New-York tribune., 1920-12-19

<A% y The eve OF Christmas three
RBp new plays compete with the
NN mercers of Broadway for the
holiday purse. F. Ziegfeld ir.
brings Sally" with Marils nh Miller
ard Leon Enrol, into the New Amster-
dam Theater Tuesday night: on
Wednesday Charles Frohman presents
Mary Rose" at the Empire, and on
Thursday David Belasco introduces
"Deburau" to a first night audience at
the Belasco Theater
Sally" is three-act musical com
edy. Jerome Kern's score is supple
mented with ballet music by Victor
Herbert. Marilynn Miller and Leon
Errol have long been considered two of
Americas distinctive exponents of the
dance, and in Sally" Mr.. Ziegfeld has
endeavored 10 supply suitable vehicle
to display their talents. Both have
long been outstanding figures in Zieg-
fields "Follies.' Indeed, the new piece
contains more than tincture of the
"Follies," for its action carries Miss
Miller, certified Bohemian of Green,
wich Village, through a course that
ends in renunciation Of candlelight and
sawdust floor in favor of the ziegfeld
castle Of dreams and cloth Of gold. To
heighten the visibility of Miss Miller's
toes, the New Amsterdam stage is be-
ing raised above the footlights. Owing
a ho aI hC Of ho
the curtain will rise at 8:15 o'clock.
Sir James NJ. Barrie and the Yule-
tide, by long established custom, az
rive naturally together at the Empire
Theater. Whenevr a new Barrie play
was TO be done, Charles Frohman de-
cided long ago, the Christmas season
was the time to do it. Two years ago
William Gillette, in Dear Brutus," the
more recent of the Scotch playwright's
work to be seen here, was the Christ
mas bill at the Empire. This year it
is Mary Rose" the latest play by the
author Of "Peter Pan," "The Little Min
ister" and other pieces that have long
been associated with the Empire.
MARY Rose will have its first pre-
sentatlon in New York next Wednes-
day evening, with Ruth Chatterton in
the title role. In London the play is
near its three hundreth performance at
the Haymarket Theator It has the
characteristic Barrie grace and beauty.
whimsicality and poetry, vividly por-
traying the spirit of youth. A feature
of the production will be the prelude,
interlude and Incidental music COM
posed for the piece by Norman ONeill.
A host Of phantoms are brought to
the stage Of the Belasco Theater with
"Deburau,' whose date goes back to
the Paris Of the '30s, when MANY of
our old plays were new. It's action
moves around the romance Of the great
pantomimic actor, Jean Gaspard De-
burau, and Marie de Plessis, the origi-
nal Camille, immortalized by the young
er Dumas. This actor had preceded
Armand Duval in the affections of the
tragic Dame aux Camellias." The
scenes are in the atmosphere Of those
palmy days of pre-imperial Paris, when
Hugo, Chopin, De Musset, Gautier,
Dumas and Georges Sand were buying
violets or pinks or gillyflowers, accord
ing to season, and tasted on Friday or
had q dispensation from the Pope--or
haply dispensed with the Pope's dis
pensation," as Du Maurier has it. Many
of these celebrities will be represented
in the play.
Lionel Atwill, in the leading role, is
presented for the first time as Be-
lasco star. Thursday nights perform
ance will be the world premier in its
Englished form. Sacha Guitry, the au-