The Washington times., 1913-04-01
NORA BAYES PROVES
BELASCO SUCCESS
"Sun Dodgers" Without Much
Plot, But Full of "Pep,"
Music, and Laughs.

II there were skeptics in the audience
at the Belasco last night who did not
believe that Miss Nora Bayes could be
real star in a real show all by herself,
without the assistance Of her longtime
vaudeville partner. Jack Norworth, ii is
safe to gay these skeptics were in a
small minority at the end Of the first
act, and had all but vanished when the
performance of The Sun Dodgers
ended.
1t is hardly fair, however, to say that
Miss Bayes is a star all by herself in
The Sun Dodgers" She Is still the
same Nora. just as attractive and i'm
pulsve and bewitching as ever. But
Lew Fields has surrounded his star with
cast that is seldom seen in light
musical comedy.
Monroe Gets Many Laughs.
Indeed, il a division Of honors were
demanded, Miss Bayes would be closely
pushed for first place by George v. Mon
roe, who impersonates the widowed aunt
of the hero" of the play, and who is
worth something more than five million
dollars.
Admirably supported by Harry e.
Fisher, in the role Of the aunt's business
adviser, who always loses money for
her. Mr.. Monroe brought forth more
genuine, heartfelt laughs from the Be
lasco audience last night than Washing
ton has heard in many weeks.
THE Sun Dodgers is correctly classi-
fed on the program as a fanfare of
frivolity in two acts" with the book by
Edgar Smith and Mark Sawn and the
lyrics and music by E. Ray Goetz and
A. Baldwin Sloane To those who do
not know what a fanfare of frivolity'
is. it may be stated that it is a general
mixture of light musical comedy. Vaude-
Vile and burlesque. The burlesque.
however. is not of the kind that has
rather of the kind that made Weber
and Fields famous.
Star Defies Description.
To attempt to define the attractive
qualities of Nora Beyes would be to
attempt to write a psychological work In
some twenty-odd volumes. When you
come to analyze ii, you can't find II.
But it is there. Her features are not
classic yet they are pretty. Her voice
is not of the kind you hear in grand
opera, IL you ever hear grand opera, yet
ii is pleasing.
It is especially pleasing when she is
singing the songs she has delighted the
vaudeville world with for SO many
years. But her personality; there is
where Nora Bayes defies all powers Of
personality correctly and no one can
ever define Nora Bayes. One thing you
can say for her. she has the pep.
As to Jack Norworth. who is absent.
! his place is admirably filled by Harry
Clark, who takes the part of a leading
spirit in the Sun Dodgers, whatever
| that may mean. Anyway. he plays op-
posite Miss Bayes and sings with her.
and was entirely acceptable to last
nights audience. which packed the
thearer to capacity.
Miss Bayes Encored Repeatedly.
II is unfortunate that Miss Bayes is
not supplied with more good songs.
! Apple Blossom Time in Normandy"
which she sings with Mr.. Clarke. is the
one piece in the show that properly dis
plays her abilities. But when. after
! she sings The Pinkerton Detective
Moon" in the last act, she encores it
with Has Anybody Here Seen Kelley"
she becomes the Nora Bayes everybody
who went TO the high-class vaudeville
knew. She becomes a part of the audi
| ence, and asks her friends In it. What
| do you want?
She sang, in addition to Kelley"
shine On, Harvest Moon with Mr..
Clarke. young America" I've a
Garden in sweden, ana since Mothe:
! Was Girl" And the audience kept
clamoring for more until the last cur
tain went down a few secapds later.
The plot? Oh, there isn't any plot. 1t
has something to do with a bunch Of
! New Workers who want to sleep all day
and stay up all night and adopt sun
lodging as their motto But IL You 90
to the play you will not worry about
the plot. And you will not worry about
anything else. for The Sun Dodgers
is one OF those typical Lew Fields shows
| that has the punch, and when Miss
Nora Bayes' punch is added to it. you
are bound to leave the theater with a
good taste in your mouth