The sun., 1918-11-27
oh, MY DEAR ISA
MELODIOUS GEM
Bolton and WOdehOuse Pro-
vide Splendid Successor to
"NObody Home"
HIRSCH'S TUNES PLEASE
Jokes and Rhymes Are Fresh
and Dancing Girls Are
Excellent.

The little Princess Theatre Is by
way OF becoming a historical institu-
ton. At the first performance Of "Oh,
My Dear!" which was seen there last
night, the audience discovered from
the programme that the latest OF Its
characteristic mixtures Of melody and
fun and dancing was the sixth in the
series.
Was Nobody Home" SO long ago?
And is Very Good Eddie" really three
years behind US? Time flies. But 1t
was at least consoling to sit comfort
ably in the little theatre and await
another entertainment which should
be Just as charming as its predeces-
sors There were some reassuring de-
tails about "Oh, My Dear!" and they
| were realized.
Had a Chance to Rest.
In the first place, it was written by
Guy Bolton and Z. G. Wodehouse. who
created or embroidered the earlier
pieces into success. Both these ener-
getic compllers OF jokes and rhymes
have been less busy OF late. Their
jokes have had a chance to rest and
their rhymes need no longer seem so
overworked.
To be sure they have a new COM
poser to give them their tunes. jerome
Kern has been succeeded by Louis
Hirsch. But there is little experiment
| about such a substitution, and prob
ably only the song publishers noticed 1t
last night. Mr.. Hirsch had been put
| ting good tunes to his credit ever since
the days of the "Gaby Glide" and the
other old Winter Garden ditties.
| The old arrangement OF two acts
had been observed again in "Oh. My
! Dear" One of these was on a porch
at Rocket Health Farm, since this
new play was about that fertile source
OF humor. a sanitarium, and the other
| in front of the house. Most OF the ex-
pedients OF humor and action must
have been through the process Of resto-
ration In such an institution many a
time: but that did not in the least in
! terfere with the complete success OF
| oh. My Dear"
Many Funny Lines Devised.
| Mr.. Bolton has devised many funny
! lines and the text Ia uncommonly rich
In this merit. Then the lyrics are as
neat as Mr.. Wodehouse has usually
made them in the past. Mr.. Hirsch's
music illustrates melodiously and pi-
quantity the contributions OF the libret-
| fists.
Here are attractions enough to make
any evening at the Princess Theatre
as agreeable as its predecessors. And
| Of all the funny men and the graceful
dancing girls. not a word has been
said.
There was first a most amusing
comedian in Joseph Allen. who was the
frightened pilot of an airplane expect
ting arrest at every minute, but COM
PEELED to pretend that he thought him
self Julius Cesar in order to find
asylum in the sanitarium; another
funny man in Roy Atwell as re-
formed favorite of Broadway and a
uuieter humorist in Frederick Graham
as the secretly firtatious head OF the
institution. Francis Conlan, who was
q deputy sheriff. aided their successful
efforts, and Joseph Santley danced
gracefully.
Two other most spontaneous coined!
ennes were Helen Barnes, who has
real comic genius. and Georgia Game
as a jealous wife. Juliette Day. no
longer a baby vampire but robust
one, did not lack humor and was al
ways charming. Then there was
Miriam Collins with her lisp, Helen
Clarke with her sprightly dancing and
a host OF other girls, pretty in their
fresh, youthful way and adept in their
new and graceful steps.
so the Princess Theatre has added
in "Oh, Ny Dear" successor
worthy of its predecessors. New York
has q Princess Theatre musical play
we'll worth It's patronage.