Andre Delfau Becker's Bros Studio No. 04 [Sept 18, 1985]
This is tape number four, hour number four.
We're covering Andre Delpho's renderings here for the Tulsa Ballet.
I'm going to get that word correctly.
So this is tape number four and this will be for Tough Theater Video for Theathlon Productions The only thing we did was tone down some of the candles and add the flames.
The flames will be a very nice touch.
I think that would be a very nice touch.
Oh, you're getting him questions.
I'm not trying to get into the...
Do you like it? Of course, yes.
Can't wait to see it on stage now.
When will that be? October 5th.
Oh, you're going to send all this out to Tulsa? Someday before.
When was the last time that the show was done? 25 years ago.
It's going to be exciting to send all the stuff together again.
You toured every place, right? Yes.
It's very strange on an old ballet like that.
The only thing I remember about Alaska is that you had to pay $5 for a cup of coffee there.
I wanted to buy something typical of Alaska, so I bought a white fur hat.
I thought, this will look like Alaska now.
When I got home, I looked at it and it said, made in Paris.
Did you get to see the Aurora Borealis? No.
It was so cold when you went outside.
You had to cover your face all over.
But I went up all the way up to Juneau, Alaska, on that Inland Passage, the other time that I was there.
I forget what I was going to Juneau for.
You probably toured with Flannermouse.
But it was something, some sort of a tour.
But the Flannermouse? No, never.
You mean you haven't seen your design on stage? No, no.
In Paris, I give my design to Ruth.
So you've waited 25 years to see your show.
So, the costume wear I made in Paris.
We'll see those in Tulsa, yes.
Who made this down here? The scenery down here was originally constructed and built from this very studio.
Becker Brothers, yes, that's right.
I did a touch up on one of your other shows, by the way.
I think they ought to give us a new Nutcracker, don't you? I think that'd be wonderful.
I would love to have Andre design the new one.
Okay, Ruth, tell me where we are here.
What's the history of this place? Are you talking to me? Well, history of what place? Becker Brothers.
I don't know how I first happened to come here, but they build all my scenery for everything that I've done here.
I don't know if they did it for Nutcracker, because that's it.
Well, then this is the only place in Chicago, I guess.
How long has this place been here? Since what? How long has this place been here? That I couldn't tell you.
They told me I danced 60 years ago in Ravinea.
I don't know what that means, but anyway, I guess this was here then, too.
They probably built Frankie and Johnny and God knows what.
What did we do? They did a lot of the vaudeville.
I never did any vaudeville, but.
Well, they did vaudeville, they did opera, ballet.
Most theatrical -oriented things, yeah.
It was more or less the only place.
Are there other places? I don't know.
And it was still a family concert.
Well, you built the Nutcracker out here, then.
Well, the original show, yeah.
In fact, Brian's grandfather was here at that time and did that.
And the uncles and Brian's father.
Becker Brothers, yeah, I don't know.
I just trust them very, trust you with everything.
So Ruth, where does this go? Where does this fit? This piece right here.
Where does it fit in the ballet? Where is what? Where does this piece fit in the ballet? It's a scene in one, where they do it in front of this is a scene in one.
What is this supposed to be? We've never had it before, so I don't know.
What's it supposed to be, Andre? Between the act, between the first.
When we change scenes back of this.
They have to do some scenes in one while they change.
And the second and the third act.
So they just put this up or do they dance in front of this as well? Yes, they dance in front of it.
There are scenes in one in front of it.
Yes, because they have to change the scenery, you see.
Oh, the stuff is going on in the back of this.
The major sets are being changed while this is down.
It's better than to have an intermission, you see.
Also stuff that's going on on the stage.
And this is, I don't know where act two is.
Where's act two? This is all started.
What about the boudoir? That's act one.
I don't remember the town square.
Oh, yeah, where he does the little costume that comes out.
We haven't got anybody for that part yet.
What is involved, let me get out of my own shadow.
What would be involved, what is involved in painting something this big? How do you begin on something this big? Well, it's exactly the same thing except the movement you have to make bigger.
Exactly the same as painting a very small picture.
Excuse me? Start over once more.
Oh, well, it's exactly the same as painting a small picture except of course you need a bigger brush and the movements are bigger.
Like where? Like where on here? Well, you see, if you paint something small, you make small movements.
And if you paint something big, you have to make bigger movements, that's for sure.
Well, what about, do you have to know what the eye will see 50 feet away? Yes.
How do you adjust for that? Well, usually it's a kind of instinct, you see.
You don't put too much details because they won't be seen from the audience.
Are these of any particular period, the figure up there? Well, it's a kind of Rococo, a style of Viennese Rococo.
And what will happen to it after this? What has yet to be done on this? Is this complete? No, nothing.
Except the doors will be open so the dancers could come.
Where are the doors? Down there somewhere? How are they going to get it to Tulsa? I don't know.
I suppose they have a big truck in front.
Are you looking for the drawing? Donna, where's the drawing? It's by Bill.
There's more stuff back there for you to see.
If you want more light, please.
The original is in the Lincoln Library for Performing Arts in New York.
And they sent us some photographs of it.
And this is a photograph of my sketch, the sketch I made.
So you have the difference between...
It was a little bigger than that, but anyway, you have the difference between a sketch and the execution, you see.
Is it in the Rococo style? Yes, it's more English, kind of Adam's style.
Very ornate and elegant and gold everywhere.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that play.
It's a nice place, really nice.
They appreciate it, what they've got there.
The history is there for Joliet.
I know, I know, but now it's kind of falling apart.
And you have so many houses that are empty and things like that.
But you discover this fantastic place.
It's beautiful, isn't it? They're all wonderful little jewels like that around.
Well, they use it, they do a lot of...
A lot of things go there apparently.
He mentioned the Rialto and I have not really been down there to see it.
I've been through Joliet, but never to stop.
So if January, I hope to come.
Yes, I hope you do because it's really a lovely place.
And the ballet is going to be sensational.
The television, you use it all the time.
Yeah, we've done a lot of shows.
What was the last extravaganza? We did Tiana Warwick there, live.
Tiana Warwick of Manhattan Transfer.
Andre, are you ready for this? This is going to be a really hard question.
What is Bladermaus about? Oh, it says...
It came from a French vaudeville.
But the vaudeville was a play.
And in Vienna, they put music, the music by Strauss, you see.
And so it became an operetta in Vienna.
And they changed a little the story from the French play.
What is the story? Oh, that story is very complicated.
People who are there and who are not supposed to be there.
Do I ask you a question? No, no.
I'm going to ask you a question.
What is Bladermaus about? It's a very fully silly ballet.
It's about flirtations and disguises and husbands not recognizing their wives.
Suddenly deciding they'd been flirting with their own wife and they didn't know it because she was dressed differently or she had a mask on.
So it's Rosalinda and Adele, the maid, are the two principal ladies.
It doesn't amount to anything.