The Washington herald., 1915-12-07
swatch Your Step" Is a
Rollicking, Raggedy Shop
Syncopation Runs Riot While
an Aggregation of Clever
Entertainers, Headed by
Mrs. Vernon Castle, Fur
nish a Hodge-podge Of
Vaudeville Specialties.
BY JULIA CHANDLER MANz.

Watch Your Step ceases to be q
warning for the safety of ones pedal ex-
tremeties after the first glimpse Of the
program. becoming, with the rise of the
first curtain. an Invitation to the widest
idelirium of syncopation the season has
offered US. a fact which lured a capacity
audience at the New National Theater
last evening into rare good humor.
Charles Dillingham; has dubbed the en-
itertainment "a syncopated musical show
in three acts which inadequately de-
scribes the hodge-podge Of vaudeville
headliners who are seen in their most
fetching specialties with frills aplenty;
the maze of lively terpsichorean stunts;
the lavish and luxurious costumes. and
seven elaborate mountings of the piece.
When the ball starts rolling there Is a
carefully suggested plot which has to do
with r neat little old two million that an
eccentric chap has left to the trousered
biped in his family who has never been
In love, married. nor enticed iAtO any
sort Of an affair with the female OF the
species In the event of his nonexistence
the bags of gold are to be handed over
to any female relative who can prove her
claim on the same ground.
But after the reading of the will to the
unique aggregation Of hayseed relatives,
the plot slides off to some remote corner
and takes a good long snOOze until the
end of the show. and nobody cares rap
for In the interim the clever folk heading
the company keep up the lively pace OF
fun without a dull or stupid moment.
Topnotching the headliners is Mrs.
Vernon Castle, the fame Of whose MINI
BILE feet has won her a fortune many
times over. logged out in exquisite
creations by Lady Duff-Gordon this deli
cate bit Of femininity tripped the light
fantastic with that grotesque touch TO
her Interpretation of the modern dances
that has done as much as her sinuous
grace TO make her art distinctive.
When the Boston engagement Of
Watch Your Step closed last Satur-
day evening Vernon Castle nee Blythe.
donned his dignity and went away TO
be soldier lad. having come to the
conclusion that fame as an aviator in
the service of England is more to be de-
sired than the continuation Of his undis-
puted reputation as a dancer.
So last night the lissome lassie who
has been floating about the stage like D
bit of down with friend husband danced
with equal grace and abandon with Olin
Finney as Mr.. Castles entirely adequate
successor in the terpsichOrean demands
of the role while Bernard Granville's
capabl,. services have been requisitioned
for the comedy which Mr.. Castle dis
pensed.
But that isn't all by long shot.
As Frank Tinney insists. he's in the
show"
And with his inevitable argument with
the orchestra leader that never becomes
;iresome because Mr. Tinney Is SO unc-
;ious d comedian that he could extract
a laugh from bombarded trench If he
rCeIed of a film of his biackface comedy.
supplemented by joke or two.
In Il i'm het
plenty of spizerinktum into their part of
the entertainment with their vaudeville
line Of harmony rag spiced with several
delightful bits of dancing, and Harry
Kelly tickles the risibilities OF his audi
cnce with his inimitable drollery. intro
ducinG his dog. Lizzie. who would ruin
the show if ever she took cue.
Add to this aggregation of as clever
and vivacious a group OF entertainers as
one would wish to find a long list of
player-folk who NEEDLE in the Elusive
plot including Sam Burbank, who i'm
personates tango lawyer: Irving Car
penter. as a maXiXe lawyer: Bunny Wen
dell as hesitating typewriter: Edna
Bates, visualizing Little Miss Innocence:
Harry Ellis. as the Ghost of Verdi. an
exceptionally large and pretty chorus.
and (there's no use talking. Watch
Your Step" is swung along at pace
that makes one even forget the Christ
mas presents that are yet to be bought.
Speaking of the Ghost of Verdi reminds
me TO tell you that his protest against
the syncopation of his beautiful operas
furnishes few very absorbing moments
when Mr.. Ellis. in the role. sings de-
lightfully his plea and the entire conf
pany cleverly drags his most cherished
work down to the raggedy standard of
Irving Berlin. who is responsible for the
music and lyrics of this smart revue. for
which Helen Dryden has supplied COS
tunes which suggest warmth and ele
gancf in their melting harmon!es of
color