Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-06
ADJUSTMENTS
WHOLLY DELIGHTED
bf IIERBEltT'S "SW Ef.rIiI:AItrS

US matter OF straight rcportiug AN
account of tho first performance here
OF Victor :icrberts "Sw.ethoarts.'.
given At the Academy Of Music last
niGh'. is simple enough. tn. whole
,n 'hS-piay. music, singers and come
u'"hS~ =" wholly delighted the greater
part "f the audience that "ovcrwheln-
ing success is not too large a phrase
WIN winch Ia describe il. Apparently,
no "nd'cnc" Of tn" season has been
NOR" completely satisfied by any must
car piece. or by It's performances than
was large majority OF that which
'hnEhcd. applaudcd and npplaudcd
"H"'" every scene, every song. every
moment or Swecthearts" The dis
FORMED :" small minority
mat they hardly counted in the cleo
toral vote
An" up I" certain point there WAS
~ reason Tor dissent. Even the
minority was. and is. charmed with
~. h'rhcr's very lovely music. In
ia'" Years h. has written nothing with
pretticr tunes. nor has provided :, light
score with more genuinely good must
car moments. whether of romance or
comedy. The "Swccth"arts" song and
r"r Livery Lover" ar. fun Of temp
tation TO til" chronic hummer: tho An
selus is not only beautiful. hu, dirui-
ne0 III It's beauty: Mother Goose is
humorous and cute" tho Cricket on
the ell-starcd as i, ISIS
appearing. and TIL" Monks Quartet IL
about as good round as it's "J;nbin
Hood" prototype. Nor viii the story
BOOK or lyrics CauS. CONTROVERSY The
hrSt two arc well enough for musical
comedy. ana several OF the lyrics are
notably bright particuIarlv ~ Don;
Know How I DO II"
Further. tho chorus con,inrnn, co,
taihS some fresh. young .irlS-as we'll
as oth"rs-ard the musical director
fred ouihtr"l. has taught the whole
aggregation to sing with precision ana
with almost stunning volume When
principals and chorus stand on their
toes even TIL" passing street cars
pause. though the whiz Of one chorus
girls voice lips through ii all Fur
thcr again. the -haw Enrlishmar
OF Horace Sinclair is both clcvcrly
conceived and amusinply played: tho
hi' OF Lame is played with spirit by
Eva Oiirotti; though not we'll sung ana
the Karl is capably handled by Harry
Meyers
AS TO the other principals. tho au
dienc" and the on.-man opiniou arc
hat!y dtsa agreed. Re il remembered all
the rest OF them were brought back
apD!aud"d and warmly approved over
an" over again. 50 the other side is
r"count.d only for the sake Of th.
record. rs quickly over with: Julia
OXFORD. the primo donna sings int.lli-
G"ntiN-that is, she phrases well aud
with regard for tho meaning Of her
"'''t1S' Jul she mas a meta HE edge Z.
inc greater part of her voice eXcept
Wh"h she sings very softly. and then
she rs sometimes below pitch: Alfred
l'e"ry. who plays opposite Miss Gif-
'of". iS OF no value Ia MIR. Herbert
music. IN" man who leads the fine male
chorus-thcrc's no use mentioning his
name, sine" nos hardly. q principaf-
is very bad singer indeed. and Leo
stark. the featured comedian who Gre
htcd me rot" in New York. is the un-
FUNNIEST OF all English comedians. And
these arc tn" people upon whom chiefly
hangs the lure OF "Sweethearts"
There will be two performances to-
day