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Dear Playbill...

Dear PLAYBILL: In the February 1991 Dear Playbill column, readers were invited to identify the poem read by Michael Allinson in Shadowlands, containing this last line: "And the pig got up and slowly walked away." The title of the poem is "Judged By The Company One Keeps," and the author is unknown. The poem appears in The Norton Book of Light Verse edited by Russell Baker and in The Best Loved Poems Of The American People edited by Hazel Felleman.
-Lynne Winkler
New City, NY

We have received many responses to this question, and we are grateful to all who replied. According to another reader, the poem was also published in A Century of Humorous Verse--1850-1950 edited by Roger Lancelyn Green. A number of other readers identified this verse as "The Pig and the Inebriate," a music hall and college song. Take your pick.
* * *
Dear PLAYBILL: In the December 1990 Dear Playbill column, it was explained that there is no species of cat called "Jellicle," as presented in the musical Cats. I agree that the word was coined by T.S. Eliot, whose work, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, inspired this musical. But perhaps your readers will be interested to know that Eliot heard this word from his young niece, who sounded as if she were saying "Jellicle cat" whenever she called for her "dear little cat" and "Pollicle dog" whenever she called for her "poor little puppy."
-L. Goodman
New York, NY

Out of the mouths of babes!
* * *
Dear PLAYBILL: In the PLAYBILL for Fiddler on the Roof, it is stated in Who's Who in the Cast that Ruth Jaroslow has played Yente, the Matchmaker, for all Broadway productions of this show. However, on the original cast album, recorded when the

show first opened in 1964, Beatrice Arthur is heard as Yente. Can you explain this?
-John F. O'Donnell
East Northport, NY

The information in PLAYBILL is correct. No claim is made that the actress "originated" the role of Yente in the original production. Ms. Jaroslow was one of the actresses who succeeded Beatrice Arthur in the role. As reported, she has played Yente in all Broadway productions of this musical.
* * *
Dear PLAYBILL: Please settle an argument. My friend insists that she saw Beatrice Arthur play the title role in the musical Mame. She is under the delusion that Ms. Arthur was Angela Lansbury's understudy in the show and went on for her at the performance she attended. I say that Ms. Arthur played Vera and never Mame. Who's right?
-Susan Lowenstein
New York, NY

You're right. Sheila Smith was understudy to both Ms. Lansbury and Ms. Arthur. She played Mame for two weeks in 1967 when Ms. Lansbury went on vacation and played Vera later that year when Ms. Arthur took her holiday. Your friend undoubtedly saw Sheila Smith as Mame.
* * *
Dear PLAYBILL: Frankly, I'm confused. I saw City of Angels the other night, and the actress who plays the dual roles of Bobbi and Gabby is listed in the cast credits as Kay McClelland. However, elsewhere in PLAYBILL in Theatregoer's Notebook, there is a photo of her, and she's identified as Fay McClelland. Does she play a dual role in real life, too?
-Theresa Natalicchio
New York, NY

No. We regret the error in Theatregoer's Notebook. She's definitely Kay not Fay.

PLAYBILL, Dept. D.P. 71 Vanderbilt Avenue, Have a question about the theatre? Write to Suite 320, New York, N.Y. 10169

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