ˈɔːl ðə pɑːɹtˈɪsɪpənts wɜː mˈɪdʒɪts ðæt dʒˈɛst hæd bɹˈɔːt fɹʌm dʒˈɜːməni, ænd ðɪ ɛntˈaɪɚ pɹˈɑːdʒɛkt wʌz sˈiːn æz ɐ tˈɔːdɹi fɹˈiːk ʃˈoʊ, ɐ sˈæd kˈɑːməntˌɛɹi ɔnðə lˈaɪf ʌvðə pɹədˈuːsɚ hˈuː, ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti z, hæd ˌɪntɹədˈuːst ɐmˈɛɹɪkə tə jˌʊɹɹəpˈiən hˈaɪ ˈɑːɹt.
All the participants were midgets that Gest had brought from Germany, and the entire project was seen as a tawdry freak show, a sad commentary on the life of the producer who, in the 1920s, had introduced America to European high art.