New Show in Queens

Except for the Aquacade, last season's New York World's Fair had a pretty shoddy amusement area. This season, sadder but wiser Fair officials decided to shoot the works along the Midway with a $600,000 supercolossal patriotic spectacle, American Jubilee, which would be a small fair in itself.

Last month union troubles threatened to kill American Jubilee off, but were finally ironed out. When the Fair opened last week, American Jubilee opened with it. Supercolossal it is: on a 300-ft. outdoor stage, in a blinding light, over 300 people march, waltz, sing, clown, wave flags, ride horseback, bicycles, automobiles, to the crashing of a tremendous band. Washington is inaugurated, Jenny Lind warbles, Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address, Lillian Russell & Diamond Jim Brady roll up to Rector's in a victoria, T. R. leads his Rough Riders, and in a stand-up-and-cheer finale, Mr. X is inaugurated President in 1941.

As a spectacle, American Jubilee lacks the originality of an Aquacade, the excitement of a Railroads on Parade; it is simply an old-fashioned patriotic pageant in newfangled clothes. Many of the spectacles are too big to form effective patterns; much of the music is spoiled by being too loud. Least hackneyed of its exhibits is a monster bicycle ballet; best of its Arthur Schwartz tunes is Jenny Lind's melting How Can I Ever Be Alone?; most atmospheric thing are its sets, reproducing such bygones as Federal Hall, Barnum's Museum, the old Astor House. On opening night wind & rain turned the stage into a Great Wet Way, drenched hundreds of bright costumes, ripped Lillian Russell's magnificent white-plumed hat right off her pretty head.

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