The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-06
'O-KAY FOLLIES' Is
DREADNOUGHTS SHOW
Limited Cruise at Lexington
Opera House by Men Of
the Oklahoma.
CHORUS STRONG FEATURE
Biccps, Vaccination Marks and
Tattooing Make Bevy Of
Ponies Unique.

The war Is over, but the shows by
"the army and navy forever continue
undated. The latest but By no means
the last outpouring of martial talent
which the Kaiser started on Broadway
careers was the "O-Kay Follies OF 1919"
spliced together by officers and crew of
the L. S. S. Oklahoma, which yesterday
began a special limited cruise of one
afternoon and one evening performance
at the Lexington Theatre amid waves of
laughter and the huskiest chorus that
ever shamelessly Haunted vaccination
marks
Though the production had scarcely
any practice manpuvrlns before the en-
gagement. the performance yesterday
was said to be we'll above the trial speed
developed on its nrst test run and was
accepted by the audience M more than
! meeting any specifications laid down by
navy inspection boa rds or the death
watch at White Way first nights. The
| men OF the Oklahoma gained the neces-
| sary stimulus for riveting the musical
\ show together while swabhing down
| decks in the war zone and seeking to
spread oil from German C-boats upon
| the water.
| II is represented as the FIRST truly sea-
! foing musical comedy and was helped
/ upon its sea legs by Lieut.. Samuel Chiles,
| Lieut.. X. n. Kennedy and Padre Lieut..
the Rev. John +. b. Carruthers. while
| Harry Abrahams, a seaman with several
| musical compositions on his rating. saw
| that the choruses had proper list TO
port. The production had an unpre-
cedented run on the Atlantic Ocean Of
| ten nights. The producers. some OF EN-
| even claim eleven performances thereby
busting all maritime theatrical records.
| Ashore and on board the Oklahoma tt
self the musical potpourri was played to
| capacity audiences composed OF English
| soldiers, Australians, crews from United
| states warships and submarine chasers
| and Royal Navy sea dogs The mems
admiration for the back drop. painted by
one OF the battleships own staff of ar
lists, and depicting the ship straining
| every gadget in the direction of KEEL
harbor, was eXcelled only ny the admira =
, ton and -esrect ~ the immortal German
canal fleet for the allied dreadnoughts.
When the Oklahoma dropped anchor as
part of the returned feet up the North
! River. with its IA inch guns preserving
its musical comedy production intact.
II was decided TO put on the show here
| with the entire original North Sea cast
and then call truce with the American
drama. This final splash as IL was
called. was planned because a number
OF the chorus expected they would be dis
charged soon and go back into the lum-
Der business and allied arts.
So the Lexington Theatre was turneS
over to them for two performances yes.
ttrday through the courtesy of Capt
Frank Tinney OF Freeport and the arm,
and tho members Of his laughing gas de
fence division. who are holding tho stage
there against all Corners In "Attaboy.
The sailors from the superdrea drought
conveyed their stock OF grease paint
there and Lnfurled the scenery, but Il
was found impossible to hold a genera
rehearsal. and the show was run ~
with no time in the last six weeks fol
caulking the seams OF the plot Or for al
lowing the gentlemanlN ladies Of tho
chorus a chance 10 powder their noses
The Two performances were free. due
IN naval regulation which prohibits
exhibitions for pay and insures that e
ticket spcculator would starve 10 deatl
in the navy. The gobs, therefore. hac
an unrestraincd hand in dealing out
tickets. and the big theatre was filled e
the top with Pop aud Nom and Sistel
Geraldine and Cousin Johnny. all con
WINGED that II the production was Xix,
that without a rehearsal. they'd have
had to he carried out T. IL had had JUS
. one little warming up session.
They watched with undsguised en-
, joynent the sinuous wriggles OF Thedt
|, Bsdrcr. the Vamp stenog. who'd had
| close shave that afternoon and therefor,
proved more than match in wlnsom'
, guile against Sdr. S. Sherbsi. the the
atrical manager who tried TO lure he
, into a NE OF evil on the stage al lu
| crative salary. Tho audience WAS en-
. crossed also In the second act. when IN
, scene shifted to a cabaret de luxe in Thu
city. where ThsdG. still pursued by San
, and his bsnkroil. Is about to yield ant
: let the manager plant kiss on he
? front molars when hubby drops In iron
Montana and spoils the tableau with
, few deft fiourishes OF a revolver.
The spectators were particularly in
, terested when the chorus In true nautica
. style walked the plank OF the stage an(
into the orChe stra. This number, al
innovation in soldier and sailor shows
was drapcd along a gang.ay similar t.
, those employed for intimate. honey ef
, fects in big Broadway extravagRnzas
, and the pony ballet OF young Clydes
dales paradcd out on It, tossing stream
, ers and balloons and airy persifage a
/ the audience.
a That chorus. as might be expected
, carried the big punch ~ the show. The,
! had PROBABLY more biceps on their arm
- than any other chorus seen hereahouts-
: and several OF them had tattoolng. AN
other rare feature rhcy danced Will
Y the skill of born horupipers and SAM
Z music. which. besides some famila
. tunes, contained agreeable original mum
bers that tho sailors band kent from
. getting lost in the large auditorium
A DIN - Iandick as ThedG received I
= rating by the audience of first class sal
10 water vampire Harry Abrahnms wa
4 amusing as the theatrical villain. Hug
= McClarin did some entertaining bits a
s a press agent and ms II waiter with bat
tleship ram feet. +. q. Shampon. rs
soubrette. wore black wig that mad
H., I.ol, l;l. nj and 10 beha