New-York tribune., 1911-11-28
CAST OF "BoccACCIo.
MLITTLE BOY BLUE" IS SUNG
Romantic Operetta at the Lyric
Theatre Well Received.

Little Boy Blue" blew his horn so
Justify and cheerly last night at the Lyric
Theatre that ii is probable that he Will
continue to blow 1t there each night for
many weeks TO come. Which all means
that Little Boy Blue" a romantic ope-
retta in two acts, music by Henri Bereny.
book by Rudolph Schanzer and Carl LIN
dau, American adaptation by A. l..
Thomas and Edward 4. Paulton. was pro-
duced at that theatre last night
The operetta, under the title Of Lord
Piccolo." has been sung with much sue
cess in Europe, but last nights version
was so changed that aside from the music
and the plot. it was largely a native pro-
duct.
Both Mr.. Thomas and MIR. Paulton are
to be congratulated on sending over the
footlights so many airy shafts Of laughter
that winged themselves straight into the
audiences collective fUnnybone.
Just I'm what category 10 place the pro-
ductlon would be difficult 10 decide, II
started out rip-roaring Broadway musical
comedy. with the Bal Tabarin for setting
and the prettiest chorus that New YORK
has seen for many day In fact. the girls
were altogether too pretty for the Tabarin'
for which anomaly, however, the audience
abundanty forEave the management.
Then there were Miss Maude Odell. as a
temperamental fortune teller; otis Harlan.
rs a fat detective. and John Dunsmure. as
the Earl Of Goberdeen. Mr.. Dunsmure
surely looked the Highland laird every six
feet four OF him. and MS voice, TOO, was a
good one.
As for Miss Odell and Mr.. Harlan, they
kept getting funnier ana funnier, until their
climax came in the whistling duet The
Two Cockatoos." in which Miss Cdell, by
the way. was quite tie most gorgeous look
ing feathered denizen Of the tropics that
has arrived in New York this season.
But in the second act, laid in the High
lands Of Scotland. the music and story
sobered themselves into what was really
light opera. until kilt and tartan and clay
more made the stage look quite like an act
from Lucia
The finale was especially effective. and
the pipers made a brave showing, and the
curtain descended upon round after round
of hearty. we'll deserved applause.
There was real story TO the operetta.
and in the last act it took on considerable
[
disported herself very prettly as the sup
posed heir to the earldom Of Goberdeen.
The music, too, was catchy enough,
though IL was born or a dozen mothers and
fathers. and Arthur Weld made the most Of
its tunes. But after all. what the audience
enjoyed were the antics Of Mr.. Harlan and
Miss Odell and the girls-and their kits.
There was a pony double sextet ballet
Of girls. who danced az well as they looked
and that. in the parlance Of Broadway.
was going some"
So those who like pretty girls and far
cical comedy that is really funny, and
lines that are witty and yet not coined for
the express enjoyment Of the uplifters OF
the drama, will probably HE themselves
for some time TO come in long. unbroken
lines 10 the Lyric Theatre.
They won't ind always Sunday school
entertainment. but they won't find vul-
garity, and that. I'm this day and genera
ton. is surely a thing for thankfulness.
In short. Little Boy Blue proves that
the hielands o Scotland are braw, Draw
land.