The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-04
THE STAGE
pErRoIr OPERA HOUSE.


Dimpled bare knees and Ralph
Herr will probably carry the latest
. musical farce TO come out OF Chr
cago, DIR. De Luxe" 10 success, tudg'
Ing from the reception given the bare
knees and Mr.. Herr. Monday evening,
In the Detroit opera house. Not that
the dimpled bare knees are Mr.. Herr s
appendages. Not at all. Mr.. Herr IL
respectably and fashionably garbed
In the most conventional clothes
tailor, who knows his business, can
. turn out for q particular customer.
The bare knees belong TO group OF
Riddles "-inore recent stage yernac'
ular for the chorus variety, hitherto
known as "broilers," squads ana
ponies"-who wear very juvenile
dresses that begin and end-well, Just
where the stage costumer intendel
they should. At any rate the KID
dies outdistance any other musicdl
comedy chorus up-to-date In the mat
ter Of abbreviated costume.
''Dr. De Luxe" was written for MI.
Herr and had its first hearing in two
or three tank towns last week. Inc
book was written by otto Haueraoch
and tho music by Karl Hoschna, who
were responsible for the popular
Mime. Sherry" which, by the way,
has not been seen on the Detroit
stage although its score Is in the
whistled.to-death class. The score or
"Dr. De Luxe is decidedly reminis'
cent OF Nine Sherry" although that
also means that II is tuneful and pret-
~. A song called For Every Boy
Who's Lonely, There's Girl Who's
Lonely Too" is twin sister TO Every
Little Movement Has a Meaning OF
It's Own" from Nine. Sherry" and,
like the latter, Is made to do duty
for the main motif Of the score
throughout
Although DR. De Luxe" Is still in
process of being whipped into shape,
the performance, Monday evening,
went with considerable dash and
swing. The situations belong TO the
exaggerated farce class, and the lines
are what is known as smart patter."
Mr.. Herr is an admirable comedian,
as all theatergoers know. He has the
center of the stage most OF the time
in "Dr. De Luxe" for which the audi
ence should be duly grateful. His
work Is of the sort that does not be-
come tiresome. He has several good
spoken" songs, and manages to go
through a whirl of ludicrous situa-
tons without once ruffling his smooth
ly plastered hair-what there is left
of tor wrinkling his immaculate
clothes. Mr.. Herr always looks fresh
from his ba-a-th, doncherknow," as
do most English comedians on our
American stage.
The plot in "Dr. De Luxe" Is as
thick as a London fog and 1t takes
such devious and tortuous roads that
IL would be useless TO take up with
an idea OF unrayeling IL inside the
time limit. Suffice TO say that II
starts OF in DIR. De Paws Pet EN-
porium, In q fashionable district just
OF Broadway, and goes on for two
more scenes In a doctors Office In
fashionable apartment house and on
the roof garden OF the fashionable
apartment house itself.
In the first scene, there are dogs
and dogs until the audience doesn't
know whether II Is looking at circus
or a vaudeville animal act. There are
also few cats to complete the do
mestic animal menagerie. The scene
is meant for satirical thrust at the
care and affection lavished by women
upon dogs and cats, while their chill
dren are left to care for themselves.
This idea gives an excuse for the In
production of the Riddles" The
.kiddies' song. That's The Way To
Treat A Little Doggie," and the stage
business and dance that went with 1t
caused even the blase theatergoer to
gasp at its daring display OF dimpled
knees and legs.
The cast Il large one, numbering
some quite well-known people For
instance. William Pruette, he Of the
deep bass voice, who made Il Want
What / Want When I Want Ie' fam
GUS, is In the company, but he doesn't
sing note. Mindell Kingston, known
to all vaudeyillegoers in Detroit, :s
another pleasing number. Ethel
Green plays the leading feminine role
with sweetness and charm and sings
the "For Every Boy That's" etc, etc,
song
The staging Is quite elaborate, with
very handsome gowns for the women
and q great deal of intricate carpen-
tering In the scenery
A large audience screamed with
laughter at most OF the doings. Mr..
Herr made threeline speech OF
thanks that was a model OF brief and
modest sincerity.
DIR. De Luxe" will stay all week with
matineesf ON Wednesday and Satur-
day.