New-York tribune., 1920-05-09

~ producers, as if to bear out the
statement made in jest by a
Broadway wit that sin the spring q
producers fancy lightly turns to
thoughts of revivals." But revivals are
always present on the American stage
with this distinction, however-when
, it is to the advantage of the newer
production to identify itself with the
original from which it is taken the
fact is given prominent place in the
advertising and billing. When it is
deemed better to make the production
seem new and fresh the original play
is kept long way off in the back
81 ound. This is mainly true of farces
adapted for modern presentation, either
with or without music. Take two very
recent musical comedies which have
made their appearance on Broadway,
"The Girl From Home," at the Globe,
and "Honey Girl" at the Cohan &
Harris Theater. Richard Harding
Davis wrote The Dictator" from
which Frank Craven fashioned the
Dillingham; production, and Henry Bios
som wrote "Checkers," which, in it's
musical form, is called Honey Girl"
The plays were we'll known, the authors
are prominent ergo, the Identification
of the old with the new is made known
at every possible opportunity.
"Lassie," the dainty and captivating
musical comedy at the Nora Bayes
Theater, is from Catherine Chisholm
Cushing's "Kitty MacKay." Frank
Moulan, who has been playing Robin
Oakapple in "Ruddigore," at the Park
Theater, and who in his twenty years
or more on the stage has appeared in
many Of the outstanding musical
comedy successes, was discussing the
prospects of reviving the favorites of
other days. On Monday, May II, he
joins the cast Of "Lasse," at the Nora
Bayes, to play MacGregor, the drunkard
Of Juniper Green.
"If the revivals are made intelligent
ly, if the public is convinced that the
revivaIs are to be worth while, then
there Is no doubt that there are many
musical plays which might we'll be
brought back to the stage. 'Florodora
has been revived and the music Is still
fresh and as good, if not better, than
many new productions. At the Park
we put on The Geisha' and the public
seemed to like it as we'll as when it
was first produced. To mention only
a few Of the possibilities take George
Edwardes' Gayety Theater productions: i:
San Toy The Runaway Girl and The
Messenger Boy With few, if any,
changes at all they could be produced
at the present time with as much sue
cess as they had in their original pro-
ductions, I believe. What the pro-
ducers must guard against is the gen.
eral tendency among the unthinking
public to say .Oh. yes, but that's old
fashioned.' Age is a virtue in wine,
cheese and steak, but it is a terrible
thing in the theater. But, the mere
fact that they have been played SO
long ago and are still remembered
proves that there is something in them,
doesn't it? People in saying, Yes, /
remember commit themselves in favor
of the piece"
Every 80 often Mr.. Moulan has an
irresistible desire to play In stock He
feels that he must play in new piece
each week, so he goes off to q stock
company. In doing this he has taken
part in revivals which have not come
to the attention Of theatergoers in this
city and thus is in position to express
himself with authority.
In making revivals, he points ont
conditions at the tima the play wal