New Revue in Manhattan

Tickets, Please! (produced by Arthur Klein) is that always attractive idea, an intimate revue. Its stars are those always entertaining zanies, the Hartmans, who are in excellent form. The pity is that the rest of the show constitutes a sort of conspiracy against them.

From having made a very good joke of ballroom dancing, Grace and Paul Hartman have learned to make an even better joke of themselves. They can still execute demented fandangos. In one scene, she is a madly determined Carmen to his befuddled Don Jose. They are most consistently amusing as a trademarked stage couple, she babbling, he blundering, she all fizz, he all curdle. Beyond that, there is Grace's invincible likeableness.

They need everything they have in Tickets Please!. At times even their own material deserts them, and little else is ever on their side. Jack Albertson has an engagingly easy manner; and Roger Price, a recurrent monologuist with a sketchbook, says some funny things, but by no means often enough. For the rest, a number of colorless young people romp around in various wobbly sketches and sing some tormentingly vapid love songs. Since the Hartmans are the whole show, it's too bad they aren't.

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