Lives 'Matinee: Turns 'Matinee: Frost Luncheon "All My I "Doctors "Wings "Splendor- Wings' David Dale Children I Doctors Of ed Thing Of Frost 55 North 'Let's Make i 'Another Fire" 'Guiding Fire" 'Divorce Maple St. A Deal World Susanne Light Suzanne Court Double "Newlywed 'Jury Pleshette 'Secret Pleshette 'Secret Exposure Game Trials Cont.

Storm Cont. Storm Dick 'Dating 'Somerset Organic 'Edge Of Jurv 'Splendor- Van Dyke Game Somerset Gardening Night Trials ed Thing fake 30 'General Dinah Take 30 'Gomer Another i 'It's Your Take 30 Hospital I Shore Take 30 Pyle World Bet Edse Of 'One Life "Virginia 'Edse Of J.P. Trouble 'What's NiKht To Live I Graham Night Patches With Tracy My Line Galloping 'Password 'Mike "Galloping" "Movie; Flint- I "Banana Gourmet Password Douglas Gourmet "Gun- stones I Splits Drop In 'What's Mike Drop In fight Pete's j'Fun-O- Drop In My Line Douglas Drop In In Place I Rama 'Baseball: "Petticoat Mike "AoTicne" "Beat The Lucy "Montreal! Junction Douglas "Montreal Bobby Clock Lucy Expos 'Jack 'Wike Expos Darin Mantrap Movie: vs. iEddy Wallace vs. Cont; Mantrap "Apache "Atlanta 'Rea'soner Wike' 4 Atlanta "Walter News I Braves" Smith Wallace Braves" Cronkite Hour I Cont.

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'Northwest "Truth or Cont. Dick Gomer Movie Traveller Consq'ncc Cont, Van Dyke Pyle Cont. Vacation 'Eddie's 'Men From 'Vacation 'Medical TBA 'Mothers Canada Father Shiloh Canada Centre TBA InLaw Arnie 'Room 222 Men From Beat The Medical 'Bewitched Perry Arnie Room 222 Shiloh Clock Centre Bewitched Mason Hour- 'Smith Men From Flint- 'Rome Movie: Perry glass Family Shiloh stones With Love "Behold Mason Hour- 'Love On I'Ten- Mod 'Movie: A Pale "Medical glass Rooftop I wssee Squad "Caprice" Horse" Center "Singalong 'ImmortHl Ernie Mod Doris Gregory Medical Jubilee Immortal I Ford Squad Day Peck Center Beverly Immortal 'Four Mantrap Richard Anthony 'Man Hillbillies Immortal In One Mantrap Harris Quinn From Wide 'NFL Four Gomer Cont. Cont. UNCLE World Action In One Pyje Cont.

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9) KCTS 9 a.m. Ail About You; 9:15 Se Habla Mas Espanol; 10,. Book Beat 10:30, Listen and Say; 10:45, Music 11, All Around; 11:30, Sesame Street; 1 p.m., Music All Armmd; 1:13, Se Habla Mas Espanol; 1:30, Music 1:45. Ready? Set, 2:21, Art Happenings; 3, Book Talk; 4. The Peacemakers; 4:30, Sesame Street, 5:30 p.m., Mister Rogers' Neighborhood; 8, Economics for Everyone; 8:30, Book Beat; 7, Interview; 7:30, Doorways to Science; 8, The French Chef; 8:30.

Part of the Family; 10, Masterpiece Theatre: The Possessed, I CABLE 10 7 p.m., Manpower; 7:30, The Two R's; 8, Investment World; 9. Vancouver Art Gallery; 9:30, SFU Today; Detente, GORDON ROBERTSON outstanding even though Madeleine isn't I didn't see her original short film Madeleine, but I wish the feature had been cut in half. Nicola Lipman was outstanding in the title role, as was Gordon Robertson as the old man. But that's where it ends, John Juliani provided comedy relief as melodramatic Toro the up tight revolutionary, but I had the feeling that he belonged to a different story and film. The problem Is also technical.

Color rendition was awful, and any creation of mood was halted, for this reason, in the opening minutes. Still, I would recommend that those Interested in the local film-making scene look at it. It'a easy-to-take drama, and won't drive you out of the cinema In disgust. MADELEINE IS the made-ln-Vancouver film by Sylvia Spring, now at the Ridge, reminds me of the worst of serious television drama. A story of Relf-dlscovery, it wanders occasionally into Just about everything else, 12.