Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-27
ADJUSTMENTS
BelaSco.

Marriage a la Carte.'' The title has
a reckless. almost an abandoned sound
1t suggests a problem play with jingles
instead Of episrams. laughter instead OF
tears and an atmosphere of gleeful syn
icism The piece is jinglesome. laugh
provoking and epigrammatic, but it isn't
problematic-not a bit OF it. Nor is it
cynical. On the contrary it is brimful
OF the good old-fashioned sentiment
which prompts the lordly though juvenile
hero to wed the girl Of his choice, even
though she be wire-walker in a circus.
ana winch compelS the author to dis
cover suitable parentage for her such
as will prevent English society from be-
ing shocked by the alliance. This bare
outline of plot can give no suggestion Of
Its It's, possibilities in the way Of fanciful
quip and quaint rhyming c. NJ. S. Nc
Cleiiand used to disguise his identity I'M
der the name of Hugh Morton and pro-
vlded the literary foundation for some of
the most dazzling Of the Casino successes
i'm New York. Several of them had their
ilrst presentation in the theater where
Marriage la Carte is now being trans
planted to American soil
The piece is interesting as musical
comedy la Liebler & CO.. These legiti-
mate dramatic producers when they de-
eide to go into musical comedy go in
With landslide proportions and velocity
Inc production last night was brilliant.
yet tasteful. The stage pictures had
every advantage that light and color
could bestow. yet there was not q touch
or garishness. The representation gets
away from the trite and stalwart amazon
narcher, the sauzy danseuse and the
Young women of the company wear beau
tlful gowns with an air of accustomed
ease that make them more alluring to
the eye than all the tricks and fantasies
fh1. doc
invent.
There is company of principals who
drift to the center of the stage and away
again with a steady and varied supply OF
song and smartness. Harry Conor has a
hllariously comic part, and rings UP a
liberal total i'm the laugh register even
though his first-night nervousness occa-
s1onally caused him to suffer from a sort
OF lnsrowing enunciation.
CHARLES Brown, as the silly but genial
British dawdler. is amusing, and his
song. 'Cassie's Not a Bit Like Mother"
was one of the jolliest episodes of the
evening Elsie Ryan, whose diamond
garter was dashingly distinct in one of
~ subdued at the outset, but she came
into her own later in whirlwtnd polka
number entitled Captain Dinkelpop."
which she danced with such abandon as
70 leave the stage strcwn with beauteous
golden tresses OF the latest mode And
there were good-lookins young men who
sang well. and iraScible old parties who
warped the hopes OF young lovers, and all
the rest of a musical comedy complement
But Of the aggregation little Emmy
Wehlen is the star
\ wonderful little actress, the possessor
Of voice of rare sweetness, whose
powers she knows how to avoid over
taxing, with personality whose come
hness combines poise with piquant grace,
Miss Wehlen stepped into instant popu-
larity. She has the genuine art which
compels admiration, and with it a SIM
pie grace that wins the affections Of an
audience.
The music. by Ivan Caryll, was played
by AN orchestra SO large and competent
that the impression could not fail to be
agreeable. it has a goodly share of
brisk tunefulness and frequently reaches
attitudes OF solid and sincere musician
ship.
The performance ran till almost mid
night. and George c. Tyler. who Is pro-
REASONABLY known as alias Liebler &
Co." was on hand as relentless as
Father Time with the hour glass and
scythe, counting the minutes and looking
for superabundance to be mown away.
If all new performances were like MAR
riage a la Carte first night would
present its old-time destinations instead
of being. as it has so often proved, al
perilous and disappointing ordeal.