New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-02
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.


You need not be a tired business man
TO enjoy around the Map" Joseph
/ Urban has made the stage of the New
Amsterdam Theatre a glorious picture
gallery. The dangers lurking in super
latives may be braved lightheartedly
in writing of the scenery of Joseph
Boston Opera Company, "The Ziegfeld
Follies" and "The Garden OF Paradise"
has never done finer work than that re-
vealed in around the Map"
For once the eye and ear are fed
with the same spoon. The book and the
lyrics Of c. VI. S. Mcclellan are de-
| light, and the music, while not quite
so distinguished, is always tuneful.
For our part, indeed, we can think of
no more pleasing number, certainly
not this season. than Here Comes
Tootsi." Perhaps Il was the singer.
Else Alder. from the Johann Strauss
/ Theatre, Vienna. made her first appear
ance on the stage in an English speak
ing and singing part, and we are suf-
ficiently bitter against the central
powers to hone that they never sec
Miss Alder again.
A prima donna who sings, acts and
looks as Miss Alder does should be in
termed here forever. The only thing
that surprised us was that the hero
of the extravaganza could refrain from
marrying her until the final act. even
though the proposal cost him 100000
francs. What, indeed, are 500, 900 francs
to a comic opera tenor? What, indeed,
to anyone when Miss Alder Is in the
case?
1t may be perceived that Around
the Map" has plot. II is slight, but
decidedly whimsical and ingeniouA
Slight il must be- for, after all. the eye
is emperor of the evening when Urban
yields his brush. Socks are the theme
of Around the Map" As Tootsi sings
early in the performance, Some Girl
Has Got to Darn His Socks So it would
seem. At any rate, in Urban's magnifi-
cent fancy of Venusberg, Tannhauser
is bored to death, and, worse than that,
he has an intense pain in his heel.
Tootsi arrives, and when she hears the
symptoms she Immediately discovers
the source of his ailment. Venus, it
seems, has forgotten 10 darn his socks.
And as Tannhauser sagely observes,
when the heel is blistered, the heart
grows cold"
Tootsi goes around the world darn
ing socks every step Of the way. In
her first appearance she is shown to
the audience and to the Count de Gar
as an exceedingly dowdy young sewing
girl, but ImpikoH. wise drcssmaker
who. understands the philosophy OF
clothes, bets the Count 100000 francs
that before the year is over he NIL
make him propose TO Tootsi. or course
the Count does, but not until the next
TO the last scene. Gown after gown
is put upon Tootsi, but de Cal man
ages to resist until he sees her once
again as the dowdy sewing girl. This
scene is rarely whimsical. 1t is played
with nice feeling, and the notion is
we'll worth the attention Of Barrie.
This story must pause here to give
some account of the smashing hit
scored by Miss Georgia O'Ramey,. in
the part of Lulu Cachou, lovelorn but
law. "Lazy Lulu" a dance and song,
is a gem of a number. and throughout
the character gives Miss O'Ramey an
opportunity for novel work of the most
interesting sort Possibly the funni-
est moment of the performance was
her Spanish dance. in which she had
TO fight the efforts Of two German
police censors TO complete each wlggie'
The book and lyrics of Mcclellan are
exceptionally good, but, of course, there
/ have been better lyrics and better
books, although not this season, and
perhaps not last, for that matter. More
/ than that can be said for Joseph Urban.
Boldly we declare that the New YORK
/ stage has known no finer pictures than
these OF Urban The Venusberg scene
alone is enough to justify the entire
/ theatrical season. A japanese set, with
\ frowning Full in a very Japanese back
ground, is another marvellous use OF
i that great theatre arch. which is a
picture frame. Then there is an Inter
den Linden and a perfect smash Of a
/ final scene, with a great stairway in
J the background. Now and again Urban
/ realizes. as did Tootsi's dressmaker,
/ that there is an appeal in simplicity,
and he scores hard with several scenes
| in which the picture is simply nat,
poster-like drop.
II is usually the custom in writing
of bic musical shows TO guess how
much they cost. Roughly. we should
saw that the expense for the gorgeous
costumes of Around the Map" would
Jun the Bandbox Theatre for ten wears
But, after all. what a show costs is
rot of much consequence. What il is
worth is rather more important. and
around the Map" T. Cresus
,istic achievement. And. most remark
able Of all. this magnificent thing has
been done by commercial managers.
/ We are tempted TO ask are TX. and h.