New-York tribune., 1919-12-12
Gorgeous Score by Messenger
Supplemented by Libretto
Which Is Sprightly in
Both Wit and Romance
THE CAST
Monsieur Beaucaire
By Haywood Broun

Monsieur Beaucaire" stands at the
top of the stairway and not all the rest
of the musical shows in town can PASS
1t. In fact it would be rather brutal
to bring most of them within rapier
range. Comparison should properly be
not with the musical shows of the
present season but with few of the
brightest and most melodious selected
rom many seasons. After al, the new
production at the New Amsterdam is
OF type which we see but seldom. 1t
Is not musical comedy, but a roman
tic light opera.
Andre Messenger, the composer, is
remembered here chiefly for his tune
full "Veronique" of several seasons
ago, but it seems to us that "Beau-
caire" is a better score. This idea
OF putting music and singers into
musical show is new and startling, and
after the audience had recovered from
it's original surprise 1t was wildly en-
thusiastic. We would not suggest that
all the singing is admirable. 1t does
not seem to US that the score gets
quite the voices it deserves, but for
all that there is enough of true mel
ody in the cast to go up to and beyond
the Lady Mary Carlisle of the piece
sang gorgeously. Hers seemed to US
quite the best musical comedy voice
we have heard in several seasons
Marion Green, the Besucaire, did
splendidly at times, but some Of the
music is much too high for his voice,
and he was compelled occasionally to
try to get around that fact by singing
very softly. No one was applauded
quite so vociferously as John Clarke,
who had one Of the best songs in the
opera and sang it prettily, though not
without a suggestion Of a conjurer do
ing. trick and pulling out strange
high notes that We're never meant to
be in his voice. Audiences generally
like singing Of that sort. The choral
work was admirable throughout.
We are not putting so much stress
on the singing with any desire to divert
attention from the libretto. Frederick
Lonsdale has fashioned an excellent
operate version from Booth TarkinG
toms famous play and novel. Not all
the credulity of the perfect playgoer
has yet been hammered out of US, and
we are still able to thrill when insults
are passed and seconds chosen. For US
there is excitement when on the stage
a minuet is being danced. and all the
time, unbeknown to the ladies, swords
men are crossing foils in the garden.
Only one Of the duellists will return.
And the perfect theatergoer has gor-
geous time asking himself over and
over again which it will be. Of course,
you understand, it's not much of bet
ting proposition when one of the
swordsmen is the villain and the other
the hero, but the perfect theatergoer is
able to forget things like that in the
excitement of the moment. Marion
Green played the romantic role of
Beaucare with dash and skill.
Also the piece has substan-
tial backing of excellent humor. We
cite. for instance.
Frederick Bantison Crying to make
himself look bold and belligerent)--
Have you ever heard of the British
Rakeaii "often and without the
slightest provocation."
Lennox Pawle and Spencer Trevor in
the two roles mentioned were both ad-
mirable and served to make the fun
almost as fascinating as the music
Gilbert Miller has given a fine piece
Of work an excellent production. We
advise our readers to go to Beau
caire" soon, before it begins to come to
them from every phonograph and res
taurant orchestra in town.