The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-09

The introduction to New York audi
ences of new star of operetta in Mile.
Alice Delysia and new score by Charles
Cuvillier were the high lights of Agar
which was seen last night at the Central
Theatre for the first time here, after a
year Of success in London Messrs,
Comstock and Gest thought the Ameri-
can public deserved the pleasure Of
Mile. Delysia's acquaintance and last
night she was here to greet Broadway.
The stranger is French. although she
has for years been Il favorite singing
actress in London. She is more
statuesque than the usual type of divette
popular here but she is graceful and her
regular features are highly expressive.
Mile. Delysa is, above all, a come
dienne OF great finish, possessed of Il
lse en- sense of humor, and she is, more
over. able to bring the fun of the sit
ration wildly to her hearers. She
sings in a very French manner in d
very French voice. Her success with
the audience was complete. 1t Will b.
interesting to observe how far she wins
hor way into the hearts Of thestregoers
in the future.
In other respects Agar is quite &C.
cLrately enough described by the pro-
gramme, which calls il an eXtrava-
ganza. 1t Is, moreover, Oriental In its
extravaganza. so there are harem more
CT less densely populated by the wive )
Of a rich Moor, a handsome intrude
who arouses his jealousy and the sweet
heart who follows him into danger to
telp free him from the dungeon into
which the Jealous Moor causes him TO
he thrown. as we'll as a comic squire
who suggests Leperello in the offices
that he performs for his master
The authors have sought to correlate
this absurdity to life by introducing In
the second act a strike Of the wives In
the harem who felt that the time mas
come to assert themselves and demand
platform which allows only one wife for
every husband. II is by the success OF
this scheme that the favorite played by
Mile Delysla almost elopes with the
handsome stranger. we almost SAID
the German student recounting the ad-
ventures Of the great night I'VE almost
drank champagne" Thus did the
favorite almost clope. but in the end
che handed the intruder over to his own
true love.
Charles Cuvillier. who wrote tho score
10 "The Lilac Domino" set all these al
ventures to music more or less melo-
dious and rhythmical in the emphasized
manner Of the composers first music
heard here. Then the orchestration is
all in the delicate style Of operet'a
without the strain for effect that comes
so often from initiating more ambitious
musical forms. 1t may be that inc
freshness of the music of THE Lilac
Domino" is lacking. but the score has
delicacy and refinement. Cuvillier. VINO
learned his art In Vienna, seems. how
ever. I'm danger OF resting his style too
firmly on styles that are already out
NODDED.
Mile. Delysla might in her charming
accent describe the fun OF the .eAV y.
"Afgar'' as all there is Of LONDON. ~
almost amounts to n national monu-
ment in It's Qualification Of the London
Joke. in spite of the evident traces OF
an American hand in sprinkiing me
text with humor of n somewhat more
local character. But Il did not always
assimilate. a.
I.uplno Lane. who was one Of the
factors in the London success OF AZ