Evening journal., 1917-12-18
beauty PARADE IN
Words AND music
Elaborately CoStumed and
Staged, Even Though
They We're Delayed
PREMIERE REALLY
DRESS REHEARSAL
THE PLAYHoUsE- words and

THE PLAYHOUSE Words and
Music" a revue, presented by Ray
mond Hitchcock and r. Ray Goetz.
Words and Music" was announced
as a snappy revue, but the snap didn't
hook up right last night. when The new
Hitchcock show was given its premiere
As Raymond Hitchcock in his hitchv
way. announced in the opening
speech, last nights performance was TO
be a dress rehearsal, as, owing to the
weather and the b. q o. the scenery
and equipment that were TO have ar
rived on Saturday did not get 10 The
Playhouse until yesterday afternoon.
and there was no opportunity for the
dress rchearsals contemplated.
~ called up the B. 4 o. aud asked
about some Of our scenery. and they
told me IL was In Cincinnati" Hitch
cock conhdentially told the audience
Then l hponed to Cincinnati and they
told me they didn't know the b. & o."
Hitchcock told the audience before
The show started that it was to be
dress rehearsal. and anybody who de-
sired could get his or her money back
before the curtain went up Everybody
remained seated, so she words and
music and the beautiful scenery and the
chorus de looks" ard the splendid
costumes were paraded through eleven
scenes, even II it did require three hours
and forty minutes.
Words and Music Is cleverly con-
ccived and win be elahorately presented
now that the preliminary obstacles have
been overcome. II would not be fair 10
judge it by the premiere. for because
Of the circumstances stated. II was not
ready for presentation. However,. a
substantial impression Of the spectac-
ular and extrayagant which Hitchcock
and Goeiz, with Leon Errol staging IT,.
have woven into their new revue was
unfolded. The producers have spared
no expense in getting together an eX-
cellent company and in selecting beau
tiful costumes. some Of which were
cut along the lines Of war economy or
silks and satins. There Is plenty Of
catchy music two Of the most popular
numbers being Broadway Butterfly"
aud "Whistling It Round Town"
After 'Hiichyn had made his pre-
hminary speech. the curtain arose on
an elaborate Oriental seance IN which
the Yogi bedecked in an his glory. I'm
response to challenges from the audi
ence, called from the spirit Land Eve.
md Helen Of Troy and Gaby Deslys. and
a few others famed among other things
for their dress. or lack Of dress. and
then summoned William Shakespeare
and Ludwig Beethoven About that
time the seance was rsided by a plain
clothes man, the Yogi was arrested and
taken away. and Shakespeare and Beeth-
oven and the women OF the past and
with past were left on the stage im-
plOring TO be sent back TO spirit land
Shakespeare and Beethoven are engaged
by a theatrical manager 10 collaborate
on a play and consent Words and
Music is the result. and the words
and music are about as far dissociated
from Shakespeare and Beethoven as the
latter are from earth. Anyway, The show
wended on its way marked by wonder
ful scenes and comedy conceptions.
IN which dozens Of pretty girls and
very few men predominated. In fact
men were so few on the stage that even
The chorus men sat down in the orches-
ira pit with the musicians. and Joined
IN the singing from there. "Hitchy'
does not hesitate TO get away from the
conventional Here are the scenes stag
ed IN order, each being an act complete
IN itslf:
Scene ian Oriental seanco.
Scene PA theatre lobby.
scene 3-The electricians.
crene 4-Riyerside Drive.
scene 5-Oriental scene.
scene b-Nilla on the banks of the
Oesop5agus.
Scene IA street I'm Toxic
scene s-A drugless drug store.
ACT :, scene IA toy romance.
scene 2-An express elevator.
scene 3-A camou1age cafe.
So there you arc. The scenes range,
from spectacular extravaganza TO non
sencial comedy, with no thread TO con
meet them, and each standing on it
own merit. Richard earle, comedia
popular with Wllmingtonans, heade
The company, and he made plenty G
fun for himself and the audience on
Of bis opportunities. And the Doole
brothers, William and Gordon, made
great hit by their comedy knockaboi
work, especially ia the cafe seem
Wellington Cross shared in the honor
too, in his different scenes And th
girls Oh. they were there Their
was Anna May seymour. who won
big place with the audience, and Edn
Aug and Dorothy Hermann and Ra
DQOley, who ably supplemented tn
efforts nf fha nnnlnu hrnfhnrs an
Marion Davies and Elizabeth Brice, and
and-a whole program full.
The Electricians, with Richard CARL
as chief, furnished no end of mirtl
as they tore apart a house to install
some lights. On the banks Of tn,
Oesopbagus was lravesty on ar
operatic theme Of Turkish flavor, ano
a street in Toxic turned out novelty
that transported Poor Butterfly t.
Broadway IN a twinkllng. A drugless
drug store was a buriesque on the