The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-11-11

WIZ
Il isn't surprising that Washington au-
diences are showing symptoms Of waning
interest in musical comedy. They have
had rather an oversupply OF it since the
season began. And what they have heard
has been mostly of a kind not entitled to
be called comedy at ALL 1t was really
cross between burlesdue and extravagan-
"a This class of entertainment must be
of the iightest, brightest, most frolicsOme
and whimsical sort, dashingiy done and
artisticaIly staged and costumed, to appeal
keeny TO the public. Like puns and revo-
lutions, musical burlesques and extrava-
ganzas are justified solely by the success
they have in accomplishing what they set
out 10 accomplish, which IN their case is
primarily to excite honest. genuine, and
infectious laughter. If they fail in this
there is no good reason for their existence.
They don't appeal to sentiment. as a true
comic opera may, and usually does, in
some degree, and as opera Of the higher
class always does both through its story
and its score. The difference Is akin to
that between seeing an exhibition Of fire.
works, brilliant bursts of unrelated and
unmeaning colors. and looking at a fine
picture In which the colOrs. brilliant as
they may be, serve only as aids TO the ef-
fective telling Of a moving story Of life.
Musical burleseues have no relation to
life. as rule not even the relation that a
really good caricature has to it. They are
almost pure inventions of fancy intended
l. hi L
agance, their buoyant disregard of what
may possibly happen in real life. In other
words. they make not the slightest appeal
to either reason or genuine sentiment, ex-
cept the sentiment Of the ridiculous. So,
If they aren't Enthusiastically funny, they
are tiresosle.
A true comic opera may be Z. success.
although not so very comic. because II
may tell a story that is in a way interest
ing and nearly always makes more OF less
OF an appeal to sentiment A comic opera.
that IS. isn't all trimming. II has soma
substance 10 it. The musical burlesdue
and extravaganza is a mere mass Of trim
ming. If the trimming isn't first rate.
there's nothing left. TO look beyond TO.
common as one might think. This IS
shown by the rather small number OF the
many musical burIesques and extravagan-
zas we have had of late years that have
really been successful Yet fortune were
spent on the trimming of which they con-
sisted, and all the allied arts Of the stage
have been drawn on without stint TO make
Them. As a rule they have been monu-
ments To misguided enterprise. The same
expenditure Of ingenuity, craftsmanship
and money would have produced much
larger percentage Of real successes in
almost any other line of theatrical effort
The musical comedy. as 1t is now called.
is the ignis fatuus Of the theatrical specu-
lator. 1t has lured many OF them to their
financial destruction. And this season il
seems 10 be working over time.
In a comedy by Sardou one has learned
to look for more cleverness and wit than
the lines of The Love Letter." seen at
the Belaseo last week, contain. The dia-
logue Of the piece is by no means dull OF
commonplace, but it hasn't the sparkling,
spontaneous brilliancy that distinguishes
many Of the earlier works of the great
French playwright Perhaps this was to
be expected in one of the latest produc-
tons Of man who is in his eightieth
year and has been turning out material
for the stage for more than half a cen
fury. Il might be expected. especially In
a work Of the character OF The Love
Letter" whose theme could hardly ap-
peal keenly 10 a very old man
Probably much of the deficiency in the
lines OF the comedy may also be due &C
the severe excelsior to which they were
subjected in order TO render them en-.
tirely proper for American ears 10 heal
in the theater. This excelsior was ex
tensive and radical. It is said, as tn,
French original, la Piste," handled tn.
subjects Of marriage and divorce with
freedom unusual even with SardOu
The veteran playwright allowed his wi
the freest play in suggesting the possibl,
complications that might beset divorce,
persons who remarked. and satiriZed I'm
mercifully the hypocrisy of European so
eiety with relation to cOnjugal fidelity
Much of this had to be stricken out b,
the translator and adapteT, hence tn
brilliant but decidedly risdue dialogue 0
the original disappeared in large part an,
had to be supplied with material that il
the nature OF things could not be as cleve
or spontaneous. Almost all the suggestive
dialogue IN 'The Love Letter has bee
given over 10 Cousin PotaTd. accompanies
by a breezy, constantly recurring laugh a
a sort OF dntidOte.
It's an infrequent If not an iii win
these days that doesn't blow a forelg
player, singer, or artist OF some sort {
these shores. American managers and i'm
presRrios seem to be ransacking the re
hottest regions Of the earth, civilized, half
civilized. and uncivilized, for people VII
can do something in the amusement lin
calculated TO entice the abundant doIla
from the gaping pocket of the public. tn
countries OF Europe from the Meditel
ranean 10 the arctic, from the Atlanti
20 the Ural Mountains, have been gon