The Washington herald., 1918-07-16
BeIaseo-"Oh, Loek!7

Happily the intimate musical com
edy, which Is so decidedly the vogue
of the hour in the theater. does moi
need to be saved from its friends.
Ever since VERY Good, Eddie" put
the Princess Theater on the map
there has been discreet handling oi
this delightful type Of musical enter
tainment 1t has not been overdone
Ccmparatively few failures nave
been scored. The public has beer
steadily developing its taste for this
scrt of thing.
We are tempted to say that "Oh
Look" which Elliott, Comstock, ant
Gest produced in characteristic STYLE
at the Belasco last night, is one oi
the best of the series. Perhaps th'
connoisseur OF music shows may bt
able to draw some ine lines Of rela'
tive merit between this sparkling
new piece and "Oh, Boy" or "Of
Lady, Lady" but there Is every rea'
SON to believe that these lines are
exceedingly microscopic.
All Of the fun of "oh. Look has q
wholesome. homemade. American
tang about II. It is not favored with
salacity, or ''transposed" from high
ly spiced French farce. 1t has a di'
rect line Of descent from q strictly
American farce Of a few years back
Ready Money" written by james
Montgomery. This really clever fun
is set against the colorful, meiodious
background which 10 always provided
for the modern music play.
But In the present instance, now
ever, the piece is not the Jewel. bu'
merely the setting-the "sparklers
are the Dolly sisters, who have neVel
appeared to better advantage than
they did last night, and who have
reason to thank their lucky stars fol
q play which should firmly establish
them In the musical comedy hrma'
ment. These former queens Of the
cabarets and the midnight frolics have
a few trump cards in reserve 1t II
evident. They are not depending or
youth, or beauty, or pep" or gor'
geous raiment to force their way
into recognition. They have a genu'
inc vein of acting talent, an incisive
piquant style, q manner which nov
clearly has the note of authority in 1t
With them as coadjutor is Harry
Fox, who discloses an authentic com
edy style which utilized to the full
the farce values of the play, who
dances cleverly, and sings-well, al
most as well as the Dolly Sisters do
This trio of fun-makers work to-
gether with snap and tang and spar
kle and zest-whatever you choose
to call that alchemy which the pro
fession calls getting It over" The
audience last night harbored no doubts
about the inclusive nature of tht
gayety that bubbled over the foot
lights-bubbled over always in easy
restrained, limpid style. never run
ming out OF bounds.
Besides Roszika and Yansci and
Harry, the cast contains a distinc.
tive funmaker in Hugh Cameron
who took what might have been g
conventional "deteckative" part in
Capt. West and made 1t stand out
like copper plate in it's rich bur-
lesque values. Adelaide Keim, Rob.
ert Ames. Louis Haines, Clarence
Nordstrom, Selma Magnusson, Ed.
ward Poland and Charles Lane were
the other principals in a long line
of excellent funmakers, including
the girls, who were-well. you know
what girls in q music show are
Comely, brilliantly gowned, grace.
full, and ''vimful."
The score, written by Harry Car.
roll. has a group of melodies which
can bear easily any disparagement
that attaches in the adjective ere.
miniscent," and the staging is ex-
cellent. Altogether. a show which
Broadway will ltalk about before
many more weeks have slipped by.