Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-01
GO ROUND THE MAP
FOR SAFETY SOCKS
Also for a Ravishing Musical
Comedy Setting at
the Forrest

There Is a riddle at the Forrest The
atre. when a hole wears in your
SOCK" inquiries a gentleman who is fas-
tidious. what becomes of the material
that used to be where the hole is?'' That s
a serious question which no believer In
guaranteed for six months will attempt
to answer
That isn't the only riddle Another is.
Why is a musical comedy, which is cer-
tainly the most lovely of all musical COM
edes to date to look at which has n
star Cfor particulars see below and a
chorus far above the average, has music
by a capable composer and lyrics by
c. NJ. S. Mcclellan, which is lavishly and
generously produced; why is this musical
comedy not the most successful musical
comedy in n decade? With most shows
of this order one sits back and wonders
why they are so prosperous. With
Around the Map" one can only wonder
why 1t isn't more so.
Well, then, it is because there is no fat
comedy part. Mr.. william Norris is still
playing his part in "Cingalee," that of a
delightful, versatile. strangely gifted
withtongues individual. He plays it with
grace and intelligence, but he isn't half
so funny as he is amusing. Further,
Herman Finck's music. keen and breezy
and delightful. isn't catchy, isn't raggy,
isn't notably American. .Sor has Mr.. Nc
Lellan been especially gifted. He has
translated Callavet, De Flers and Weber.
in his time, but he has not learned how
to make an exciting book, although the
pursuit of sock, and the pursuit by
peerless sock-mender, ought to have
given him material enough. Finally,
there are exceedingly few familiar Jokes,
few familiar situations, nothing of the
repertoire of Harry B. Smith, no
Kaleidoscope lights nothing but beauty,
So in sense, 1t Is wonder that
Around the Map" goes so well.
1t is an astonishing and ravishing
show in the beauty of its l3 settings.
Pictures of some of these were shown in
the EVENING LEDGER on Saturday, but
no picture without light and color can
convey the faintest suggestion of the
rapturOus loveliness which Joseph Urban
has prepared as a background. Now and
again his effects were spoiled by insist
ence on Elaring liEhts-for Urban. who
probably knows more about lighting eff
fects than any other man in the country!
But fantasy and humor and the love
of bright things cannot be spoiled. The
drifted snow with glowing mountains be.
hind in the border between Russia and
Germany, the sensuous tints in the Jap.
anese club at Port Arthur with its
mottled sky Cbearing an inscription among
other things), the MORE draperies, the
precious interiors. the streets and the
houses were all set in the dappled frame
which signalizes Mr.. Urban's work and
each one lay in its setting like a flaming
jewel Here as no delicate tntngs, no
fiat colnrs, as those seen in the work of
Robert McQuinn. the only other decorator
of this season who knows how to give
pleasure to the eye. The colors blaze
they live and dance, and yet they are
held inexorably to a premeditated artistic
scheme.
OF the cast Hazel Cox, Robert Pitkin,
Georgia ORamey and Mr.. Norris circu.
late most brightly about the fixed star,
but more shining then they is the chorus,
expertly chosen, of beautiful faces and
FORMS of excellent training in dancing
There was a lack of novelty in the di-
rection of the groups, to be sure, and
some hackneyed posturing. But this is
a chorus which can shed clothes and be
decent and can wear the eXtravagant
dresses designed for 1t (by what hand Is
not stated as If beautiful gowns were
the proprety of all womankind-which
they may be.
1t is not a matter of great Importance
to American drama that the third in
from the right has a strangely attrac-
tive face, or that the page in the centre
of the Lulu club knows how to pose
gracefully. But multiply these things by
perhaps so and you have something of
vast Importance in a musical comedy.
And in around the Map" you have in
addition Else Alder, who reminds you
first of Emmy Wehlen and of Mzzi Ha-
jos and is in the end, a delightfully."- attrac-
tive person herself. She is pleasant to
see and pleasant to hear. She has a
warm and whimsical humanity. The spec
tace of 20 millonaires at her feet is a
mere impertinence for the conquests that
her Tootsi makes in her progress across
the stage are inconsequential in COM
parison with the conquests which she her
self makes in an evening. Vibrant and
vivacious and vividly alive, she is ac-
tually an incarnation of the blessed spirit
of musical comedy G, V. S.