Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-23

The local vaudeville and legitimate
stage Is Offering a wide variety of enter
tatnment this week.
The dancers with Mabel McCane at
Keiths this week are setting a pace
which other dancers win find very diff
fcult to follow. The dancers are i'm
mense.
''Ben-Hur" is repeating well at Eng
lish's this week. The Murat for the first
three days Of the week has very light
musical farce in Nothing But Love-"
The Lyrics bill is headed by a dance
revue while both the Broadway and the
Rialto offer sketches as their headliners.
The Park is housing The Aviator
Girls"
Il l. l.
THE MURAT.
All musical shows can not be great and
Nothing But Love- is member of the
not class
| The greatest fault with this contribu-
ton to the musical comedy stage is that
1t does not give the actors enough to do.
A bunch of able bodied men are present
but they have SO little real work to do
that they will never need vacation from
overwork in this vehicle.
The scenery is pleasing, but just good
scenery and one little appealing tune will
not make Il show great. Nothing But
Love" lacks the goods that makes a show
good.
Andrew Tombes is the featured mem
Der of the cast and at times he manages
to find enough to do to keep himself
busy for short time at least He does
more than anyone else in the cast.
Ruby Norton as June Marbury and
Betty Pierce as Lucy Cotton are easily
the most pleasing Of the cast. Miss
Pierce has her melody opportunity in
when I Walk Out With You" The
song hit, ASK the stars is a haunting
little melody and is wei put over by Miss
Norton.
Clarence Nordstrom is fairly satisfac-
tory, and Florence Enright as Bella, the
maid, fails to get the most out of her
part. The chorus appears young but are
far from being sensational dancers.
Nothing But Love" has one thing to
its credit is clean and the chorus
decently clad at all times, although they
wear bathing suits in one scene
The engagement closes with the
Wednesday matinee and night perform
ance.
"BEN-HUR."
"Ben-Hur" is not a play, 1t is not
show; it is q glorious chapter from
wonder age painted by a Hoosier dreamer
and il win live forever as monument TO
dramatic perfection.
The production now playing at the
English is an impressive spectacle, rich
in historical scenes and portrayed by
capable players. The story is old and
known In every circle, but its full mean
ing can not be grasped until the stage
production of Gen. Lew Wallace's mas
terpiece is seen as It is now presented.
Richard Bunler, as Juda, son Of Itha-
mar, the hero, the galley slave, the war
riOr and the man of God, proves himself
an artist in his role, but it can not be
said that his portrayal of the principal
character overshadows that of LesliA
Stowe as Simonides, the servant Of the
house of Hur, or Peggy May as Esther,
the daughter of Simonides.
T. Jerome LAWYER the Roman warrior
Messiah; Stella Boniface Weaver as Am
ram, Laura Burt as the mother Of Hur
and Theresa Moehan as Tirza, blend into
the cast with fitting ability.
The scenic production is a marvel OF
art. The play is staged In six acts, with
thirteen scenes. Twelve trained horses
appear on the stage in the famous char
lot race and a camel is used to lend
Egyptian color in the scene of the COM
ing Of Balthazer. The stage work in
shifting and arranging scenes is accom-
plished with surprising rapidity and the
play unfolds in a manner that arouses
wonder in all who behold.
''Ben-Eur" is noted as one OF thu
greatest dramatic spectacles on the Amer
lean stage and the cast is worthy Of the
tribute of being In the production.
The only Earring feature of the proGuc-
ton proved to be an aged curtain used
in the first act.
Ben Hur' remains at Englishs all
week.
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