The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-15

season there have been comparativelJ few musical shows put on the boards due no doubt to the enormous amount of money involved, when piece O. this kind fails-and failures are yer,
 common.
 But the managers are beginning tc
 take heart and several good musica productions have been put on tn:
 boards.
 II At the Casino theatre Marriage A Ls 1 Carte" has been given its first metro l politan presentation, introducing 6 charming new musical comedy star b, I the name of Emmy Whelen, who comes
 all the way from Vienna, while Els Janis has opened at the Globe theatre l in a new>> musical piece entitled "Ths
 Slim Princess" the libretto being taker 1 from George Ade's book of the same | name.
 Revivals are also in order. At the 1 Empire theatre Miss Ethel Barrymore l is appearing in Sir Arthur Pinero's old | time comedy, "Trelawney of the Wells
 while Dustin Farnum and an all-stal cast" are presenting '"rhe Squaw Man. | which met with such great success | four years ago at the Broadway the atre.
 The new pieces are reviewed below. "Marriage a La Carte" l Broadway has @ number of Vten- nesse operas, but there Is only one Viennesse star shining in its brilliant Armament This Is Miss Emmy Wehlen who made her New York debut in Mar riagc A La Carte," a new musica piece, which recently had its premier
 at the Casino tn eatre.
 l Besides her physical attractions ane
 exceptional vocal ability, she can act | which is out of the ordinary for a pres ent day musical comedy star She Is
 also a very graceful dancer and has | a personality that reaches across the I footlights.
 But while Miss Wehlen is the great est attraction in the new piece, she is | by no means the only one. There is dainty little Elsa Ryan, who does not get much of an opportunity until the second act, when she scores great 1 hit by singing and dancing Captain l Dinklepop and Miss Frances Reeve who displays her statuesque beauty to 1 good effect in the role of Isoult Punch | um.
 Marriage A La Carte" is the com l bined works of C. H. s. Mcclellan and l sible for the book and the latter for
 the music. Despite the fact that MT. Mcclellan wrote The Belle of New 1 York; and is an American, his new piece is English throughout. The hu- nor is English and although the lines are clever, they would be more appre- ciated on the other side of the water | The music has plenty of vim and con- | tains many ear-tickling tunes Such pieces as Smile, Smile Smile" "Oh, Rosalio," Captain Dinklepop" and
 What's the Use of Going to Bed?' promise to become popular among the whistling element.
 There is also a large chorus of pret- | ty girls, and an excellent orchestra un-
 der MT Cary1ls personal direction. | It may have been the knowledge that he had written a naughty play that caused Philip Bartholomae's tongue to cleve to the roof of his mouth. when
 he was led out before a cheering au-
 dience the other night at the Hackett theatre, on the evening of the premier performance of his first play. For his flight may have only been due to a bad case of stage fright. Whatever the cause, 1t was most effective, as all he could do was to grin and bow until MT. W. A. Brady mercifully led him l off.
 | But MT. Bartholomae may be par doned for his embarrassment. He is
 just out of college. and by the time he
 has written more plays and better
 ones, the fear of curtain call will have passed away.
 | "Overnight"
 overnight" the name of the new piece, Is described as a farcicaI comedy and although the piece in many places | reveals a lack of experience on the part
 of the young author it is filled with some extremely funny situations. A
 few of these are slightly suggestive, and
 border on the vulgar, but by careful
 application of the' pruning knife, the offensive parts could be eliminated
 without any loss of effect.
 overnight" begins In the afternoon, and the curtain rising to the music O, a lusty steamboat whistle, shows an | enclosed part of the deck of the Albany Day Line S. s. Hendrick Hudson, at her Poughkeepsie pier. Booked for the passage are two bridal couples, Rich- ard Kettle, timid, lisping, and really very much afraid of his suffragette wife, Georgina. who towers above him. and Percy Darling, his classmate in Yale days. who Is big and gruff and | protesting towards the little woman | in pink who has just married him, and who wouldn't vote if she could. Of course, some baggage is left behind and the two stalwarts, the big man and the big woman. run from the pier | to recover it leaving Richard Kettle to l take care of Elsie Darling
 | The boat started on up the river with I the couples thus rearranged and the two | that are safely on board are miserable 1 It is at the Rip Van Wrinkle inn that | their determination to bluff out the mis-
 take until Georgina and Percy catch ur
 with them brings confusion piling upon l confusion, and brings out some situa- | tions that made the audience gasp al
 their daring. These points are glided l over very hastily, and the play reaches 1 its climax with the arrival next morn l ing of the furious Georgina and the storming Percy. They, too, have been
 mistaken for man and wife, and they l have not enjoyed 1t.
 l The situation in the fact of it is bad
 but satisfactory explanations are made l through the medium of a hypnotist, and
 the happy pairs are reunited. l The cast is an excellent one. Jear l Newcombe and Margaret Lawrence play | ed the roles of the young brides, while | Herbert Foot and Robert Kelly are very 1 good as the grooms. Arthur F. Ayes. l worth is very good as the hotel clerk and John Morton deserves mention fol
 his impersonation of the role of the
 steward.
 | overnight" for the first attempt, is
 most commendable, and we hope to heal
 from Its young author again. I "The Trelawny of the Wells" Il Sir Arthur Pinero has written many
 successful plays, but none more whole
 some and good humored than his Ire
 lawny of the Wells.' If he had writer
 nothing else. this piece alone would have
 won him undying fame
 Charles Frohman deserves praise fol
 his excellent revival of this old Englisf
 piece, which is now being played at the
 Empire theatre with Ethel Barrymors in tha JoadipO rolo