New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-10
Operetta, a Hit in Paris,
Has Its First Amer
lean Production.
MANAGERIAL MYSTERY
PRESENT AT OPENING
New Piece for Most Part
Is Witty Farce and
Well Constructed.

There are managerial mysteries which
are unsolvable. One of these was pres
ent last night at the Garrick Theatre at
the first American production of lie
Poilu," the operetta by NM. Jacquet,
Hennequin and Weber, which was one
OF the recent hits in Paris.
"Le Poilu" is one of those essentially
Gallo productions whose essential
spirit never has and probably never
will enter into the Anglo-Saxon con-
seriousness Faced with such a prob
lem. the American manager usually
confdes the original French play 10 a
Broadway "adapter." This "adapter'
produces something about as French as
a Broadway cabaret, whereupon the
public is delighted and believes itself
quite in Paris.
The "adapter" was indeed present
last night, but he arrived only about
fifteen minutes before the final cur
tain, at time altogether too ate to
save the operetta had it been a failure,
but quite early enough to spoil 1t were
II success.
Up to 1880 "Le Poilu," despite the
addition of various numbers by 5. Rom
berg, proved itself TO be an exceeding
ly amusing farce, witty, we'll construct
cd and consistent to type.
Operetta About "Godmother."
It dealt with the vast institution OF
"godmothers," who in France adopt
soldier in the trenches. writing him
daily and sending him food and tobacco.
This soldier comes home on leave,
meets his "godmother" and marries her.
She then follows him to the front,
thereby breaking the army rules,
where both her husbands colonel and
the colonels orderly fall in love with
her OF course, all ends happily.
The possibilities of this situation are
evident, and Mr.. Hennequin and Weber
have made the most of them. Up 10
10:30, with the exception of one song,
the operetta WAS given in French, and
the audience. the larger portion OF
which was Of the same nationality as
the singers, was unusually enthusiast
tic. The scene at the close of the first
act, when Nine. Maubourg, draping the
tri-coor about her body, burst into
the "Marseilaise," was really ire
mendous.
Audience Takes Up Song.
The whole audience rose TO its feet.
taking up the song. and at the end
cheering for several minutes. During
the evening each mention Of the French
soldier or his leaders was likewise en-
Enthusiastically applauded.
II Mr.. George Sylvester Niereck was
there he surely went away early.
Then at 1890 a sudden and fearful
change arrived. Bursting upon the
scene came half a dozen American
aviators, most of them of quite the
usual musical comedy mascullnity.
This doughty band was led by Miss
Belle Ashlyn, whose antics might very
well have been placed in Winter Gar
den revue, but which were equally GER
tain out of place at the end of lie
Poilu."
Miss Ashlyn did get her laugh. espe-
cially by her imitation Of the Crown
Prince. but it was laugh which might
we'll have been spared. "Le Poilu"
has good book and pretty music. and
it ought 70 appeal to our French
speaking citizens. Raging it in Eng
lsh at the end can only injure II.
Excellent Cast.
The cast vas an excellent one, first
nOnOrS going 10 WINE. JtdHtt Ndu-
bourg. as Nine. Letilloy; Pierre Min
daist. as the Colonel; Emile Detramont.
as Justin. and Andre Belon. as the
Poilu. Nine. Maubourg is always true
artist. and she both sang and acted the
part of the old grandmother with feel
ing, grace and authority. NJ. Detra-
mont was excruciatingly funny as the
orderly. and VI. Mindaist a martial and
lkable figure. NJ. Bellon, it is true,
had no voice, but his acting was
charged with humor. The Suzanne
was Nine. Madeleine D'Espinoy, who
sang we'll, even if she scarcely looked
the part.
There was in the first act another
singer. a vision of beauty. possessed OF
a voice of true temperament Why she
did not appear again is uneyplainable.
Her name was given as Marguerite
Deschamps. New York ought soon TO
hear from her.
This is the cast as given in the pro