Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-23
WEBER AND, FIELDS
HILARIOUS AS EVER
Reunited Stars Offer Brilliant
and Refreshing New
Musical Comedy
DOLLY SISTERS ASSIST

BACK AGAIN-Nrusicsl comedy in two acts
stSmmers 4En Sy 'eStI %1sIc by fSS HoaS nu a. HrsaS
staged by Frederick stanhope. Chestnut
Lutte Busch ....,..8..........Y Yancsi Dolls
Laura. Maw's little Eirl... 60. June Walker
Tommy her ltue brother Dor42thy L,onqn9nfir nait
Mrs. Caroline Pickett. ......... Olga Inoller
NJ Busch .......'..'...'..'.' Joe Weber
' WV Frederick Burton
christopBer HIDDEN. Of New York, -,
l''''''" '''S"'''' Vi '"' Ru65 ibS De Reno-
Del Sartc. ......... ..,...'..,. .huE heudau
The terse title is perhaps the best ev-
preston Of what happened at the chest.
nut Street opera House last night The
potency Of the unique "WcberGeldian'
brand Of funmaking is just as high as
II ever was. for Back Again" with
its restoration of classic partner
ship in foolery not only signalizes an
Interesting event in footiight annals, but
Il can stand squarely on its own merits
MS one of the most refreshing musical
comedies Of the season
Doubts as &c whether the traditional
methods of Lew and Joe" would re.
tain their hilarious appeal after a lapse
OF years and under present wartime
conditions, which have rendered the
position Of the Dutch" comedian some.
what equivccal. were quickly dIssipated.
Comic personality, not accent, is the Is.
sential factor in tine iuimitabIe brand
Of
laughter last evening Mock Teutouic
infections. although persis' entity pres.
ent. were mere superficial agents Of the
drollery, and indeed they served to make
tho cursing Of the Kaiser in one eN-
tremely funny scene all the more amus-
Ing
As for the venerable violent form OF
low comedy, Weber and Fields are not
only pastmasters Of il. but delciousIy
accomplished present eNponent~ In their
hands horseplay becomes something akin
TO a real art. All the old devices We're
employed and, familiar as they are. won
rapturOuS riSible response. OF course.
the indignant and self-opniouated Lew
savagely assaults his naive, unolrending
and corpulent victim. OF course, there
are convulsive scenes Of verbal misuu-
derstandings literally seasoned with am
tique puns. But the vivaCity of such
exhibits is irresistible.
The production Is invested. but by no
means crippled with considerably more
plot than some of the old Weber and
Fields eNtravaganzas, especially in Act ],
In which Lew" the shoemaker and
Joe, the groceryman, are involved i'm a
lively rural farce. The climax Of mirtl
is attained when a Boston drummer
enlivens the whole New England dry
village with samples Of an alcoholic
candy conducive Of ragtime inebriety
A subsequent Stree fantasia" calls
back the entire cast to the Washington
of Civil War times. Greater opportuni.
ties for artistic Nspecialties, excellent
light music and pictorial effects are thel
provided, somewhat at the expense of tn,
fun-making, which had been maintained
so breezily for more than half Of ths
performance. 4 chance for introduciue
the two stars I'm a conference on mill,
tary tactics Is thus, however secured
The scene is almost as funny as that ot
the naval strategy board in 1T Hap.
pened in Nordland," which is saying a
great deal.
\ supporting company of brilliant
musical comedy resources is employed
Deservedly conspicuous are the delight
ful Dolly Sisters who dance with theii
usual captivating spirit ana precision
and even display fair ability in charac
ter roles. Alexander Clark. a seasoned
comedian; Earl Benham, Howard Lang
ford. Percy Pollock Ruby De Remer anC
Olga Roller contribute ably to the gen
eral merriment
The first acts spectacular finale. de
noting the dream passage of the come
dians to the past, failed to work smooth
~. but as last night marked the frs
presentation Of Back Again" on any
stage, this defect will doubtless b,
speedily remedied. Several other re
visions may also he made. The essentia
ones, however, are comparatively few
The show is capital as it now stands
and independent of any sentimental aiC
from rose-colored "reminiscences
IT, T. C.