Gyro Show Takes Town By Storm

The Cranbrook Courier, March 18, 1926 (p1)

GYRO SHOW TAKES TOWN BY STORM - Gales of Laughter Greet Screamingly Funny
Situations in "Beauty Shop" Play.
Not everyone in the immediate district saw the musical comedy "The
Beauty Shop" staged here Thursday, Friday and Saturday by the Cranbrook
Gyros under the direction of C.H. Lewis. But a large percentage of
playlovers did. These last had their money's worth and more. In the coin
of hearty laughter their investment returned usurious interest. For of all
the screamingly funny musical comedies "The Beauty Shop" bears the palm.
as a cure for the blues it owns no superior and but few equals. To see
"The Beauty Shop" is to learn the reason of Raymond Hitchcock, of "Yankee
Consul" fame, bringing New York to his feet when he assumed its leading
role in his characterization of Dr. Budd.
It has not been given to many Cranbrook people to see Mr. Hitchcock
in "The Beauty Shop." But many, nearly 1700 by actual count - have
witnessed the performance of Mr. Chester Staples, to pronounce that
gentleman's work excellent. Unquestionably, Mr. Staples was the star of
the Gyro show. His portrayal of an impecunious but altogether loveable
rascal, debt-burdened Dr, Budd, proprietor of a beauty shop, could not be
improved upon. And at that Mr. Staples was not at his best. He had but
recently risen from a sick bed when he came behind the footlights to
convulse capacity audiences with his clever sallies and his inimitable sob
song, "All Dressed Up and No Place To Go."
As to Mr. Staples' support, what can be said of those who assisted
him in the telling of a ridiculously funny story than that each lived his
or her part in a multiplicity of mirth-provoking situations with the sang
froid and artistry of veterans. Neither in the choruses nor in the solo
parts did any discordant note intrude to break the cadence or continuity of
the musical stream that ran like a golden thread through the fabric of the
play.
"The Beauty Shop," as presented in the Auditorium last week, brought
a constellation of amateur theatrical stars to the ken of the Cranbrook
public. Miss Frances Drummond, as Vivian, Dr. Budd's secretary, missed
nothing in her interpretation of a most difficult part. Miss Ila Slye, in
the role of Anna, Dr. Budd's ward, and sole heiress to an ancient but
vigorously conducted vendetta, ran Miss Drummond a close second. Miss Gwen
Slye, as a customer of the beauty shop, whose figure demanded a bit of
making over, also merits mention. Mrs. Marsden of Kimberley, in her song,
"Carrissima" and in her role as Dolores, the souvenir girl, created in the
minds of her audience a desire to hear her again at the first opportunity.
Mrs. Marsden possesses a voice of more than ordinary range and quality.
It is not to blame Dr. Budd that he fell head over heels in love with
Lola, the Spanish dancer (Miss Gracie Higgins). Miss Higgins is no
stranger to Cranbrook audiences. But never did she appear to greater
advantage than in her role of dainty senorita in "The Beauty Shop." Her
dance in costume with Raymond Beech was well worth going miles to see.
And oh, you Natalie! Natalie, (Miss Bessie Woodman) daughter of the
Corsican innkeeper, Panatella, and paternally styled the "Rose of Corsica,"
was by way of being an ugly duckling until Dr. Budd Came to her rescue with
the marvelous beauty compound that transformed her into an exceedingly
attractive young lady. Natalie's simperings and her undisguised
determination to win over her unwilling beauty doctor fiancã©e were among
the hits of the show.
As Garibaldi Panatella, the innkeeper, Mr. A.C. Shankland again
demonstrated his ability to intrigue the interest of his audience; Mr. Les
Dwel- (Continued on page 6)

-ley as Carambo Maldinado, the Corsican duelist, was everything that one
expected of a hot-blooded fire-eater to whom had been handed down a
perfectly good vendetta as a heritage and Mr. F. Marsh as Lugubrio Sobini
the undertaker, specializing in providing corpses for funerals and in
arranging with said prospective corpses beforehand for the delivery of
tasteful tombstones, gave every evidence of knowing his business. Between
Senor the undertaker and Senor Maldinada, the American Dr. Budd had to
exercise his resourcefulness to the limit. Others who caught the fancy of
the audience were Mr. Stewart Black in the role of Phil Faraday,
unacknowledged fiancã© of Anna, Dr. Budd's ward, and Mr. Austin W. MacDonald
as Daniel Webster Briggs, Budd's attorney and man of many ideas that full
oft went astray.
It is not enough to merely say of "The Beauty Shop" that is was good
throughout. The play fairly scintillated with wit and screamingly droll
situations. As for the music, it was entirely in keeping with the stage
settings and the individual and collective performances of the talented
actors of the cast, owing its excellence to assiduous application to
rehearsal on the part of every member of the orchestra and the vigilance of
Messrs. C.H. Lewis and Ira McNaughtan.
"The Beauty Shop" will long be remembered as the outstanding salient
of musical comedies ever presented here. It is not to wonder that the
theatre-going public of this city are given to being over-critical of road-
shows. Even Capt. Al. Plunkett of "Dumbells" fame might take tips from
Cranbrook's local talent.
Congratulations to the Gyro Club, to Mr. C.H. Lewis, its efficient
director of amateur theatricals and to every member of the big cast are in
order. "The Beauty Shop" took the district by storm. The proof of that
lies in the record of crowded houses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
including the special matinee for children on Saturday afternoon. The
success of the play gave zest to the midnight supper given to the members
of the cast in the K. of P. Hall when the curtain fell for the last time on
the grateful innkeeper's bestowal of a million franc cheque on the
astonished Dr. Budd, the calling off of the "cockeyed" vendetta by the
jealous Maldinado and the doctor's being accepted for weal or woe by the
charming little Spanish dancer, Lola.
Admiring friends of the leading ladies presented them with bouquets
and chocolates at the termination of Saturday's performance. The cast:
Vivian, Budd's secretary, Frances Drummond.
Gladys, Custodian of shop, Mrs. Wm. Elder.
I. Gettem, Chairman of Creditors committee, Dr. W.a. Fergie.
Anna, ward of Mr. Budd, Ila Slye.
Phil Faraday, in love with Anna, J. Stewart Black.
Daniel Webster Briggs, Budd's attorney, Austin W, MacDonald.
The Chauffeur, Albert C. Dobson.
Dr. Arbutus Budd, owner of shop, Mr. Chester O. Staples.
Miss Montmorency, customer, Mrs. A.G. Hill.
A Stout Party, also a customer, Gwen Slye.
Garabaldi Panatella, Corsican innkeeper, A.C. Shankland.
Dolores, souvenir girl, Mrs. Marsden, of Kimberley.
Lugubrio Sobini, and undertaker, G.F. Marsh.
Lola, a Spanish dancer, Gracie Higgins.
Carambo Maldinado, Corsican duelist, Les Dwelley.
Natalie, Panatella's homely daughter, Bessie Woodman.
A "Gob," Norman Connelly.
Spanish Dancer, Raymond Beech.
The Bathing Girl, Thelma Pelkey.
Waitresses, Aubrey McKowan, Margaret Trusler.
The Society Ladies - Mrs. Stewart McIntosh, Mrs. W.A. Fergie, Miss G.
McFarlane, Mrs. Albert Edward Brumby, Mrs. James Norgrove, Mrs. J.M. Couts,
Miss Thelma Pelkey.
The Manicures. - Evelyn Dinsmore, Ruby Thorliefson, Irma Ward,
Phyllis Small, Pauline Staples, Marie Paterson, Myrtle Martin.
The Wives. - Vera M. Baxter, Florence Paul, Frances Noble, Annie
Moir, Jessie A. Baynes, Mrs. G.F. Marsh, Mrs. Laura Wallace.
The Sailorettes. - Evelyn Ward, Jean Ward, Helga Thorliefson, Aubrey
McKowan, Margaret Trusler.
Broadway Girls - Ritas McBurney, Thelma Bartle, Frances Trusler,
Lousie C. Robertson, Jean Ward, Irene H. Linnell, Helga Thorliefson, Aubrey
McKowan, Jessie A. Baynes, Florence Paul, Frances Noble. Annie Moir, Vera
M. Baxter, Mrs. Ira McNaughtan, Evelyn Ward, Margaret Trusler, Mrs. G.F.
Marsh, Myrtle McCaslin, Molly Carlyle, Florence McDiarmid, Laura Wallace.
Male Hairdressers. - E.H.L. Attree, W. Elder, H.P. Cann, W.H.
McCosham, H. Collier, G.F. Marsh, Les Dwelley.
Business Men. - George P. Simpson, Bert Bekll, V.S. Carlyle, F.W.
Burgess, M.G. Dickson, B.E. Murgatroyd, L. Crawshaw.
The Creditors. - W. Hall, A.B. Burpee, H.A. Brown, A. Earle Leigh,
E.H.L. Attree, G.W. O'Meara.
Corsican Johnnies. - Brunel Murphy, Norman Connelly, Allan Gill,
Harry Cassidy, Tom Marshall, Frank Hartnell, Fred Fossett, Don Burton.
*Net Over $600.00*
While returns from the show are not yet complete, the Cranbrook Gyro
club will realize net receipts of $641.00, which will be used for community
purposes.
*Express Appreciation*
The officers and members of the Gyro Club wish to express their
appreciation to all those who so kindly assisted in making the show such an
unqualified success. Their thanks are due to all members of the cast,
especially Mrs. Marsden, who came in from Kimberley; to the members of the
orchestra, Messrs. W.A. Burton, W.G. Thompson, Roy Linnell, J. Biggs, Doug.
Dean, J.A. Ward, W.B. Mansfield, F.W. Gallagher, Dave Kay and A.E. Turner;
to those who so kindly loaned equipment, used in the production of the
show, the Fink Mercantile Co., Beattie-Noble Ltd., Mrs. N. Hogarth, R.P.
Moffatt, Patricia Confectionery and Tea Room, W.W. Kilby, Kootenay
Telephone Lines, G. Leask, Bert Jones, the Rotary Club, Mannings Limited,
Cranbrook Drug and Book Company, Cameron and Sang, Frank Roberts, Hanson
Garage, A. Earle Leigh, Raworth Bros., Mrs. W.J. Barber, Photocrafts, and
A. Hara, and last nut not least the general public whose hearty support
toward these community ventures helps to make Cranbrook a better town in
which to live.
*Kimberley Night*
The opening night of the show, Thursday, was Kimberley night, when a
special train from that town brought into the city 130 persons for the
performance, which included a number from Wycliffe and Marysville. The
Gyro club wish to publicly thank their fellow Gyros from Kimberley for
organizing the party and the interest shown in the success of "The Beauty
Shop."