The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-03
The Plays the Thing

New York. May 31.-Musical COM
edy easily occupies first place AZ the
, favorite diversion Of the Metropolitan
| season now approaching the "sere and
yellow" Even the lingerie farce
popular and mushroom as 1t has be-
come--must yield to the drawing
power of the more refined musical
show. Melodrama has had some
vogue. She has polite comedy But for
continuous drawing power. for sheer
power to furnish entertainment, for
ability 10 thoroughly satisfLau- au-
diences. the new style musical comedy
has unquestionably established itself
In the premier position.
Nor is the reason far to seek. The
mood of American audiences for the
past year has been exceptional. 1t
has run strongly to the lighter kind
OF show. Playgoers have demanded
amusement pleasant diversion. laugh
ter. They have not cared--except in
a few and marked instances-to wit
ness performances in which their feel
ings have been ruff1ed or their emo
tons harried: Undoubtedly this has
been the result of the reaction from
the stress and grief of war.
Oddly enough the soldier boys re-
turning from the front in France have
had much to do in moulding the sea
sons theatrical character. A veteran
manager estimated the other day that
at least $4,000 men in khaki attend
New York theaters weekly. and these
men are almost unanimous in their
demand for the light production.
Give me a, show full OF good
laughs" is their cry to the box Offices.
The general public has kept step
with them.
one OF the pioneers in musical
comedy popularity is The Velvet
Lady" 1t is replete with tuneful
airs, pretty scenery. nimble girls,
amusing situations and best OF all.
George O'Ramey's makeup as the
broad coincidence. Few actresses.
especially as pretty as Miss O'Ramey
is. would have the courage to make
up as the acme of LONELINESS, as Miss
o Ramsey does. Fewer still have the
ability to depict with as much finesse
the bibulous maid. Susie from Sioux
City. 1t would he easy for her to
overstep the bounds of propriety, but
despite the uncertainties in her feet
she manages to restrain them from
offense. She kisses lavishly, but
wholesomely. She talks unctuously
and laughs intoxicatingly. One gets
from Miss O'Ramey's performance the
kind OF refined enjoyment that be-
speaks the real Coincidence.
Julian Mitchell, the well-known
stage director, has been signed by
Oliver Morosco to stage three must
cal productions for next season. Mr..
Mitchell is busy on the first one, en-
titled Wanted. A Thrill" the book
Of which will be written by Glen Nc
Donough with music by Alfred Good
man Matthews
On the way to the coast for sum-
mer season. Henry Miller and Ruth
|Chatterton will appear in Omaha
and Salt Lake City in "A Marriage OF
Convenience" the delightful Dumas
play which met with great approval
at Henry Miller's Theater here and
afterward in Chicago and other cities
The tours Of Miss Chatterton in
The Merry Month Of May" and Mr.
Miller and Blanche Bates in "Moliere"
will be practically identical and about
p week apart After the larger Cali
fornia cities have been visited. Port
land. Seattle, Boise. Salt Lake City,
Denver and Omaha will be favored.
The success scored by Good Morn
ing Judge at the Shubert Theater.
has been responsible for the cancel
lation OF all existing bookings to per-
NIT this merry musical comedy to con-
tinue uninterruptedby during the sum-
mer at that playhouse. This trans
planted London success will not be
affected by warm weather here, judy
ing from the undated enthusiasm
aroused by this play. which IL now In
Its second year at the Adelpht The
atA~ Ia the Britain metropolis undAr