Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-05
DEVELOPMENT OF
THE SPECTACULAR
| IN MODERN DRAMA
Witnessed in N. Y. Hip
podrome Production of
"Pinafore' ''-Reinhardt to
Produce Shakespeare in
America.

The New York Hippodrome has added
on adjective describing a phase OF the
modern drama. Hlppodromatic-this de-
scribes many productions of recent years
marked by mammoth scenic settings and
ornate spectacular effects. Those who
witnessed the various revivals Of Pima
fore during the past decade could well
estimate the development of the stupen-
dous by the production OF the Gilbert and
Sullivan operetta at the Hippodrome last
spring. In this production, instead of the
conventional fake ship built from the
stage, there was a real ship, floating in
lake Of real water.
While the Forrest Theatre in this city
10 not nearly so big as the New York
playhouse. the real ship will nevertheless
float on real water on the stage when
"Pinafore" opens here next Monday.
Tho enormous tank which is to be in
stalled on the stage OF the Forrest will
necessitate the practical rebuilding of the
entire stage.
Year by year theatrical productions
have become more and more stupendous
and elaborately realistic. Nevertheless.
much remains TO be done artIstically. No
producer has, perhaps. ever consistently
equaled Belasco, nor have we a Rein
hardt. One remembers. with marveling
admiration, Liebler's production of Pierre
Lofts Daughter OF Heaven" which was
at once both massive in its setting, gorg-
larly, IL failed. On the other hand, THE
Garden of Allah" massively staged, was
as correspondingly great success.
The presentation OF "PInafore" brings
to mind the numerous stories which have
been printed concerning the origin of
that light opera classic According to the
late Francis Cellier, for many years musi-
cal director at the Savoy Theatre, Lon
don. where most of the operas were
first produced, the Idea evolved from the
rhyme in ''The Bah Ballads"
conmanSSr ths TGF;Ry Sf tSs GsR:ID sseo'
who was so devoted to his crew that there
was no conceivable luxury he did not
provide for their comfort. For example:
a feather bed had every man,
Brown Windsor from the captains store.
valet. too. TO every four.
Colbert began. then. by remaining the
1antelpiece II. NJ. S. Pinafore. William
Lee. coxswain, was promoted to the rank
OF boatswain's mate and given the name
OF Bill Bobstay; the widowed laundress
was transformed into that plump and
pleasing person to be known henceforth
and famed as Little Buttercup the
Portsmouth bumboat woman. But the
most important action that Gilbert made
10 his dramatis personae was the Right
Hon. Sir Joseph Porter. X c. B., First
Lord OF the Admiralty. To this distln-
guished parsonage were bequeathed the
sisters and cousins and aunts. who. in the
Bah Ballads belonged to Captain Reece."
An amusing mistake was made at the
Little Theatre when the troupe OF French
actors came there last week. They ar
rived, with their trunks, just as the Little
Theatre Company was preparing to leave
for an engagement in Wilmington. They
unpaclted their trunks as the local COM
pany we're packing theirs. There was much
hurry and excitement. In the confusion
the stage manager happened to get hold
OF all the wigs belonging 70 the French
actors. These were hurriedly put into
their trunks When they arrived at Will
IninEton they found a plethora OF pow
actors at the Little Theatre, there was
the most volubis perturbation. They were
10 so on the stage. The wigs had van
ished French expletives cut the air.
they were not so explosive as Jack
Johns0ns." OF course, but they seemed
80 when. the next day, the stage man
ager OF the Little Theatre returned and
French artists appeared In their own hair.
Uhitened with talcum powder.
Fearing that. being written by an Eng
iishman, there might be demonstrations
against their production, Max Reinhardt
early Ia the autumn dropped Shakes
,esres plays from the repertory OF the
Deutschss Theater, IN Berlin. ThereupOn
n clamor arose, and the plays were re-
placed IN the schedule OF performances.
Ma ReinhaFdts productions OF Shakes
pears are noted for their eonsummate
artistry II Is also true that Germany
has surpassed both England and America
WIN Shakespeare still playing In Ber-