Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-11

| Weterwngs for hat Sammy Tee
showing us feats Of strength and daring
| with the grim determination on his face
at tnat we simply must admire these evolu-
Ilons as dancing. And Minerva Cover
ie, ssI, uolns everything charming that
NineFVa Coverdale and a ladys maid
| ought TO do.
item o Some very nice furniture and a
really distinguished last act set. thrown
INTO story about honeymoon that be-
came total eclipse on account OF an in
hooont KISS that the bride overheard.
| item 3. The Joyous spectacle of an
american chorus girl attempting to re-
mark, II say, I've only a sixpenny bit
with O. hole in It."
BUT OF course. the main thing is
sam Bernard and his Piggy HogEen-
heimer-the Hoggenhelmer II comes
pretty close to a real figure of COM
edy, this rich Mr.. Hoggenheimer, of
Park lane, who visits flats he doesn't
intend to rent, just because he has learned
that rich men are always bored and on
the lookout for odd amusements Mr.
Bernard contributes a good deal moro
than pretzel-twlsted English and four
oily little curls on his forehead, which put
to shame anything now extant in fem
mine fashions. He gets the mans in
nocent egotism over in fine shape
Piggy brags with a natural pride OF the
fact that with the aid Of his money he
knows lot of people and they'll soon
know him. His voice. Is oily with the
money in which ho almost literally rolls
He purBues the feminine with something
near the avldity that he bestows on
money. Mr. Bernard's characterization
Is 80 unpleasantly perfect that when he
wins Miss King her remark that "after
all, Piggy has such q. good heart" doesn't
at all convince. It seems a mere reflec-
tion on the rest of his anatomy.
1t is real acting that Mr.. Bernard does.
He proves 1t when he gets away with
that indecent IL plausible question, "Who
paid the rent for Mrs. Rip van Wrinkle
when Rip van Wrinkle went away?" The
lnquisitive enthusiasm of Piggy is SO
entirely sin character that the song,
which the late B. F. Keith barred from
all his theatres loses a great part of its
noisomeness. Which is an undeniable
feat
And don't forget that Mr.. Bernard is
funny all the same He makes his own
company laugh, and that's a very good
test.
Puppets for Chicago
Chicagos Little Theatre, where ANA
tol" and "Sophocles' have alternated, is
never happy unless 1t is attempting the
impossible. So now that 1t has made
Shaw's "Philanderer'' into substantial
success, 1t Is trying some morning per-
formances of marionettes.
The Chicago Little Theatre Puppets
(probably incorporated) made their first
bow last week In fairy play straight
from China, and called by the HAPPY and
promising title of 1.-THE Deluded Dragon"
Various notables of the Windy City sup
piled music, scenery and plot, while a
real sculptress, Kathleen Wheeler mod
eled the particular gentry of this piece.
Outside, italian marionette theatres in
the slums this is probably the first ven
ture in America at something that has
been vastly popular In Germany and Rus
sia. Munich's pupppet theatre enjoyed
a reputation that gave 1t place in all
the announcements and advertisements
by which the city authorities sought to
attract American tourists.
The Playgoer's "omar"
A book" and lyrics" not at all high
brow,
A bunch of tunes, some chorus girls,
and thou,
Besides them, singing in this wilderness;
All, wilderness is operetta now.