Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-11
THE PLAYGOER'S
WEEKLY TALK

TNHIs early the theatrical season is
L usually an oasis chain of first nights
before the sahara of runs develop, but
| next Monday night will be different, as
II. viii be a little sahara In the midst
of the oases. Only continuing attrac-
tons will be seen till Wednesday, wren
Fred Stone opens his new show; Tip
Top" as usual at the Forrest. This VIII
follow a tradition for which Stone has
vcneretion " not really a stage stias,sN super
| Montgomery and Stone had thSir
premleres in Philadelphia. and the star
| has come to think that there's something
1aTsy pToSabiy w the ss luck that that follows infinite
pains and devotion to ones job, which
have won for Stone and for his manager:
! Charles Dillingham;, such large local
public that their endeavors are in
poned opening is an example of this care
, In detail. There are so many elaborate
| mechanical devices and so many special
ties In which much drill is requisite to
manager decided to forgo two nights
and a matinee's profits In order that
their performance should not start out
half baked. II is hinted that stone
himself has some novel and astounding
personal stunts.
WITH revivals current OF "Floro-
w dora" and Way Down East" the
youngsters can test the tTuIn VI NsN
Dad. He Knows" SO far as the stage
of a score of years ago is concerned.
HUR fellow townsman, Jack Norworth,
~ having mastered vaudeville. musical
comedy and that nondescript art-form
known as the revue. makes a plunge into
the legitimate in MY Lady Friends at
the Adelphi. II isn't such a hazardous
smiling. Jack deserves credit for his
ambition in striking out into new fields.
where the harvest might not be a bumper
one Such versatile and popular enter
tainer as Norworth can always reap
good crop in vaudeville or musical COM
edy. But he is set upon giving fair
trial to his abilities as light comedian.
His first venture reveals him as adept
at the fluent and easy farce comedy OF
the Willie Collier school. He Is not yet
so deft or adroit as Collier but again
he is not so brash as Norworth used to
be. He Is now funny without being fresh
and, oh ! how fresh he once was! Also
he is satisfying without being self-sat-
isfed-and there was a time when he
didn't need even a mirror to organize
mutual admiration society. The play
Is an amusngly human and even anus
ngly humorous - some stage humor is
NOT amusing-story of prodigal and
philandering husband whose wife is as
economical as he is free with his new
rich fortune, an eventually wise wife who
emerges, resplendent from her cocoon
and the three platonic affinities who
make things hum for brief thirty
six hours for a young and sunshine
spreading Bible publisher. He can't get
action for his luxury at home, SO he
sets up a few platonic institutions about
the country to aid him In keeping his
cash in circulation.
AS is customary, this is the signal
for oodles of woe. Norworth's serio-
comedy mourning, intermixed with graft
tude for his powers of wild.women
tanning, are something new and funny in
farce. The lines are snappy and es-
sentially modern. There is one song
and only one. 1t is Il Want to Spread
a Little Sunshine" and it's the kind Of
song the newsles take to whistling.
A bit of satire, n heaptng measure
of comedy and just moment of real
dramatic intensity make the Offering
lively and worth seeing.
HDRoADwAY BREvITIEs" is mod
ID estly programmed as an ENTER
tainment" instead of being '.monna-
kered" with some forced, far-fetch~d and
at the Lyric by constant laughter and
applause are testifying to the accuracy
of the label of George Lemaire's first
managerial venture. Lemaire will be re-
team. Like George White. the dancer of
the Scandals" he is convinced that the
time is ripe and the field open for new
enterprises in the amusement world.
tertalner of merit and not averse to
working" speaking technically. His
work with Bert williams in a couple of
interpolated skits is clever Williams, of
course, Is more than clever enter
tainer he is a genius in his particular
line, and in 1t is given many opportuni-
ties denied him in recent "Follies' pro-
duCtions.
"BrevIties" is a show of the "Follies"
much stress on spectacle as the former
or on dancing as the latter. though the
production possesses plenty of both ex-
quisite spectacle and clever dancing.
The emphasis, If placed anywhere, is on
comedy, in which both the Ziegfeld and
White productions sometimes seem a bit
minus. Some of the "Brevities" comedy
comes smeared with custard filling, and
the slapstick is not resurrected from
some museum devoted to Thesps.
The comedy cue is a good one for Mr.,
Lemaire to follow in order to give a
distinctive touch and one of distinction
to his projected series of annual produc-
tons. Some finely ironic songs or satires
on current foibles or the universal weak
nessCs OF human nature. and possibly a
travesty or two-if really good-on con-
temporary plays. would be an additional
asset to the vlgor, vivacity, variety and
vividness which Lemaire and his coad-
tutors have already blended in their en-
tertainment" that really entertains.
PHILADELPHIA Is to have another
J. "frst-class" playhouse, or, at least
make another try at having one through
the writing OF another chapter In the
erratic annals OF the one-time Little
Theatre, on De Lancey street. renamed
the Philadelphia Theatre last season,
| This time-and really for the first time
| 1T is to come under competent COM
! mercial management
Arrangements have been completed
whereby Lee and j. ]. Shubert have as