Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-18
ADJUSTMENTS.
FRITZ Scheff Opens Belasco.

With thoroughly representative au-
dience that filled not only all the seats
but a great deal of the standing room,
the regular season of the Belasco
Theater was brilliantly opened last
night by FRITZ SchefT. the operate
prima donna, in Oliver Morosco and
Elmer Harris comedy with music"
Pretty Mrs. Smith, pruned and re-
modelled for New York production.
Pretty Mrs. Smith" need not fear a
New York verdict. Its plot is amusing:
it is splendidiy mounted, for it. is a
Morosco productions: its lines are origi-
nal; its humor Infectious. its entertain
ing qualities almost illimitable; it's
star both charming and interesting; its
cast superb and the gowns worn by the
women are creations to delight the
eyes and hearts of women and to make
marrying bachelors take a reef in
their intentions before asking the fatal
question.
The play-it is after all a pure and
simple farce-has been pruned of near
~ an hour of it's entertaining material
and Is still receiving finishing touches
at the hands of the authors, with the as
ISSUANCE of 7. Daniel Frawley, Mr..
Moroscois splendid stage director. yet
curtain fell upon the final entangle-
ment OF Pretty Mrs. Smiths" matri-
monlal difticultieS-still a bit too long
TO satisfy the hoi polloi. that must have
time.
ihat the play has been shaped for
New York entertainment is most APP
parent; but such is it's originality. its
sparkle and it's exhilarating Infectious
ness that even "uplitted Washington"
hnr hi
testify the fact with almost continuous
laughter and frequent outbursts Of sin
cere applause. 1t is unique, too. in a
aegree' for it supplies genuine ro-
nance, real emotion. enjoyable comedy
and. one is almost tempted to saw.
touch OF the slap-stick
VINE. FRITZ Scheff is not given wide
scope Tor the exploitation of her beau
tiiul voice, but she is given much for
ehaeaVor as an actress, and improves
tue chaHce splendidly, her emotional
to!ches possessing real charm and ar
tistic power. Four beautiful songs are
ner portion. and she sings them with
exquisite sweetness and effect, espe-
claily Love Has Come to Live in our
House," which furnishes the DONNA nj
theme for the music of the play-and
1T is music throughout with an appeal
that always brings an outburst of ap-
plause.
But because Pretty Mrs. Smith" is
real farce. with laughter as its main
object, Miss Charlotte Greenwood. "the
girl that won fame in a night" with
ner peerless art as a comedienne, al
most grotesque in spots, easily divided
honors with the star, and at times
seemed to stir up the applause to
greater vigor. Those who saw Miss
Greenwood in 1.-THE Passing Show" will
understand that she maintains the
glory won there, and adds to it many,
many laurels, so to speak, as Letitia
Proudfoot in Pretty Mrs. Smith" Her
lance, The Bcnsonhurst Gavotte."
gave the audience the recall habit,
which it did not forget in the inter-
polated song mississippi, You're a
Grand Old Girl nor until she was
tired out in Long, Lean, Lanky Lefty"
song that seemed to be a superfiuity
brilliant and meritorious work in the
olav.
1.-The Plain or Name O. Smith" quar-
tet, although funny. seemed a bit out
of place, and doubtless crept into the
production through overzealousness in
keeping the laughs to the front, some
thing that was not needed. A real must
cal auxiliary was the Morosco Califor-
mia. Quartet. Richard Ryan. Harold
Proctor. j. Van Ryan and J. H. Childs-
ed here and there throughout the play
Nor must Miss Lillian fuckers de.
1ightfu1 song, "Drucilla." be overlooked
in the musical mention.
Among the men, all of them excel
lent in their respective roles, Charles
Purcell, as the tipsy second husband
of Pretty Mrs. Smith"-because the
play is farce-stood well out in the
cast for clever work never overdone
while James A. Gleason, as George, 81
watchful waiter" was real delight
in blackface Claude Flemming made
a fine favored husband for Mrs. Smith
and Sydney Grant, an equally funny
affinity for Letitia, with Theodore Bah.
cock sufficiently ministerial to satisfy
the demands of Smith the First.
7 women of the cast were good tt
look upon, and there was not single
one of them who did not know how tc
wear with grace, dignity and charm
the beautiful gown with which she
was clothed. The scenery of the sec.
ond act-solid white enameled carved
wood, even to the door jambs-was {
reminder of Mr.. Morosco's way OF
doing things.
1t would not be fair to close this
review without saying that the play Was
staged and produced under the per
sonaI direction OF T. Daniel Frawley
even though Mr.. Morosco himself were
present last night to enjoy the bril-
liant way it went off; that the lyric:
were written by Earl Carroll. and th'
music, very pretty music, is by Henry
James and Alfred Robyn.