Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-12

Rochester. or some such place. sent out
the word that this was very gay enter
talnment Chorus ladies were. In the good,
hygono phrase, "scantiiy attired," II said
green amusement paper Rbsurdly
summed up the show thus; Planned by tho
critics, hut popular with the public" Per-
hRps Rochester ~ more Of an index TO
things theatrical than Is usually supposed
But II was wrong on one theory "Hus-
bands Guaranteed" liz never improper. The
mild and pleasant dances by the younger
Mr.. Herbert and Miss Goldsmith that dot
ted It's course last night were quite as harm
less as the gradually approached and not
untasteful intriguing that went on between
the members of the cast, with Nine. Schen
as Niennese artist continually forced into
compromising but innocent situations with
all tho men.
No, the question which Husbands Guar
antoed" asks and doesn't quito answer Is
How much can you mix your methods In
musical pieces and continue to amuse and
to charm tho carr For Mr.. Herbert's book
is frankly a patch quilt with the patches
probably sewed on by some one else, There
Ia operetta in II, so that Nine. SeheT can
sing and look vlvacous or sad. There
is farce OF the sort In which people dash
In and out OF doors. in tho Cohan fashion.
There Is the seKtet OF show girls after the
manner of Adele" and the Princess Thea
tire. And there s fox trottinE and 'dansc
pastorale" done by spry young lady In
pink tartan. All this blend OF styles malSea
tho situations seem a long time between
thinks. and when they arrive they are not
unroarlous enough. The production needs
either more violent humor or no humor at
all For you can hardly split the difference
between operetta and farce. In this case
tho absence OF sido-splltting moments is
often forgotten In appreciation OF n librettu
that Is In capital taste, with a nicely pro-
fesslonal point OF view behind II: some apt
rhymes and n cast that is top-uotch.
For one. Mime. Scheff is singing we'll and
looking ten times more youthful than she
did In her last vaudeville visit. Mr.. De
Angels, comedian too long n recluse
comes back successfully In n now Hort OF
character Jewish merchant, n suhllmRt-
cd Potash--nnd the willowy Miss Hegeman
and quiet Mr.. Harvey lend their ripe tai
snts to other roles. William Harrigan. with
a hangover from his escapades In bought
and Paid For" intones charming lyric
about n man who stays on the water wagon
by sticking to cologne and Perunn Amelia
Summerville. Craufurd Kent and GrHyce
Scott assist daftly. 1t is really an organl-
zation of musical comedy folk worth seeing
at all hazards,
OF course. there Is n lot OF music and
how we dread going into that part OF the
evening" Not that II is bad, but Just be-
cause II Is old by this time and not partlcu-
larly notable. There is the drum song for
the star. with echoes OF mile. Modiste,"
and the elaborate farewell 10 her lover, n
Ia Victor Herbert, and pretty but worn
numbers for the rest. Considerable skill
has gone into tho orchestration OF II all,
and the tunes viii be liked by many people,
Indeed, Il is not improbable that the entire
melangs will make good. But the rewrite
man should be phoned for. b. ID.