The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-08
FUN AND GIRLS SHINE
In 'GAIETIES OF 1919
Elaborate Spectacle, With
Good Dancing and Singing,
Captures Crowd.
ED WYNNE MAKES A HIT
Small Army of Amazons,
Noted for All Around Beauty,
Is O Feature.

The laughing audience at the Forty
fourth Street Theatre last night was
really at the cradle Of new theatre
| enterprise which is intended to stretch
into the future. 1.-THE Shubert Gaieties
of 1919" are indeed meant. IL there be
any truth in the talk of the wise men
| in the Hobbies, as an answer to the
hardy annual that Is Towering in Forty
| second street and has been Towering
during every one of Its thirteen years to
the delight of an appreciative public.
The theatre had been gaily refurbished
| for the new arrival and the public that
| innocently-well, hardly altogether in
nocently-assisted at the function show
cred every sign of favor on the newly
born There was no witch visible
ainly not in the chorus.
The Shuberts had prepared valiantly
/ for the new spectacle. 1t had only two
acts, but there were twenty-five scenes
divided between them. There was even
longer list OF coilaborators than usual,
but it Is enough that J. ]. Shubert di-
rected the first steps of the little stran-
ger, which were inevitably In the tempo
of jazz. Then a long list of the funny
men and the singing girls of the Shubert
cohort were on hand.
Marjorie Cateson was notable on the
distaff side OF the entertainment, while
Ed Wynne, fresh from his long term OF
hard labor at the Casino William Kent,
SO funny as to be in dispute by the man
ayers: George Hassell. Stewart Baird
and numerous less known players were
stretched through long programme
and its frequent scenes. So far as its
mere proportions went, the new infant
was gigantic. And there can be little
doubt that the baptism of the footlights
was altogether suspicious.
Points In the New Show.
The new show-for there is nothing
else> that so we'll and briefly describes
It's especially rich in fun. And most
of this comes from the unwearying Ed
! Wynne, who shows no fatigue from his
winter labors. The audience laughed at
| the story OF the American In Venice who
swan so we'll that he was made a traffic
| cop. and also at the account OF the hard
| boiled egg which turned out to contain
the will of the fathers heroine made
years before In Augusta, Me. and writ
ten on rice paper. which was, Of course.
| eaten by a chicken when a gust OF wind
| blew II into thu harm.
Then Mr.. Wynne parodied to the H'-
| larious delight of the listeners the meth
| DDS OF the speakers at the various drives.
| He had to have 1000 laughs registered
| on his board and he worked hard at his
| task When the going was slow, he
begged TO know II Flo Ziegteld was pres
ent. for to catch him laughing at Shu-
| bert show would mean at least 1000
| laughs When nobody answered no
| begged some man with split lip TO split
| a laugh with another man and let him
| have half of 1t.
Mr.. Wynne was fortunately provided
with material that appealed to his ad-
! mirers. as It was delivered in his famil-
| lar and suCculent manner.
William Kent was less fortunate in
| his humor although his natural fun as
serted itself irrepressibly at times HIS
opening scene was least satisfactory.
George Hassell was quite as amusing
as ever and the two comedians In
somewhat overlong burlesque OF an old
| fashioned war play were at their best
| Stewart Baird bore the responsibilities
| OF the hero In the dinner jacket and
acquitted himself well.
| But even the funny men were second
airy last night. II there ever was a girl
show" It is these Gaieties OF the Shuberts
| In every scene new platoons of gaily
|
| footlights and sometimes overfowed on
to the miniature runway which connects
| the Forty-fourth Street Theatre now in
| spirit at least with the Winter Garden.
| There were myriads OF the little girls
, Who have come TO scamper ineNitaply
| through every summer extravaganza
| There were those of the middle sizes, all
uncommonly lovely to observe. And this
is not meant by way OF the casual com
| nhn
| is added to the report of every summer
entertainment There was no ground for
criticism of their natural charms
AS II these standard sizes were not
| enough to satisfy the taste OF the Jaded
New Yorker, ]. ]. Shubert had some
where collected a small army OF ANA
IONS Not one OF them looked under SIX
feet. They were not merely representa-
tive OF size. Every stalking giantess
was comely 10 behold. They filled the
stage with all the dignity of blonde
cathedrals and crowded 1t with the novel
| beauty of tender skyscraperS. Mr..
shubert neglected no taste last night
beauty for the Eye.
Colors were brilliant and fabrics costly
while there was often originality in de-
sign, Possibly this quality was most
striking in the crazy quilt dance with
Ina Williams, Nlldl Win INV
yiyacity. The first part OF the evening
was an apotheosis of the shimmy ana
Gilda Gray in a cabaret scene in-Green-
wIch Village awakened the audience TO
laundering approval by her performance
Fortunately the shock was duiled by
William Kent's warning that 1t was
rather raw"
She sang with an expressionless face
an incomprehensible song. Then by some
chemical change Miss Gray transformed
herself into Jelly and not muscle Of
her body but wriggled and quivered to
the music while she still looked out at
the audience with a blank countenance.
THUS does high virtuosity in any field
of art command the Difference OF the
world. Tho audience called her back
| with q yell.
There were other kinds OF art els
PLAYED in this scene. Flora Hoffman
sang brilliantly, ''Sampre LIBERIA" which
was a musical contrast TO Miss GEay's
little ditty. There were much graceful
dancing, constant movement and in
spring music by Jerome Schwartz,
which, added to the beauty and fun Of
THE Shubert Gaieties OF 1919" ought
to insure enduring life to the series
begun last night.