Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 31, DeMotte, Jasper County, 1 July 1949 — MUSICAL PAGEANT STARTS AT PURDUE STADIUM SATURDAY [ARTICLE]

MUSICAL PAGEANT STARTS AT PURDUE STADIUM SATURDAY

musical show of Indiana history, “The Pioneer Glory,” opens Saturday night for a nine-night run in Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium in Lafayette. More than 200 talented yqyngsters elected from high schools throughout Indiana, are on the Purdue campus this week rehearsing for the show under professional direction. Many have worked in units in their home towns for the past few weeks, readying themselves for final rehearsals. Howard Tooley, New York showman and writer-director of the pageant, is directing rehearsals. The show will be presented at 8:30 p.m., DST, from Saturday through the Sunday of the week following July 2 through 10). General admission price will be 50 cents for school pupils any night. For adults they will be $1 on Saturdays, Sundays and July 4, and 75 cents on all other nights. A rain check ticket system will be used in case of any weather interference. The first statewide, civic production of its kind, “The Pioneer Glory” is intended to become an annual summer show in Indiana. Gate receipts will be used to produce the show again next summer in another Indiana city. The treasury for this first production was contributed by personal and business donors interested in the pageant becoming a permanent Indiana institution. The show is expected to rate as a real-professional production because of the selected talent, its direction ,and colorful theatrical

costumes and scenery. It was written to tell the story of Indiana rapidly, unfolding events of 270 years with drama, stage action, song and narration. The show will parade Indians, pioneers, soldiers of several wars, folk and ballet dancers and singers. Scenes call for horses and ancient carriages and wagons and automobiles. The featured battle* scene is a reproduction of the Battle of Tippecanoe. Another scene reproduces the Indianapolis Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, using members of the cast in a j tableau imitating the home-com- | ing segement on the monument’s ; west base. Bands and choruses in the show , are from Anderson, Kendallville, I Madison, Lafayette,, West Lafayi ette, Columbia City and IndianapI olis. Assistant directors are mainI Iv high school arts directors. They 1 are: Melva Shell Crain, IndianI apolis, director of personel; Mary Ruth Palmer. Anderson, and Harold Rothert. Madison, choral directors; Dorothy Braum Marshall, Orleans, director of folk dances, and Margaret Reed, Connersville. dance director. Band directors will be B. A. McAdams, Lafayette and Marshall West Lafayette. Sponsors of the production are the Pioneer Glory Association, a non-profit corporation; the Indiana State Teachers Association I and the Indiana State Chamber , of Commerce. Governor Henry F. ; Schricker is honorary chairman of ; the permanent Committee backing i the show and Anton Hulman, jr., Terre Haute, is chairman.

Mr. and slrs. Marvin Kessinger and sons are vacationing at Freeman L«ke this week. The bridge club was entertained by Mrs. Thelma Hollyday last Friday. Prize- were won by Norma Thorsen. Fay Curtin, Cel 80l and Lois Bunning.