New-York tribune., 1919-02-18
Drama
''Royal Vagabond'' Proves To
BE Musical Show of MANY
Merits
By Haywood Broun


Our list of this seasons musical como.
dies is not complete, but "Thc Royal
Nagabond" is easily the best we have
encountered. and we are willing to hack
It, sight unseen against the rest fot
the present. The new show at the
Conan and Harris Theatre is called ga
CohanIzed opera comique.' It would
seem to be an old fashioned comic
opera entirely refurbished by a man
who has the keencst sense OF pace OF
any one in the American theatre.
CONAN has probably kept the general
! outline of the book provided by
Stephen Ivor Szinnyey and William
Cary Duncan and some of the bes,
melodies furnished by Dr. Anselm
Goetzl but he has ightened and
qulckencd the whole product by inno-
vations Of his own in plot. dialogue
aud music.
In keeping the general scheme Of in
trigue IN The court Of Bargravia,
Coban has justified the use Of hand
some sets. gay costumes and dreamy
melodies. but he has managed to in
smuate brisker and more modern
note by allowing the characters and
cnCrus to poke fun now and again at
the happenings in which they are par
ticlpating. The spirit Of the piece may
be Judged BY a single exchange between
tHe heroic prince and his comic tutor.
doesn't that sound like horseman
approaching cNclaims the prince
when the traditional cocoanut shells
begin to clatter.
Not exactly" replies the tutor.
but it's u good effect"
There can be little question that
Conan has achieved good effect. II
seems to us that he has been exceed
ingiy discreet in satilizing his plot to
lusl the right point. TO carry the
nuriesque too far would make it diff
ncuit tor the audience to feel a suf
hclent interest in the love affairs of
thc characters to receive their melodic
pfotestatlons of love in sufficiently
Meiio" mood. To have held his satire
more closely in check would have i'm
Ialred the fun Of the piece. Cohon
mas SHOWN no hesitancy in shifting the
mooo from humorous disbelief to sent
mental interest with entire sudden
ness, hut this seemed feasible onnrgb
last night. Personally, we found no
avn 'culty In smiling at the iconoclas
'lc words of ar opening chorus and
promptly becoming interested in tho
question of whether the disguised
prince would succeed in winning tho
beggar maid
The plot of "a Royal Vagabond"
actually possesses a close relations],in
TO words and music and suffices 20
provide one or two actual melodra-
matte thrills as we'll as f,lrnisbino
ample opportunity for funmaking. Tho
music, which includes number Of
8ohgs by Cohan, as we'll as those of
pr. Goetzl, is pleasantly variated from
llhk'lng tunes of undying love to brisl
dance measures. Moreover. there arr
at least Two good voices in the com
pany. several excellent dancers and
one even better than that: not forrst
ing nrst rate comedian and a mum he r
o. capable assistants
lessa hosta and Grace Fisher h:,vo
me good voices. Perhaps mention
Smouic ~! also be made Of little Miss
Ilerre. ne dancing of Dorothy Dick
son is charming. 1t has all the fasci-
natlon of beautiful line and perfect
rhythm. Mary Eaton is also pleasing
~ a toe dance. Robinson Nowbold car
res most Of the comedy and manages to
pe extremely amusing and easy at
'nH same tlnc. Louis Simon is . CON
tflbutor. however. and so is Rorcr
Gray. Winifred Harris carries off tho
part OF the queen with touch of
genuine authority
Among the best of the song nurabers
are Here Come the Soldiers" a neat
ont of musical satire by Cohan: 81, Owe
IS Love, by Goetzl, and "In Kingdom
OF our own by Cohan. This, how