The sun., 1919-10-24
BRIGHT NEW REVUE
AT WINTER GARDEN
Parodies This Year More I'm
aginative Than in Passing
Shows Predecessors.
"THE JEST" SATIRE GOOD
Scenery and Costumes Are in
Keeping With Clever Bits
of Caricature.

Of Csricature.
Putting on the annual Winter Garden
revue n like putting on the annual win
ter ovsrcoat--its something that simply
has to be done. 30 when Lee and J.
J. shubert presented last night The
Passing Show Of 1919" they were
strictly following precedent in produce
ing one Of those things that sven chill
dren cry for.
While the extravaganza shown last
night did not confine itself entirely to
travesties Of recent theatrical successes,
II had its happisst moments when II
was buriesquing plays that have taken
tribute from the public and deserve the
advertisement Of satire. The parodtes
this year seemed to have more imagi-
native quality than ever before, perhaps
because the original material on which
they were exercised was more magma
tive than Broadway 10 usually credited
with producing.
The take-off on The Jest" for in
stance, was one Of the best bite Of carl
eature seen here In q long while-one
that even Dante might have enjoyed. a.
q distinct relief from his inferno"
In this scene Blanche Ring, AZ John
Gtowsstto, wore q costume like John
Barrymors's penetrating green attire.
and did his anGmio poses to the lie,
though not quite % successful In imi-
tatinr his neurotic twang. nor wearing
. viz that looked quite % liable to
burst into flame from spontaneous COM
bustion.
Her husband, Charles winninger, did
L<owsl NsYt capitAlly In costume, voice
and gesture. amusing especially by his
pseudo oAths, one Of which was Holy
Arthur Hopkinsi' The scene caused
continuous laughter. winding UP when
every man on the stage. ovsrhearing
John 0te~,stto teii Gstnevro he win
visit her secretly munied In q white
cloak. Immediately rocures white
cloak too. But tho travesty was q
trifie ovsrlong. and might readily have
been out when lionel NsrS, a. his inal
terrific boast before departing TO break
up . Sim Fein meeting, bellows: "rm
the man the Kaiser thought he wasT
on searcAing for Something.
The scenes IN the two acts ware struns
together BY the usual young man who
stsrte out It the meeting Of The Roads
to Destiny" and goes In search of--well.
the usual something or other. This takes
him to . love boat In China and the
court Of King Solomon. among other
popular resorts. Here. ~ In the parody
Of The Jest" Watson Barrett outdid
himself In designing the scsnery. and
the Shu6erts hadn't worried about q
shortage Of dress material, any way you
look At It. There were all varieties Of
costumes here-Chineoe. Russian. Hindu
and PAleolithic--ths kind Of costumes
that wives see In dreams and bill paying
husbands see In Nightmares.
This spectacle was almost too lavish,
In fact for there was 30 much Of Il that
much OF the humor fell by the wayade,
and with condemnation moro might have
been made OF Winningers performance
as Hing Solomon, who finds that the only
way TO gain attention for an impressive
entrance 10 by accompanying himself on
the slide trombone. To winninEer. who
has been skilfuily initiating prominent
players almost as long a. they've been
playing. fell most Of the work carrying
well. especially In the burieeque Of East
Is West" when. ns Charley Young, he
remarked: Nobody like Charley Younp o,
like Chortsy Young, like CAovDer Yown1S
Drinks Across the "Boraer.~
Tho Avon Comedy -Four made the
greatest aggregate hit Of the evening.
using most Of their vaudeville matsriAl
in the kitchen and the doctors once,
which seemed familiar to . large part Of
those present but had lost none Of the
bloom Of youth Making their entrance
In q scene on the border between Canada
and America. after 'Lightnin' and
The Better OLE had been done UP In
the form Of sirits. they were entertain
ing In rushing drinks across the Dor
dsr' while 4 revenue ofiscer made futile
attempts to stop the course Of progress
The dancers also stepped into the
publios heart. Jimmy Barton was
highly amusing A. drunk. and among
other ezcellsnt eccentric dancing aid an
imitation Of hockey game that scored
10 goal Ralph Riggs and Katherine
Witohie In . novel Salem witohcraft
number, with an unusual lighting eject,
and Q Chinese dance. psAnoed away with
their acta MAdgo DGny danced with
little between her and the spotlight, only
there wasn't any spotlight Olga Cook
sang with o voice that measured UP to
her good looks. and the Haley and Mel
lette sisters Hassi Cox. Reginald Denny
and Lon Hascall had their big moments
The indefatisnbie Harold Attoridge pro-
vided insxhaustfble Dialogues and lyrics
Jean Schwartxs music was spirited and
tuneful, and all In all this revue. staged
by ]. c. Huffman. 10 q good place to 20
~