Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-28
"HALF MOON"
BRILLIANT Event
Greeted by Large and Apprccia-
tive Audience at The Play
house Last Night.

The premiere of "Thc Half Moon"
new musical play under the Dillingham;
management, which occurred at The
Playhouse, last night, was really brill
liant occasion. The house WAS packed
with nm audience which WAS keenly APP
preciative and highly pleased with the
offering, MS cvinced by frequent encorcs
and curtain calls for the principals after
each act.
Everything has been done for every.
body concerned in the performance by
everybody concerned in the production.
The book and lyrics by William lie Baron
evinoe n practjccd hand, and utilize the
material with which Iibrettists deal with
sufficient novelty 10 interest even the
critical among the auditors, and TO fur
nish motif for the composer, Victor
jacob. whose hand in also practised, and
who is ernancipated from the obEession OF
"jazz," which someone has happily charac
terized "a the ''wood alcohol of music :
He has sfppled score which is interest
ing tonally notably rhythrnical and hence,
danceable, and also effective vocally.
The settings. garden and Boston
and New York interior, are elaborate
" effective, costumes and properties
tasscfully resplendcnt. Just as the rhyth-
mic harmonies underlie the musical
numbers, 80 the evolutions of the highly
drilled chorus give n nearly consistent
background for the stage pictures, and
are interviewer with and develop the
musical themes, modern modification
Of the antique Greek chorus idea.
The coryphees are young and graceful,
but their personality does not obtrude.
The plot has been perceptibly written
a l. e he. a. Iaetr r4E
Cawthorn. who has only b. be himself to
be amusing at oil times. and only To
exert himself TO be screamingly funny He
is well-ftted by the part Of the pork
packer who il successful in spite of the
handicap Of a neglected education.
His successful coup in taking the wind
out Of the M6yHowor sails Of his foil, The
Boston banker, full Of the pride of an
cessry, by cutting across the bows Of
tha. famous craft witlr the Half Moon,
the galleon that bore Hendrix Hudson 70
the shores If the Delaware, named by
him the South river. and To the North
river. later christnnad after him, is n bril-
liant stroke, and gives the title to the
piece. To be sure, the family tree is
hstruck by lightning" in the end, but il
has served it's purpose.
Aitf tsp tDttt fhNhriHf VIII
try to assume Roman fortitude when
their Sons go contrary 10 their wishes
mstrimonially, serve chiefly 10 bring
out the character Of there two young
chaps, who have met in France, and The
two girls a their choice, which is in each
case the opposite Of that made for them.
The two damsels are Ivy Sawyer and
May Thompson, and with the two lads,
JOSEPH Santley aud Oscar Shaw, they
make up q quartet Of songstsrs and
dancers that would be hard 10 match
on the contemporary stage. Especially
was this shown in the Little Book"
number, where the four performers, in
the concluding pas quatre." swayed
and swung with absolute precision and
perfect grace.
Edna May Oliver, AZ the female Of the
Boston Brahnin species, WAS all that was
admirable; Maud Eburne's character
part IA ''slavcy' landlady was capital,
but rather long for the movement Of the
show, and Elaine Palmer showed grace
as the dancer in drab.
Nearly all of the program numbers are
"quotable !" when You Smile" by Mr..
Cawthorn and girls and Deep IN Your
Eyes" by Miss Sawyer and Mr.. Santley,
are perhaps the most outstanding. musi-
cally.