Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-25
TUMBLE IN" OPENS
WITH MUCH SUCCESS
New Musical Comedy Proves TO
Be Full of Catchy Melody
and Clever Dialogue

Tumble IN tho new musical comedy by
otto Harbach and Rudolph Friml, opened
last evening at the Lyric Theatre before n
large audience which took kindly 10 the
catchy melodies and the funny dialogue with
which the comedy abounds.
The plot il based on Avery Hopwood's
farce, Seven Days which in turn Is taken
from the story OF the same name by Mary
Roberts Rinehart. Certain changes, neces-
sary to its successful presentation in the
form Of a musical comedy, have been made,
though the essentials OF the original story
remain.
II opens with a burglar who has entered
10 rob a house In which Il house party is
being given in honor Of the approaching we'd
dlng OF Anne. the sister OF the owner, James
Wilson, Wilson has been divorced n year
before, but this fact is unknown to his maid
on aunt, Selma, upon whom he Ia depend
ont Tho aunt appears Unexpectedly. and TO
Keep the fact OF the divorce secret one of the
guests, Kitty, is prevailed upon TO pose as
Bella, the wife. Then the real Bella appears,
and after Il policeman is found asleep in the
kitchen the whole party IL quarantined ON
account Of the suspicious nature of the illness
of a Japanese butler. The adventures Of the
party until the quarantine y lifted at the
end oC seven days constitute the comedy.
tn" parts are well taken. The principal
characters are those Of Wilson, taken by
Herbert Corthell Dallas Brown. the fancc
of Anne, by Charles Ruggles Kitty. by Edna
IIibbard Anne, by Peggy O'Neil Bella, by
Virginia Hammond, and Aunt Selma, by
Zelda Sears. Each Of the parts demanded II
different style of comedy which was sup
piled by the actors in excellent fashion.
There was perhaps more possibilities for
comedy In the general sense of the word In
the parts portrayed by MI. Corthell, Miss
o'Ncil and Miss Sears, than in the others,
although all in the well-balanced cast were
about equally clever, Fred Heider, as the
burglar, had a part which required no speak
ing until in a few sentences he cleared up
the mystery IN the last act. hut his pam
tomimc work was exceedingly good. his aero
battle dancing being one of the features OF
the performance. Especial mention should
also be made of the exceedingly clever work
OF Miss o'Ncil in the first act, when tho
cocktails prove TO be stronger than she had
estimated.
Musically the comedy is constructed along
the customary lines with three or four re-
curing melodies running throughout the
piece. Mr.. Friml has an undoubtcd gift for
melody of this character, as he has shown
in previous successes. while his talent rs n
composer of more serious music has stood
him in good stead in the production OF GER
tain orchestral effects. The Laugh at the
beginning of the second act is an especially
clever bit of work, and was done with great
humor and skill by Miss O'Ncil, Miss Hub
bard, Mr.. Ruggles and Mr.. Corthcll. The
other very successful number was Wont
You Help Me OUT sung by Miss Claire
Magic Ca friend OF the bride-to-be) and the
chorus of girls. The dancing of Miss Olga
Mishka and Mr.. Ivan Stagoff was also very
clever and was repeatedly enCored.
The comedy is deliberately staged. both as
to settings and costumes. The fourteen young
women who take the parts of the house party
guests are all pretty, and in the last act.
when Anne reveals to her fance the extent
of her costumes they appear in an astound-
ing array of elaborate and gorgeous gowns.
The comedy is still quite new and there are
a few spots in it which repeated perform
ances will doubtless add the needed finish.
AS a whole it is thoroughly amusing, being