New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-05
"Suzi" and "The Only Girl"
Both Pleasing in a Diff
ferent Fashion.
JOSE COLLINS THE
STAR OF "SUZI"
Vida Bennett Appears in a De-
lightful Combination of
Comedy and Music.
BY HECTOR TURNBULL.

hibHN, seeuo ilhtiy W HhNS buC
cessful run. 1t has its dull mo.
ments, like most of our elaborate
musical shows, but these can be
frightened without difficulty, and even
as IL stands it is well worth a visit
just for the sake of its pair of Eng
lish comedians and the pleasing score
This somewhat qualified opinion, how.
ever, is ours alone, and one evidently
that was not shared by the joyful band
Of first nighters who made the election
din in the streets sound like a mere
whisper compared TO their vociferous
welcome. One man in particular, whose
taste for musical comedy is as cultivat-
ed as that Of professional testers
taste for tea. informed us that it was O
great all-around show, and he was go.
ing again on Saturday" We admit
without a single regret that he is the
better judge.
Sui is an Hungarian importation
booked and lyricized by the versatile
Otto Hauerbach and staged by George
Marion, who loves high lights and
bright colors. 1t is obliged to tell
something of t. story founded upon
an incident in the career Of an
Hungarian dancer who marries the
son of a count. While dscharging this
duty it presents a really pleasing score
by Aladar Renyi. and allows Connie
Ediss ard Tom McNaughton TO have
what fun they can make out of their
lines-which lines, by the way, we hope
they will alter later to better suit their
particular talents. The gayly dressed
cast wander from Budapest to Sorrento
and back again during the course of
the evening, and Jose Collins is, Of
course, :he centre Of attraction. This
lady has an enormous following among
the lovers of musical comedy, and we
dare say she deserves il. At any rate
she has a delightful voice, well man
aged. The tenor is Robert Evett, beau
tiful. immaculate and all the rest.
FRITZ Won Busing is countess who
sings and coquettes, and Melville
Stewart is a gay dog of an officer with
an expansive diaphragm and a fond
ness for the ladies. Lew Hearn and
Arthur Lipson fill roles of more or
less Importance, but Hearn's voice is
the more remarkable of the two.
Best of IL, however, are Connie
Ediss and Tom McNaughton. Nothing
could be more productive Of laughter
than the capers of this pair when they
are happily cast, and we have no doubt
but that they will presently alter
their present roles 10 fit. Connie
Ediss fairly Eliminates the role
of a stage mother with her delicious
vulgarity, and Tom McNaughton ca
yorts about as Doctor Herring The
very name will suggest some of the
dialogue employed. Among the many
attractive songs, ooh, Fascinating
Night" sung by Jose Collins and
Robert Evett, and "Tick-a-Tick,' sung
by Miss Collins, Mr.. McNaughton and
the chorus, are the two that appeared
to be most popular. The chorus is
large, attractive and gayly costumed.
The stage settings are effective.
Victor Herbert's music, always a
pleasure to hear, has the decided ad-
vantage of Henry Blossoms clever
book and lyrics in the new musical
farce comedy, "The Only Girl" at the
Thirty-ninth Street Theatre. Mr.. Bios
som has taken the old farce, Our
Wives" and so dressed and trimmed
it that the result, with Mr.. Herbert s
music and Joe Weber's most excellent
taste as a producer, is "a wholly de-
lightful evenings entertainment of a
kind none too often provided by mu-
steal comedies.
The production begins, after the
fashion Of a farce, in the bachelor
apartments Of young librettist lie
has three close friends, who desert him
for matrimony, and young girl com
poser, as a collaboration, who keeps HIM
from mourning their loss until his OPP
eretta is finished. Matrimony and the
concomitant joys and blisses provide
most of the subject matter OF the dla-
logue, and a bevy of young girls who
wish to grace his new operetta furnish
the scenes with an air of frivolity and
that very necessary element of surplus
femininity. Just how the librettlst
turns benedict after guying his chums
and how the wives heckle their nus
bands is pleasantly told in song and
with no little amount of humorous dla-
logue during the three acts.
Among the comedians we must con-
fess 10 a certain prejudice IN favor OIL
Ernest Torrance, who is the first hu-
morist in musical comedy that we have
over heard use the Scots dialect and
Fdenburgh whine with anything like
fdelitv. He and his two fellows in
matrimony have no difficulty in keep
inc the audience in a good humor wnen
tbeir wives are off the stage. OF the
three wives perhaps Vivian VESSEL
makes the best impression. Her voice
;s DELIGHTFUL and her manner quite
Vida Bennett and Adele Rowland
ornear To divide the stellar honors OF
@TTbe Only Girl" Miss Bennett sings
vol and in the role of the impression
able composer her natural charm and
irgenuous manner make her song
numbers particularly attractive. MISS
ROWLAND PLAYS the part OF musical
oouedv actress out of a job, but optim
etc and gay withal. Her spirited
manner is refreshing indeed and give;
ber songs an engaging effectiveness
Tburston Hall wears snug green sui,
NTH blue tie against the nrst ae'
backqround of brown wood ana olC
ooId tapestry; otherwise he IS all tina
eeonid be desired in the role OF th'
bachelor author who is the last u
TIC song numbers are without excep'
ton fully up to Mr.. Herberts stand
ard. and the lyrics, too, are WRITER
with no little reason as well as WIN al
owe 10 rhyme. One OF the Drignles'
Numbers in the duo march heres ''
the Land We Love, Boys, sung py
Miss Rowland and Mr.; Hail Sohl
Findlay played the meagre roIe OF th'
butler in his finished, skilful 1ashlon
and MIR. Robert Hood Towers CONDUCTS
anu an orchestra with a nice feeling fol
tho audience which can hardly be &C
e e,,S 10 hearing musical comedy
nIaved in such a cosey and intimate
ibestre as the Thirty ninth Stree
playhouse.
Thou Shalt Not Kill Seen