The Washington herald., 1910-12-27
THE BELAsCO.


marriage a. IA OaEfcs
one OF the cleanest, freshest, brightest
and eleverest of musical shows in recent
years is Marriage a Ia Carte" produced
for the first time on any stage at th'
Belasco Theater last night before ca
pacity audience. It was proved last nigh
at this production that the old saw is no
true, and that one can have too much Of
a good thing. for the audience was Sc
enthusiastic over the earlier numbers
the bright songs, the clever music, and
the skill OF the artist, that not a single
number escaped an encore-nOt the usua
perfunctory eneores, but the kind
where the people OF the stage are trying
10 get along, but simply can't proceed be
cause Of the noise the audience is max
ing. The result was-although the piece
is undoubtedly too long in itself-that it
was hard upon midnight when the final
curtain fell
This new musical comedy-which morS
nearly appr0Gimates what a comic opera
should be than most OF the things man
esers have been producing in late years
is BY c. NJ. S. Mcclellan. who wrote The
Belle or New York" and Leah Klesch-
ner' the music by Ivan CaryIl. composer
CT several popular and worthy musical
plays, and whoa very picturesque fig
ure-personally conducted last night the
largely augmented orchestra
In Marriage a Ia Carte" the story is
of a wife who was so engrOssed with
her oWn Importance that there was very
little chance for the mere husband. or,
10 quote the language used by Jimmy
her son, Twenty years ago my mother,
Mrs Wragge. married Napoleon Pettin-
gill In three years Napoleon took TO the
woods, There were two children. a boy
and a girl Pettlngil took away the girl
and left the boy behind I was the boy.
Mother got a divorce, and then she heard
that father had died. So she married
Ponsonby de Coutts Wragge, Then
Wragge took 10 the woods"
AS IL happens, the gentleman 10 whom
this bit of domestic inseiicitous history
is related is none other than Napoleon
Pettingil himself. who since his taking
TO the woods. has blOssOmed out as the
proprietor of a travelling attraction. in
which his daughter ROsalie does a wire
walking speciality between times of
breaking the hearts OF all the males with
whom she is thrown in contact Acct
dent has brought Pettingill and his
troupe 10 the gates Of Tottminster Hail.
the home of Mrs. Wragge. and accident
later produces POnsOnby de Coutts
Wragge who has embraced the honor
able calling OF a minstrel The efforts
Of these gentlemen at escape when they
learn the identity Of the mistress Of the
hall. contribute largely 10 the comedy
OF the piece. Mrs. Wragge likewise, IS
not too eager to renew acquaintance once
she has identified the visitors as former
lords Of her heart.
The story is carried consistently
through from start to finish. told in both
song and dialogue II is fun Of funny
complications, provocative OF laughter,
and during the entire piece-as might be
expected from a production bearing the
cachet of LiebIer AZ Co.-there is not the
slightest vulgarity or unwholesome
thought
II wifi be found I think, not only
that Marriage q Ia Carte" Is to turn
out one of the great big successes in the
musical line-pTobably as big a popular
success as THE Merry Widow~-but it
is likely 10 be thought of always as the
means OF introducing 10 the American
public one OF the daintiest and most
graceful performers, cleverest little ae-
tresses. and most charming singers that
IL has had the pleasure OF seeing for a
long time Miss Emmy Wehlen, who IS
making her first appearance in America,
IS not heralded as the star OF this show,
but she is that by rights; and though
she was the center e a company OF most
clever artists, her work stood out and
beyond that If all the rest
Harry ConOr is the chief comedian OF
the company, and he has a great oppor-
tunlty. which ne handled fairly well. but
into which. undoubtedly he VIII work
much better ere long. Another performer
whose work stood out most strikingly,
especially in a mighty clever song in the
second act was Charles Brown Miss
Elsa Ryan has part that allows her TO
display her unusual quality Of Cleverness,
and others on the bill whose work aided
20 make the show the big success it is,
were C.. Morton Horne. Harold Wizard,
Esther Eissett, Marie Ashton. Cyril
Chadwick and Norman A. Blume.
At this late hour We have not time TO
speak OF the stage effects that are really
wonderful, or the costumes which have
never been beaten in any such pro
duction. The piece has been staged most
generously, the pictures ara superb.
From beginning 10 end of this piece
brains are in evidence. The music is Of
much higher class than that Of the usual
musical comedy; the book is really sane,
and contains genuine comedy, not horse
play There are a dozen numbers in
Marriage a h Carte" that viii be whis-
tied and sung and played In the cafes
ana, though undoubtedly the piece will
have to be shortened. we imagine that
the greatest task for the producers viii
be TO know what 10 saCTihCe out OF the
budget of things, all Of which are good
HECTOR FULLER.