The Washington herald., 1913-10-14
COLUMBIA.
Lima ASArbaneIl In 4.rhe RED
CanaFy..

Ouu4-E
.'The Red Canary" new musical play,
which had its premiere in Baltimore a
Couple of weeks ago. and began weeks
engagement last night at the Columbia
Theater. is girlie-giriie show with mu-
steal theme which fecurs throughout the
two acts with the persistency Of q last
years bill. presenting a thread Of story
which is novel in conception, affording the
raison d'etre of a multitude of effective
sartorial conceits.
The central idea Is that colors affect
the emotions. Monsieur Donnet has won
so wide fame for the brilliant coloring
pf his scarfs that Jane, the young woman
"a buyer for an American firm, is attracted
10 his Partisan establishment, where the
eolor-master takes a great fancy to her,
and a still greater liking to her mother.
He confides to the girl his secret of COM
pounding colors, and his hope of finding
the right shade to compel love when a
blue canary is brought TO his studio from
''The Garden of Birds" because its odd
shade of blue makes folk fall In love,
marry, and desert the garden to the finan-
cial loss of its owner.
Hunter Upjohn, young American, who
is as insensible to color as a purblind
= mule, follows Jane to the shop of Dom
net and mikes things considerably by
dyeing the bird crimson and letting 1t
fly away, resulting in complications both
romantic and humorous.
The book. which is accredited to Alex
ander Johnstone and William LIE Baron.
Is transparently thin. The lyrics are by
Will B. Johnstone. The music, for which
= Harold Orlob is responsible, ranges from
syncopated rag to romantic melodies.
which are dominated by 'The Love Blue"
waltz song, just in the manner that
Madame Sherry has as its pivot the
Every Little Movement theme.
Also just as Miss Lima Abarbanell won
fame for Madame Sherry" by her rem
dition of its dominating melody, SO is
she likely to popularize THE Red Ca
nary by her singing of The Love
Blue" the single number of the operetta
in which any suspicion Of a tender quail
ity crept into her voice last night
Miss Abarbanell impersonated Jane, the
American buyer, and is the featured
member of the cast-just why ! spent
the three hours consumed in the presenta-
ton of the piece in an effort to find out
without success The Viennese prina
donna has a highly cultivated, clear
yoice-in quality, metallic, which Is just
another way of saying that it lacks the
fender tone 50 necessary to the inter
probation of the popular brand Of mu-
Red Canary" are constructed. Already
1 have made an exception-''The Love
Blue" song-the best of Miss Abarbanell's
offerings last evening.
David Reese, who carries the lead
ing male role, has a clear tenor Of
excellent calibre and great sweetness,
which Is at its best in the "Color-Mix-
ing Scene" and his Domino Solo,"
To John Hendricks, as Donnet, the
scarf merchant, falls one Of the song
hits OF the production, the solo num-
Der entitled t"The Call. of Love-" ef-
fectiveIy rendered last evening.
Chic, charming little Miss Mana zuc-
ca won distinctive personal success last
night, being forced TO respond TO the
enthusiastic encores of large audi
ence many times, a fact due more to
personal charm than to any pronounced
vocal ability.
Miss Nita Allen, as Frizette, a fol-
lower of Donnet's art. is easily the hit
of THE Red Canary" tickling the risi
bilities of her audience with drollery
which is as wholly, Of her own making
as il is irresistible. If Miss Allen was
left alone for half an hour on the des-
ert sands with the Sphinx it is quite
conceivable that she would have the
thing grinning from ear to ear. She
is a comedienne to her finger tips, and !
extracts all the humor the authors OF ,
Ile new cOneQy ever COHCtiNSQ II
and then some.
OF the other principals, T. Roy Barnes,
as the color-blind American, has the !
thankless task of making fun out of
material notably lacking in humor, an |
undertaking impossible of success for |
any comedian. Adding to the color OF
the performance are Miss Millicent Rutty, |
Miss Bessie Crawford, Adrian Bellevue. |
Charles Meyers, George z. Roman, and |
a chorus, the female contingent Of which |
is attractively young, pretty and daint- |
ny gowned, while the male element is |
about as puerile as one can well imagine. |
The staging of 1.-THE Red Canary is 1
very effective, the symphonic pantomime
which opens the second act having won
a storm of applause last night from an
audience intent upon enjoyment
The tout ensemble of the piece is color
full, both as to point of music and good
production, and furnishes an evening OF
clean and forthy entertainment, hung on
a thread of romance which has a sum-
ciently unusual theme 10 appeal to the
of the onlooker.
JULIA CHANDLER MANI.